Re: Tech writing & incompetence: I am scum (A very long reply)

["McMARTIN, Robert" <rmcmarti -at- BAEA -dot- COM -dot- AU>]

> I've been reading the posts on this subject with a bit of interest.
>
> Perhaps the subject matter shouldn't be Tech Writing and Incompetence,
> but Tech Writing and bad writing.
>
> As Andrew proved, there can be outside influences which can affect
> what is turned out.
>
> As for previous statements about people not being qualified to be Tech
> Writers, I would have to say I don't agree with that.  Here are my
> reasons.
>
> A Hypothetical
>
> I own a Software Company selling a Time Management Software.  The
> system only has five data entry screens.
> My options are hiring an expensive Tech Writer at $40.00 an hour for a
> month (total cost based on a forty hour week = 6400 dollars) or using
> my Secretary with a little help from the Product Developers (I'm
> already paying the Secretary and the Product Developers and on Salary
> total cost based on forty hour week are already within my budget no
> real additional cost.
>
> From my point of view I go with the internal staff.
>
> Now before everyone starts sticking pins in their Rob McMartin dolls
> and making the sign of the cross whenever I post a message.
>
> Lets remember my program is small there is no hidden complexity and no
> additional features.  The manual looks good, the customers are happy.
>
> Now I produce a Cost Coding program linked to the Time sheet program
> and General Ledger.
> Suddenly I'm faced with a new set of manuals.  Do I go down the path
> of hiring a Tech Writer.  No, what worked last time will work again.
> Remember, I'm a Software Company Owner all I want to do is sell
> product.
>
> Of course we know what will happen, the staff who worked on the
> previous manual will slave day and night to produce the documentation
> and finally deliver a manual they think is okay.
> The customer will pay for expensive training (the company is using
> programmers as trainers now) and train their staff in the use of the
> system and rarely use the manuals.
> So the company sees no need to spend money on the manuals.  After all
> manuals are only to keep the customer happy.  The real money is in
> training where I can get $1200 a day in training fees (best I can get
> for the manual would be $50.00 once up and the customer will probably
> just photocopy it a few million times around the office).
>
> So I write bad manuals and train well.
>
> Now my software company moves into Windoze based products, contact
> tracker software for the masses.  Suddenly, I can no longer expect the
> masses to pay for expensive courses they must have better manuals.  So
> I drag out the same old wage slaves to churn out the manuals again
> (now this team is called a Documentation Department).  I have never
> sent these people on a training course, I have never employed an in
> house trainer to teach them, nor have I ever employed an experienced
> Tech Writer.
>
> Now my documentation department are trying their best and it is not
> good enough.  So I go out and hire a Contract Tech Writer.  They are
> to complete the manuals in 30 days at a fixed price.
> Now I have my documentation and I am happy.
>
> The end result of all of this is that my software is barely adequate,
> I have someone on the Tech Whirler group calling my staff incompetent
> (think how demoralised this Documentation Department must feel at this
> point, they have tried their best and it was found wanting), and I'm
> still selling my product because the product is good.
>
> As the software company owner, I don't know any better and I really
> don't care. I'm selling product and to me that is all that matters.
>
> The People who wrote the manuals are qualified, they are a qualified
> secretary and qualified software developers and probably would qualify
> as entry level Tech Writers.
>
> There is no such thing as a incompetent employee, or Tech Writer.
> There are only incompetent managers.  These are the people who must be
> satisfied that the product is suitable to bear the companies name.
>
> It is not the writers who should be flogged, it is the managers who
> allow this sort of bad writing loose on the world.
>
> End of rant and lecture.
>
> regards
>
> Rob.
>       -----Original Message-----
>       From:   Andrew Plato [SMTP:aplato -at- easystreet -dot- com]
>       Sent:   Tuesday, 7 July 1998 8:51
>       To:     TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>       Subject:        Re: Tech writing & incompetence:  I am scum
>
>       See what happens if you don't edit material carefully -- you
> send a message to
>       4000 people with lots of errors and they forget the message and
> obsess over the
>       mistakes.   You can see why I am so worried about incompetence.
> It regularly
>       consumes me.
>
>       Sorry for the grammar errors gang.  I promise to be more careful
> next time.   I
>       got in a rush and sent the message before I edited it.  You can
> stop sending me
>       e-mail about the grammatical mistakes and get back to the usual
> hate mail about
>       how I am ruining technical writing and tormenting kittens.
>
>       .......................................................
>       Andrew Plato
>       President / Principal Screw-Up
>       Anitian Consulting, Inc.
>       www.anitian.com
>
>
>       <<<<<<Big Snip for Eric>>>>>>
>       See I can stay on topic.