Re: EGOS

["Chuck Martin" <cm -at- writeforyou -dot- com>]

"Peter" <pnewman1 -at- optonline -dot- net> wrote in message news:223817 -at- techwr-l -dot-  -dot-  -dot- 
>
> Chuck Martin wrote:
> > "Peter" <pnewman1 -at- optonline -dot- net> wrote in message
news:223810 -at- techwr-l -dot-  -dot-  -dot- 
>
> >>John Posada wrote:
> >>>At the same time, I understand that none of my stuff is the
> >>>best damn stuff ever produced, and therefore, I'm not the
> >>>best damn writer ever born. However, I want to be and I know
> >>>to be so requires work.
> >>>
> >>>Don't we all believe that?
> >>>
> >>>So...what's wrong with me wanting each of my documents to be
> >>>"the best damn piece of documentation you've ever seen"?
> >>>
> >>
> >>Nothing so long as your ego doesn't interfere with your ability to lose
> >>sight of the goal, listen, learn and produce work.
> >>
> >
> > And would you like your shoes shined as well, sir?
>
> I ask what you mean? What is wrong with pride in one's work?
>
> Do you agree or disagree with my statement. YOur answer confuses me.
>
I find it mildly amazing that I have to explain this explicitly, but "listen
and learn" is a phrase commonly used by those who believe themselves
intellectually superior against anyone they think is intellectually
inferior. It's condescending.

Oh, and I could not disagree more. Tech writer's goals are none of those
three. Not even close.

Let me give you an example: me. Some of my goals:

- To have a roof over my head
- To have enough to eat
- To have good friends
- To be a responsible part of society
- To be happy
- To go to a softball tournament in Palm Springs n January and a basketball
tournament in San Diego in February
- To not get too nervous at my presentation at the WritersUA conference in
March
- To buy my partner a cell phone to replace the one he dropped and broke
- To sell my Insight and buy a car that's more comfortable and less painful
to drive
- To go visit my family sometime in 2004

You'll notice that none of these goals have anything to do with grammar,
ego, technical writing, etc. However, to reach many of these goals (most of
them, actually) in this society requires money. To get money (and make sure
I accomplish the goal of being a responsible part of society), I have to
work. Because I have to work (I have no family inheritance and I don't
expect to win the lottery), I have more goals, such as:

- To work in a field that I enjoy
- To work at a company that makes a good product
- To work with good people
- To have hardware that's fast enough so I don't have to spend a lot of time
waiting
- To have software tools that don't cause frustration
- To have my contribution to the company appreciated
- To get paid enough to accomplish other goals
- To not have to work long hours too often so I can watch West Wing and
SportsCenter
- To be proud of my finished product

Note that these aren't primary goals.

The reason that I say all this is because when we write documentation, when
we work on product design, it's important to know what users' goals *really*
are. It's also important to know what your company's goals are. Identifying
those and helping to reach those will result in a greater chance of your
reaching your secondard goals, and in turn will help you reach your primary
goals.

Goals aren't to document new features. Goals aren't to complete the index.
Goals aren't even to get the sentences grammatically correct. These are
merely tasks, tasks that are milestones toward reaching goals. True,
listening is a task, learning is a task, producing work is a task. Often
important tasks. But they are not goals.

-- 
--
Chuck Martin
User Assistance & Experience Engineer
twriter "at" sonic "dot" net          www.writeforyou.com

"I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. The day
may come when the courage of Men fail, when we forsake our friends and break
all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day! This day, we fight!"
                    - Aragorn

"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given you."
                    - Gandalf



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