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Subject:Re: A sobering encounter (So now what?) From:kcronin -at- daleen -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 3 Dec 2002 20:41:17 -0700
Sarah wrote:
> Keith, why is it always the *writer's* fault when the documentation sucks?
Speaking from my own experience, I'd say it's because we're ultimately
accountable for our work, despite the obstacles we encounter. Everything I
publish (I'm writing proposals these days) has my name on it -
accountability is very big in my corner of this profession.
>I wish I had a dime for every time I've written, or seen, a beautifully
>organized and informative manual that was USELESS because the software
had so >radically changed in the last iteration that there was virtually
no >resemblance.
Been there, done that. But frankly, I've seen more bad documentation that
was the fault of the writer than I've seen that was the fault of the
company. The scenarios you describe DO exist; that I won't argue. But I do
not think that those scenarios are the primary reason for all the bad doc
out there. I think the majority of bad doc is written by bad technical
writers.
To date, of the tech writers I've worked directly with, I'd estimate 60 to
75% of them were lame. And I see further examples of such lameness in the
posts I read daily on this board (he said, pulling on his asbestos
kneesocks).
Sorry, but there is a lot of incompetence in our profession. Lots of
poorly socialized, priority-skewed, self-absorbed, whining font fondlers
who show up for work mostly to take advantage of a T-1 connection. If your
mileage varies, you're lucky.
Keith Cronin
see Techwr-L's "friendly faces" link for a photo of me to put on your
dartboards...
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