Re: OT? Job Descriptions and Audience Analysis

["Tom Murrell" <tmurrell -at- columbus -dot- rr -dot- com>]

    Pamela Nelson writes, in part:

    I am guessing it would be best to contact me off list, rather
    than start a firestorm of differing opinions.

    To which Russell Griechen responds:

    I would think you would want all the different opinions that would be
    spawned by posting their answers to the list.
    At tech writer level I would assume a dispassionate discourse would be a
    normal result.

I, too, was surprised that Ms. Nelson felt there would be a "firestorm of
differing opinions" about what a Technical Writer does.  I would expect
comments on the topic to be additive rather than exclusive.  After listening
to TWs from various organizations and geographic locations describe what
they do, I am convinced that we do different things depending on the needs
and practices we find.

I was equally taken aback by Mr. Griechen's comment that "dispassionate
discourse would be a normal result."  Russ, you're new to the list, right?

Truly, it is a shame that we can argue so passionately over such trivia as
whether or not it is demeaning to a TW to edit someone else's copy.  And it
is a shame that we drive away good reasoned discourse out of fear of
starting a flame war.

To me, this is a more important topic that what the job description of a TW
is or should contain.

Tom Murrell
Sometimes I write, and sometimes I edit.
But I'm always a writer.