Re: Fear and Loathing at the Job Site

Subject: Re: Fear and Loathing at the Job Site
From: Goober Writer <gooberwriter -at- yahoo -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 8 May 2003 05:01:48 -0700 (PDT)


> I can't help feeling that there is more gross
> incompetence among
> tech-writers than in other fields.

I have to agree. I think there are several factors at
work here (IMO):

1. There are a lot of "starving writers" out there who
"fall into" tech writing because it allows them to
write. Now, this doesn't mean every wannabe NYT Best
Seller author who took a tech writing job is inept,
but there are some who take the job for the sake of
having a job, and don't do anything to further their
technical skills, because deep down they do want to be
that Best Seller, not a good tech writer. (I speak
from experience with others here, not from the seat of
my pants. YMMV.)

2. Many employers see or saw tech
writing/documentation as a necessary evil, and so
hire(d) anyone willing to do the job. In some cases
these positions pay very low, so there's no incentive
to do good work or no "power" associated with the
title to get things done well.

3. In any discipline, there are lazy people. So, some
tech writers can be just plain lazy.

4. Some tech writers think that they just need to be
able to write well, and so don't emerse themselves in
the technology surrounding their work.

5. Murphey's Law.

To do any job well, you have to like to do it, want to
do it, want to see the best possible results, and
always want to look into ways to improve.

=====
Goober Writer
(because life is too short to be inept)

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References:
Re: Fear and Loathing at the Job Site: From: Bruce Byfield

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