TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Time Management and Moderation From:David Lettvin <dlettvin -at- YAHOO -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 27 Oct 1998 13:00:34 -0800
I am a Technical Publications manager. I have four people working with
me to write and update the manuals, WinHelp, HTML, and Acrobat for 9
products. I have to do project management, personnel management,
trouble-shooting, training, writing, editing, research, keep abreast
of the latest technologies and more. Usually all at the same time.
One of the best tools that I've found is Techwr-l. Most of the time I
don't post. I lurk and see what the answers are, then astonish my
subordinates, the engineers and the other managers with my
encyclopedic knowledge. It helps to give me the psychological upper
hand and helps me keep the department running smoothly, and it
replaces at least four separate newsgroups that I used to read.
The problem with Techwr-l is the sheer volume of message traffic. I
can use a newsreader but since I read at work and at home, it can get
confusing and time-consuming to find where you left off. My solution,
as you can tell from the bottom of the message, is to use a separate
online email account. I see that several others in the list do too.
Filtering helps reduce the traffic, but the best filter for Techwr-l
is Eric. He is patient, but not overly. He is strict, but not unduly.
That's what makes the list worth the time that I spend with it. I
could not afford to use Techwr-l the way I do if it were unmonitored.
The reason I think this message is on topic is my attitude that this
list is an important tool for me as a technical writer and as a
manager. Although I can be momentarily amused by an off-topic thread,I
feel the same irritation with it that I do when a manual has
gratuitous graphics or cartoons. I feel that my time is being wasted.
. . . and a bit of a mea culpa. Sometimes those threads will bait me
into a discussion I really didn't need to have. For an example, my
contribution to the "military" thread.
If anyone wants to disagree with me, write to me directly and I'll
respond when I can.
==
Honi soit qui mal y pense.
_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
