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After following this thread over the past few hours while doing my own work, it looks to me like someone at "the hospital" has promoted a manicurist (who already knows how to use some small pointy tools) to "surgeon" (where extremely specialized cutting tools are required) and said manicurist refuses to give up her nail files but will use them to do her surgeries.
Basically, due to comments about her refusal to learn standard, generally accepted tech writing tools and procedures, I say this episode will not end well, but instead will result in lots of resentment from both sides during the tenure of this newbee.
Of course, I hadn't seen anything about the actual quality of her work. Nor do we know anything about the relationship between her and whoever promoted her. THAT, in itself, will probably "trump" everything.
From: Peter Neilson <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net>
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Sent: Wednesday, November 1, 2017 1:53 PM
Subject: Re: Using "Fences" as File Management Tool?
I'd allow her to use the Fences tool (with the icons on her desktopÂ
pointing to the files in the directory you establish. That's (presumably)Â
easy. But I'd be alert to other problems that may come up.
One obvious one is proper use of MS Word formatting. She should (ofÂ
course) pick up the proper "styles" approach that most of us know and use.
Also, you want to make sure that she does not side-step yourÂ
already-existing backup and versioning systems. It is a bad idea forÂ
writers to keep their "real" up-to-date version as a separate file outsideÂ
the server framework that manages versioning, if you have one, but I haveÂ
known writers (reluctantly waves own hand) who have felt that such aÂ
practice might somehow be a good idea.
On Wed, 01 Nov 2017 13:34:03 -0400, Emoto <emoto1 -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
> On Wed, Nov 1, 2017 at 11:35 AM, Chris Morton <salt -dot- morton -at- gmail -dot- com>Â
> wrote:
>> *Trouble ahead, trouble behind,*
>> *And you know this notion...just crossed my mind.*
>>
>> Greg's points are critical here. If a compromise can be struck inÂ
>> relation
>> to where the actual files are stored, great.
>>
>> If not, then I might be inclined to use the SysAdmin as the bad cop,
>> asserting that Fences only serves as another layer of user insulationÂ
>> that
>> runs counter to accepted system and file backup procedures.
>
> I'll be revisiting this, probably later today. I will go for the combo
> deal of letting her use Fences for shortcuts to files, but make the
> files themselves live in a structure that I will create for her, just
> to get it done.
>
>> Yours is a Windows environment. If the new hire doesn't care to fully
>> understand the OS and its file structure, then I'd question her abilityÂ
>> to
>> be adaptive to the established ways of the company.
>>
>> I worked at several places in the past where one was simply NOTÂ
>> permitted
>> to introduce software to one's own system, period. Other places were aÂ
>> bit
>> more lenient, but I'd need to first seek permission to use such thingsÂ
>> as
>> favored utilities the company did not yet know about (but enhanced
>> productivity).
>
> I don't know if it was approved or not. I don't care much about that,Â
> frankly.
>
>> I don't know what the nOOb will be documenting, but this entire thread
>> would give me pause regarding whether or not she's an appropriate fit.
>
> There are certainly questions along those lines, however, the subject
> matter of the medical device instructions being worked on is not
> something foreign to this person, so that is a point in her favor, to
> some extent.
>
>> I may be a bit hard-nosed about this, but it's already soundingÂ
>> problematic
>> when the easiest solution is to learn the file system. In this regard,Â
>> what
>> is so bloody complicated about understanding folders and subfolders,
>> drawers and cabinets when related to such physical items in theÂ
>> paper-based
>> world?
>
> Frankly, I was baffled to get pushback on that. Last thing I expected.
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