Techniccal Writers I Have Known

Subject: Techniccal Writers I Have Known
From: "Karen E. Black" <kblack_text -at- hotmail -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 03 Apr 2003 23:39:13 -0500


Inspired by some reecnt posts:

I've been a lone writer, lo these many (14+) years, so I've met very few:

The person who wouldn't complete a weekly time report on tasks/hours worked: s/he worked offsite several days a week and the kids needed much of that time. S/he couldn't do it during office hours since s/he worked offsite so much. (Don't assume s/he was a woman.) [When developers walked by him/her to me, I had to steer them back -- for the moment.] The whole behaviour was symptomatic.

The TW/manager who couldn't meet with his/her subordinate (me) to discuss my work to save his/her life ("I don't want to damage our friendship"). I am not an animal. I couldn't find a way out for one year.

The person who couldn't speak to SMEs. The SMEs were too technical and the writer needed an intermediary.

The first-language-is-English person who couldn't write in English. This was a Tech Writer co-op student whose language skills were less than Grade 9, as far as I could tell, having been a university-level writing skills tutor with many first-language-is-not-Engish clients.

The person contracted by his/her contracting company to write content based on code alone since it was a new product (can do, will do). Took 2 weeks or more off-hours to learn, but the solid skills were there already, and s/he produced a satisfactory product in the time allotted.

The contractor who was dropped into a working group with no knowledge of the the interface/hardware who picked it up in minimal time because THE INTERFACE WAS GREAT (and the SMEs were available), and after I was commended by the editors.

The writer with 10+ years experience who produced a resume that got past the circular file and passed an interview and was hired on the spot and whose employers still don't know what to do with her...

Karen Black in Toronto, waiting for a role (after TELLING them for 2 years)

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Is fearr socrú dá dhonacht ná dlí dá fheabhas.
It's better to solve the problem than to improve the law.
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