Re: Tech writer to developer? Yes you can! was Re: help topic footers

Subject: Re: Tech writer to developer? Yes you can! was Re: help topic footers
From: Mark Giffin <mgiffin -at- earthlink -dot- net>
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2019 14:17:34 -0800

I was a tech writer for many years, picked up programming along the way (often during writing API docs), mainly by reading books and trying it, then started doing more and more doc tools development. I decided I liked programming more than tech writing (although programming jobs can be wildly different). I've been full time on programming and related activities for many years, almost all of it self-employed. And although I've said "many years" twice now, it doesn't mean I'm old.

Mark Giffin
Mark Giffin Consulting, Inc.
http://www.markgiffin.com/

On 01-Feb-19 1:42 PM, Lin Laurie wrote:

I jumped the other way, from developer into writer. I used to develop custom financial applications and then I would do the documentation and train users. I found I liked the latter tasks better than the former. Plus I got paid more not to write code. Who'd of thunk that?

I do like to dink around in a little HTML or Javascript on my terms though.
________________________________
From: techwr-l-bounces+linlaurie1=hotmail -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com <techwr-l-bounces+linlaurie1=hotmail -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> on behalf of Chris Morton <salt -dot- morton -at- gmail -dot- com>
Sent: Friday, February 1, 2019 10:01 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: Tech writer to developer? Yes you can! was Re: help topic footers

Speaking of coding, I enjoyed watching the six-part National Geographic
series, *Valley of Boom*.

It's available to stream as I write.

(I'm sorry I didn't buy more M$ in '92, as Windows 3.1 became
semi-ubiquitous.)

Chris Morton
(click logo â for details)

<https://www.the-efa.org/memberinfo/chris-morton-10670/>
â Substantive Editing â Technical Writing â Proofreading
â B2B/B2C â Marketing Expertise â Mentoring




On Fri, Feb 1, 2019 at 12:25 PM Robert Lauriston <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com>
wrote:

No thanks. I studied programming but writing code all day makes me
depressed. I'd rather spend most of my work time learning things and a
little bit writing them down in English.

I have from time to time spent a week or three coding sample
applications, writing build scripts, cleaning up bad online help
calls, and the like, but I read a lot more code than I write, and I
prefer it that way.

I bought a Udemy Python course when it was on sale for 95% off, but I
don't know when I'll ever have time to do it.

On Fri, Feb 1, 2019 at 5:06 AM Sweet, Gregory P (HEALTH)
<gregory -dot- sweet -at- health -dot- ny -dot- gov> wrote:
I've heard of tech writers who actually jump into a paying coding
job. Haven't met one yet, though.
Now you have.

Journalism BA with passing knowledge of HTML, CSS, and single sourcing,
which lead to a tech writer position at an HMO where I learned and
transitioned into eLearning, which lead to a training & help position at
state gov. agency where I formalized my web technologies education, earned
several certifications, and garnered a deep understanding of our product
and how our user community wants to use it, which lead to a promotion to
the lead front end developer position for a 340k+ user extranet. And yes, I
still write the occasional doc, including the docs for the stuff I code.
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