Re: Sink or swim (was illusion of contro)

Subject: Re: Sink or swim (was illusion of contro)
From: John Posada <jposada01 -at- yahoo -dot- com>
To: Daniel Hall <misterhall -at- prodigy -dot- net>, TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 08:49:20 -0700 (PDT)

.

> Lordy, I hope nobody ever asks you to give swimming lessons to
> children! <g>

How do you think I learned how to swim. In the ocean with my
father's hand about 6 inches under me...I could and did swallow
alot of sea water, but I couldn't drown.

I'm leaning toward Andrew's side. You have to depend on the
beginner that when they don't know how to do something, they'll
ask. That's part of the filtering out and learning process. As
long as they don't ask, you should schedule regular review
session, but between those session, let the person make their
errors (I still am) and learn the hard way.

It also builds confidence in that I know I can write about
anything using anything even if I haven't done it before

In the mean time, you don't give them the centerpeice document
for your leading product. However, what's wrong with giving them
assignments that are less important...mayber the Readme document
(nobody reads them anyhow), the first cut of a manual that will
get revised later anyway (everyone's first cut get's revised at
some point), or a component of the help file that will get
merged in and reworked by a more senior writer.

I started writing with a yellow pad and lots of pencils. Nobody
mentored me...I wrote, it either got accepted or it didn't and I
was told why...nobody looked over my shoulder.

One last thing before I leave for vacation...I'd freak if I
found out that my peers went to my boss without me without
coming to me first.

bye...see ya in Jamaica.

John

> <snip>
> At some point, you have to give up the illusion of safety and
> "properness"
> and
> suckle the mighty risk-teet. Life is not a well-ordered
> process.
>
> Throw them in and let the weak sink. It is only through
> failure that one can
> appreciate and vision success.
> </snip>
>
> Andrew:
>
> Lordy, I hope nobody ever asks you to give swimming lessons to
> children! <g>



=====
John Posada
jposada01 -at- yahoo -dot- com
john -at- tdandw -dot- com
732-291-7811
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
Benjamin Franklin

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