Re: The End Of Technical Writing Was RE: Re: a different resume red flag

[Dick Margulis <margulisd -at- comcast -dot- net>]

I was talking to a carpenter the other day--a skilled craftsman who has 
framed and finished houses singlehandedly--and the subject of tools came 
up. He said to me, "Y'know, I'm just so frustrated these days. I have to 
spend all day long using tools. I never get to do any _real_ carpentry 
anymore."

Okay, no, I wasn't talking to a carpenter the other day. I just made 
that up. No carpenter I've ever known would make such an assertion.

And I wouldn't hire a carpenter who touted his ability to calculate the 
best way to cut materials to minimize waste but then couldn't operate a 
saw accurately enough to execute based on his calculations. I look for a 
carpenter who can interpret drawings, minimize waste, select the right 
tools for the job, and operate tools accurately and effectively.

When people go on and on around here protesting that they shouldn't have 
to waste their time learning to use tools well, I get the sense they're 
mostly trying to rationalize their lack of aptitude for tools. I say 
there's plenty of room for people whose talents lie in other directions 
(just as I wouldn't insist that an architect be able to build what she 
draws). As I've said before, division of labor is a good thing. But I'd 
be a lot more comfortable if instead of denigrating the importance of 
tools, these whiners just said, "Y'know, I'm not particularly interested 
in mastering that tool and I'm happy to have someone else do that part 
of the job while I concentrate on what I do well. Between us we can do 
great work." The key is mutual respect and cooperation.

Maybe (just maybe) someone who only writes and doesn't produce finished 
documents is worth more per hour than someone who has straw for brains 
when it comes to analysis and organization but is a real whiz at 
production. But I don't think either is as valuable as someone who does 
both pretty well. So instead of the constant smug denigration of 
tool-users (don't forget that tool use has a lot to do with what defines 
us human), it might be more lucrative to drop the negative attitude and 
try to learn a little more about the _rest_ of the job.

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