RE: More on Tech Writing Tests

[John Posada <JPosada -at- book -dot- com>]

>>"One of us."  They were looking for a particular mindset
>>in a writer, someone who fit into their company's 
>>lifestyle, and the techwriter group's culture.  
>>Sure, this "testee" was clever, and did some stuff 
>>above and...

Sounds too much like inbreeding of purebred dogs.  OK, you get more of what
you have. However, you don't bring in any new blood, new skills, new
approaches. You keep doing things the same way instead of someone standing
up at a meeting and writing a great big WHY? on the whiteboard that everyone
has to answer before their idea is accepted.  Sounds too much like "that's
the way we've always done it."  In my experience, that is usually the FIRST
thing that needs to be looked at. 

>This is not a criticism of this test, nor its results.  This techwriting
>group wanted a certain mindset in their writers, and apparently this test
is
>a good indicator of that.  She'll be a great fit.

...in a stagnating environment. It's comfortable, but I'm not here to be
warm and fuzzy. I'm here to try a new thing every single day, to yell WHY?
every day.

I go to school EVERY SINGLE DAY. I just get paid for it now.

John Posada
Senior Technical Writer
Barnes&Noble.com
jposada -at- book -dot- com
NY: 212-414-6656
Dayton: 732-438-3372




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