i'm not a goddess, but i might be an ok gardener

Subject: i'm not a goddess, but i might be an ok gardener
From: Cyndy Davis <kivrin -at- ZDNETMAIL -dot- COM>
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 14:24:45 -0700

Since I haved receive quite a few personal flames on this, I wanted to explain my assumptions (knowing that they might make an *** out of persons in question)

Anyone is capable of learning. Based on the fact the original "doc girls" poster said the employees were taking a FrameMaker class, I assume they were willing to learn. It is easier (generally) to teach an existing employee that already knows your products and procedures a new job skill than hiring a new hire that may or may not actually possess the skills you want and train them to do the job.

Since there is an obvious desire to keep the "doc girls/word processors" on staff, since they have made it through the restructuring, why not take some extra time when editing to make comments about grammar, writing, etc? Walking the trainee through some example documents can teach them the things to look for, while still working. This list has discussed grammar workshops and such, why wouldn't that approach work here?

Growing anything, tech writers or flowers, takes work. And yes the "flowers" need to WANT to grow, but they also need other things than desire, support, training, respect.

Cyndy

<snip>Well, gee, I worked on campus when I was in high school. I even got
paid for it *and* a free lunch! :D
Apologies to Eric, but this one was as wide open as Jerry Rice in the
end zone... :D> </snip>
[George Mena] snip>
> We can't compare employees to high school students. A student is in> school
> expressly to learn, and teachers are paid expressly to help them> learn.>


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