Re: Ethical Questions

["Jody R. Lorig" <jlorig -at- KAVOURAS -dot- COM>]

Some time ago the topic of how newbie tech writers should obtain work
samples for their portfolios. It appears as though the established
tech writers who have problems obtaining samples of their work could
use the same advice given to the newbies.

However, since many established writers have undoubtedly created many
documents, I can't see where using the text (sanitized to remove any
references to specific products or company names) placed in another
document layout would be a problem with the company. If the document
was written on how to operate a highly-technical electronic device
for the military intelligence community, rearrange procedural steps
and make a document for how to perform an alignment on a microwave
oven. The parts will bear no resemblence to the classified equipment,
but the wording, how the document is organized, writing style, etc.
can surely be seen from the example.

Given some thought about approaching commercial equivalents, or even
unrelated items could prove useful in creating a ficticious manual to
use as portfolio material.

As writers, we are quite often required to create fiction for manuals
and then verify that the information is ultimately false and needs
rewriting, is partially false and must be modified, or pretty close
to the truth without needing massive correction. If you present
material that is pure fiction, but is written to resemble a usable
product manual, the only person who will ever know that it was made
up is you.

HTH

Jody Lorig
JLorig -at- Kavouras -dot- com