Re: How are Technical Writer's Perceived

[Peter <pnewman1 -at- home -dot- com>]

lestatvampire39 -at- hotmail -dot- com wrote:
> 
> Hello Everyone,
> 
> I am doing a paper on technical writers and require some input from
> our side of the fence.  Basically, the angle is, how do we remove the
> negative preconceptions that others have about us?
> 
> I've interviewed various sectors of the high tech industry, the
> customers that use our services, and the SME's we interface with.
> For the most part, responses have been quite negative.
> 
> If an accountant is stereotyped as boring, a lawyer as money
> grabbing, and a used car saleman as .....well we all know -  What is
> the stereotype for a tech writer?
> 
> Additionally I would like to know why you believe we are perceived as
> such?
> 
> And lastly, if you have any ideas on how to changed this perception I
> would appreciate it.  I understand the value we contribute, the
> reduced customer support calls, improved product value, independent
> product validation, useability, etc.

1. discuss points with SMEs, Don' interface with them;
2. don't spend endless hours obsessing over commas and semi colons and
complying about tools;
3. put your head down and write;
4. group questions at logical breakpoints; don't interrupt every two
minutes;
5. act like an ally of the SME, remember what the E stands for.
6. etc.. etc..

-- 
Peter

"When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a 
minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute-and it's 
longer than any hour. That's relativity,"
- Einstein-

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