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Subject:Re: Information gathering..... From:"Lin Sims" <ljsims -dot- ml -at- gmail -dot- com> To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Tue, 29 Jul 2008 07:31:51 -0400
On Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 4:32 PM, Al Geist <al -dot- geist -at- geistassociates -dot- com> wrote:
> HI all,
>
>
>
> I'm in a typical situation..my writing staff has been reduced by half, the
> project load has grown and the deadlines are shrinking. (Sound familiar?) My
> department head has decided that the problems with us falling behind is
> because our information gathering is inefficient. (He has never worked as a
> technical writer and views technical publications as a necessary evil rather
> than a valued component of the company's products.) The department head is
> pushing for us to incorporate video taping into the information gathering
> process. His idea is to have the engineers videotape the setup/alignment
> process so we won't have to bother them with questions. Those same engineers
> would discuss the various components making up the systems. (These systems
> use pneumatics, hydraulics, and electronics to align and bond silicon wafers
> and are extremely precise.) We would take the tapes and write the books.
> Reviews would be accomplished by training as they train the field service
> staff. (How they would know what is correct or what is and error was not
> part of his proposal.)
Just out of curiosity, has anyone asked the engineers, and their
managers, what they think about this idea?
--
Lin Sims
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