Re: Techl Writing Catch? -- A Tad on the Long Side

["Oja, W. Kelly" <w -dot- kelly -dot- oja -at- verizon -dot- com>]

Rahul:
>>The cause of my trepidation is not the sudden upsurge in the magnitude
of Technical >>Writers; but the fact that there is a steep incongruity
between 'what is expected' and >>'what actually occurs' when a Technical
Writer is hired.

I am in my third round as a technical writer since getting out of
college. Three employers, three different environments, three different
ideas on what is/was expected of me as a tech writer. Your comments
about what is expected and what happens is so general in concept that I
could write a Master's thesis on it. No offense, but howza 'bout some
real-world examples.<

To save space I am not going to paste in your second paragraph. You
start off good, but then it spins out of control. An organization that
has not had a tech writer before may <keyword: may> have some
documentation issues. Pardon me, but you could have referenced this
point in a single sentence. Personally, I believe you could have 86'd it
altogether and focused your rant on organizations WITH technical
writers, not ones without.<

Rahul goes on:
>>The most common scenario where I cannot help being afflicted with
introversion is >>the one where Technical Writers are not provided the
chance to reinvent the wheel. >>Believe me, most organizations dread
radical changes, even if it the tangible benefits >>surmounts the
age-old lame practices.

Grrrrr. I look at this comment like I do on the subject of freedom of
speech. Just because you have the right to speak, does not mean you have
to. You also have the right NOT to speak. Translation: Just because you
can reinvent the wheel does not mean you have to--because there may be
nothing wrong with it in the first place! Sometimes reinventing the
wheel is nothing more than a waste of time. Kind of like creating
certain documents mentioned on this list. ;p <

Rahul continues on:
>>So...to creep in.

I was not aware that anyone ever really used those templates in Word
(especially tech writers-no offense if you and you do). Your comment
about all tech writers marching behind one flag to do battle with those
that do not respect us is slightly off. There are a number of tools that
I do not use/have never used/forgot how to use/whatever that are brought
up on this listserv. You really need to realize that tech writing is...
stratified. There are many levels to this profession and many different
areas to boot. For lack of a better term, you cannot globalize tech
writing.

As for your closing comments, I really wasn't sure what to make of them.
Are we to become missionaries or something? Should we go door-to-door at
businesses talking to heretical companies that do not employ tech
writers the errors of their ways? Hmm, that does sound a little
sermonesque doesn't it?

Your last comment does have some merit. I do feel passionate about what
I do. 

"Do what you love and love what you do."
-Somebody said this... I do not who. 

W. Kelly Oja
Verizon Airfone Inc.
Airfone(r) Service for Verizon Wireless 
Why wait until you land to take care of business?




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