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Donal McCarthy wrote: >>I subscribe to the ZDnet and Tech Republic mailing
lists. ZDnet sent me a message asking me to resubscribe. The thing is: they
ask you to fill out a form in which you select a job description. Technical
writing/documentation is not an option. It seems that they (and others) see
technical writers as falling under the category of 'Support'. My
understanding of support is that it is dealing directly with customer
problems. Am I being OTT in resenting this?<<
Not in the least, but you are wasting your time. Instead, e-mail ZDnet
pointing out that you can't resubscribe because they haven't included your
job description in their list. Repeat for every reminder you get to
resubscribe. If they're not bright enough to get the message, do you really
want to be subscribed to their mailing list? But the chances are that a
polite pointer that our profession was not included will get the list
updated.
When I first applied for a mortgage, I found that "Technical author/writer"
was not included in the mortgage company's list, and, protesting mildly, I
agreed to be defined as a "writer", which was, after all, broadly true. The
next time I applied for a mortgage (the survey on the first place disclosed
a number of major problems) they now *did* include "Technical author" on
their list of professions. Always complain. Politely, of course.
Jane Carnall
Technical Writer, Digital Bridges, Scotland
Unless stated otherwise, these opinions are mine, and mine alone.
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