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Subject:Re: ADMIN: New Poll Question From:Suzy -dot- Davis -at- doi -dot- vic -dot- gov -dot- au To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Wed, 10 Nov 2004 15:50:29 +1100
Hi Bruce et al
As far as I am concerned people hire me to do my job, which requires me to
have a certain amount of expertise and knowledge. I come with that, but
staying up to date with current trends and issues is of benefit to both of
us. The next contract I do might get the benefit of what I stay up to date
with today, but my current contract gets the benefit of what I gleaned from
techwr-l etc in my last contract.
I don't read every single email that comes through from techwr-l every day,
but if the subject looks like like it is relevant to the specific area of
technical writing that I do, or is relevant to a current issue I might have
in my current contract (ie I am not familiar with online documentation
requirements but need to put my docs online in this contract - so I look at
those emails) I will open it up. This email is actually the first of the
New Poll emails that I have opened, and mostly because I have just come out
of a heavy duty 2 hour meeting, and need a break for 10 mins.
If I am working 60 hours a week on a project I usually don't read any
techwr-l emails. If I am working on a VBA developer contract, I don't
subscribe to this list, unless I have cause to post a question, and usually
only stay on for a short time. Techwr-l isn't where my head space is on
those contracts.
A manager noticed all the techwr-l emails I was throwing in the trash
before I gave a presentation (before the attendees arrived). I happily
explained that they were Technical writing related, rather than from
friends sending jokes. He had no problem accepting that my interest and
receipt of the emails was relevant to my work. I further explained that it
was a list that I monitored, not lived in. I think most of my project
managers know and accept that I use and monitor lists, and appreciate the
benefits they get from my list membership.
If I was hiring a consultant I would be concerned if they didn't monitor
lists relevant to their work. An average of 15mins per day is reasonable.
If you are actively researching a topic relevant to your current contract,
then that is like any research - you spend the time required until you
find out what you need to know - that should be built into your spec.
Back to work now...
Suzy
Bruce Byfield
<bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com> To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Sent by: cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
bounce-techwr-l-165345 -at- lists -dot- t Subject: Re: ADMIN: New Poll Question
echwr-l.com
10/11/04 06:06 AM
Please respond to Bruce
Byfield
bryan johnson wrote:
> My take on this is that I'm a salaried employee, not hourly. My
> employer gave me a job to do, explained how and when they wanted it
> done, and how much they were willing to pay me. I accepted. So, I
> deliver the product on time and to the required specifications. How
> I do that is entirely up to me.
A number of people have said similar things, both on-list and privately.
One thing that I'm not clear on, however, and would like to ask the list
generally: Is saying that you're paid for results or that keeping up
with the profession a rationale (meaning a line of logic that you have
developed on your own)? Or is this reasoning accepted by whoever you
report to?
Let me stress that I'm not condemning here; I'm simply asking.
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