RE: So called writers and intellectual property

["Wilcox, Rose (ZB5646)" <Rose -dot- Wilcox -at- pinnaclewest -dot- com>]

<<
The final straw is that I will continue to run into this person on
social occasions (this is completely outside of my control and I will
not forgo the occasions). Should work discussions arise despite my
attempts to avoid them, how do I deal with this person, who engages in
self-promotion as a "senior technical writer"??!!??? Perhaps this is
more a question for Ms. Manners, but how does one deal with this?
>>

I would take the high road.  That is,  I would be civil and polite, not
mention the episode, but stay distant in such a way to discourage actual
intimacy with the person in question.   I would tend to place myself in
other groups or sit at other tables too; take some physical distance.  This
would help avoid accidental conversations regarding related issues, as well
as avoid the appearance of being associated with the person.  The only time
you need to talk about the issue is if someone *asks* you for a
recommendation for the person.

<<
I am also curious to know whether others on this list have confronted
similar situations and how they handle them. I have never had any
problem being the intellectual property police on my projects, but being
confronted with and having to fix the results of someone else's lack of
integrity is a new one on me.

Thanks.>>

I thought you did great.  I have run into a similar situation; however, the
manual was an in-house manual.  By the time I got to it, it had fallen into
disuse.  I never found out who the previous writer was and was creating new
material anyway.  This was so many years ago I don't remember for sure, but
your situation of finding the procedures for copying the materials rings a
bell.  It seems like the person documented *how* they copied the material
from the copyrighted manual.  At the time, I felt the writer was ignorant
and didn't realize laws and ethics were being trampled.  Since the person
was anonymous, no other issues needed to be addressed other than to simply
not do follow their processes.

Rosie (to lazy to append sig today)


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