Re: SME vs. Audience

["Bonnie Granat" <bgranat -at- editors-writers -dot- info>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andrew Plato" <gilliankitty -at- yahoo -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Sent: September 09, 2003 09:24 PM
Subject: Re: SME vs. Audience


> It seems to me that writers of the font-fondling persuasion artificially
> created the whole "SME vs. audience" issue so they could create jobs where
> their technical ignorance would become an asset.

Actually, I think a poster used the question today as a springboard for
discussion. I observe none of the sleazy attitudes you mention.


 Rather than struggle with the
> difficulty of learning esoteric things like SQL or physics, these writers
could
> focus on "fun" work (i.e. fondling fonts, setting up methodologies, building
> exquisite templates, etc.)
>

You must be speaking of people on a different list, Andrew. I'm sure they
would love to hear what you have to say about this matter.

> The only way to get people to believe that "fun" work is critical is to
create
> some artificial "need" for "user advocates."  As if the users needed
advocates
> because they were being victimized and violated by SMEs.
>

User advocates are quite valuable, actually, especially when complicated
software is being used by people who aren't as technically experienced as some
others may be.

> The last few years has seen the SME vs. audience antagonism repeatedly
> discredited. Subject matter knowledge is no longer a wish of employers, its
> become a requirement. There simply is no reason to employ people that insist
> their ignorance is an asset.
>

I agree with the original poster that Geoff's answer nailed it down pretty
well. He kind of has a way of doing that, doesn't he?

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