RE: The cost of inaccurate technical documentation

["Dori Green" <dgreen -at- associatedbrands -dot- com>]

For almost as many years as I've been a tech writer, I've heard "What are
you, a lawyer?"

It no longer takes me by surprise.  I'm ready with the totally true answer,
"No, I'm the kid who hopefully limits your need to talk to lawyers."

I nagged one boss for six months to let me order a prefab
guaranteed-OSHA-compliant safety manual when their manufacturing plant
didn't have one.  We will never know exactly how much cash did not get spent
in fines because we had something when the inspector showed up for an
unannounced visit.  I think that prefab manual cost something like $99.  I
do remember that it was many multiples of my annual salary and the only
"writing" I did was to fill out the check request for my boss to sign.  Go
figure.

Something important to remember about the scope of the tech writer's job --
the cost of missing technical information, and the value of having somebody
on staff who knows how to do a documentation gap analysis and close the
gaps.

Dori Green

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