By way of introduction

[Lynn Ward <ward -at- UX1 -dot- CSO -dot- UIUC -dot- EDU>]

Hi everyone:

My name is Lynn Ward and I am a tech writer for the Computing and
Communications Services Office at the University of Illinois.  I want to
thank Eric Ray for starting the list.  I posted a message to the
newsgroup/listserv bit.listserv.pagemakr to inquire about whether such a
list existed, and Eric immediately took the initiative to investigate the
question and start the list.

As far as my own background is concerned, I came to computers and tech
writing through the back door.  I was a Ph.D. candidate in Musicology
(Music History), finished all coursework and prelims and then married my
adviser.  Since we are more or less stuck Champaign-Urbana (husband is
tenured and very content here), and since there are at least 4 other
faculty wives with Ph.D.s in musicology competing for local teaching
positions, I decided to pursue an alternative career.  Got on the PC
bandwagon in the mid 80's and was a full-time PC support conultant for the
Illinois Cooperative Extension Service for 3.5 years.  Did a lot of writing
for ICES.  As a person responsible for both support and documentation, I
discovered, like Eric, that taking the time to answer commonly asked
questions on paper (newsletter and quick and dirty handouts) really cut
down on the long-distance telephone support.  I am a firm believer in the
virtues of paper docs (though I do make most of my stuff available
electronically).

Currently I work at UIUC's central computing services office (CCSO).
Officially, I am the only full-time technical writer.  There was another,
but she now devotes most of her time to maintaining our Gopher server.  The
setup here is rather odd.  I do not work for  CCSO in general.  I was hired
specifically by the Network Deisgn Office (they install all in-building
LANs that connect to our fiber optic backbone) and my manager is Ed Krol
(of "the Whole Internet Users Guide and Catalog" fame.)  I research and
write all the copy for UIUCnet, our campus newsletter on networking, and I
write and revise user's guides and online help.

My special interest in this list is in establishing a central respository
of computer documentation (of the sort that University computing
departments typically generate) that anybody can contribute to or borrow
from.  I hope to write up a proposal on setting up an anonymous ftp site
for this purpose.  Once I have completed a draft, I will present it to this
group as well as UIUC CCSO management for feedback.

In the meantime, I  enjoy "listening" in the on various philosphical
debates in which other list members have engaged.  Since  was in the throws
of setting the type for my next newsletter when the list got started, I
didn't have time to react or respond (only to read.)  Looking forward to
getting in on the action later on.

Lynn

________________

Lynn Ward,  Network Design Office
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1541 DCL, 1304 West Springfield Ave., Urbana, IL 61801
(217)244-0681, ward -at- ux1 -dot- cso -dot- uiuc -dot- edu