Re: TECHWR-L Digest - 9 Jan 1997 to 10 Jan 1997

[R Shade <dobson -at- CORNETLTD -dot- COM>]

Tina Cipolla offered...
>Date:    Fri, 10 Jan 1997 16:10:26 -0500
>From:    Tina Cipolla <tcipolla -at- ACCUSOFT -dot- COM>
>Subject: Knowing prog. lang. +s to a TW's $?
>
>Here it does help considerably to know a language.  We write our manuals
>for a programming audience and although no one expects a tech writer to
>know the code well enough to develop software, being able to write small
>bits of code for examples and being able to speak intelligently with the
>developers is quite important.  Knowing C and Visual Basic were very
>important tech-writer qualities for this company.

Being able to write small snippets of code does not really require
the type of knowledge that is implied here.  I know C and VB well enough to
insert bits of code, but I am not presumptous enough to suggest that I "know"
the languages, at least not on a resume.  I can always explain myself
when I get to the interview stage, but I am often weeded out before that stage.

I simply don't respond to ads asking for writers who program,
or know a particular language.

Russ Shade



Russ Shade                      Technical Communications Specialist
CorNet International, LTD       dobson -at- cornetltd -dot- com
Stroudsburg, PA, 18038          1-717-420-0800, ext 416

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