Re: Techwriter Aptitude Test (A Daydream)

[Martha J Davidson <editrix -at- SLIP -dot- NET>]

At 01:57 PM 11/7/97 +0100, Mike Dannenberg wrote:
>This is just some kind of wild idea I had while walking home from lunch
>today, it's loosely connected to the recent thread on what makes a
>technical writer.
>
>Here's the scenario:
>
>You're looking for a technical writer. You've invited ten people for an
>interview. You sit them down in a room and hand each of them a
>shrinkwrapped box with a little digital alarm clock or some such
>appliance. Everybody tears open the package. Nine people take out the
>clock, start randomly poking at buttons look for the battery
>compartment, after a while they get the thing to display the time, a few
>people get it to display the correct time.
>
>One guy first takes out the instruction leaflet and reads it. After a
>while he's able to set the time correctly, adjust for time zones, set
>the alarm and switch between 12 and 24 hour display. Congratulations.
>You've found your technical writer.
>
>Or what?
>
I guess I must be in the minority then. 'Cause I'd do exactly what Mike's
ideal candidate would do. I'd read the words first, try everything they
tell you to do, and then show you all the syntax errors I found while
reading...

martha

--
Martha Jane {Kolman | Davidson}
editrix -at- slip -dot- net / mjk -at- synon -dot- com
Senior Technical Writer

"If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
 If I am only for myself, what am I?
 If not now, when?"
        --Hillel, "Mishna, Sayings of the Fathers 1:13"


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