TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Fwd: feedback on oDesk? From:doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:42:30 -0700
In the age of typewriters, secretaries and typists in some workplaces had
a 'stroke counter' on the machine. It counted the number of typewriter keys
pressed. I haven't ever heard about how the information was used, but have
always assumed that it was supposed to be a measure of productivity. In the
age of silent keyboards and computers, I could meet any reasonable
expectation for number of keystrokes/day just by holding a key down and
letting it autorepeat for a few pages.
Honestly, I doubt that the modern workplace will ever be free of the
management style that drives employees with the threat of spying on them. I'm
not too concerned that oDesk would find fault with my productivity, but I
hate like hell the idea of the manager strolling among the (virtual) office
desks, lording it over his slavish, intimidated workers. It is an image of
the workplace from past centuries (sorry steampunks, no slight intended) and
enough to gag a maggot (sorry Funkadelic fans, no slight etc).
Ned Bedinger
doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com -dot-
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
rate. But, they require writers to install a tracking software that tracks
mouse clicks and computer activity (ostensibly to prove to the client that
you actually worked the hours you said you worked) . This bothers me a lot.
Anyone have any inputs on this?
__________________________________
Jodie Gilmore
Fulcrum Communications
Washougal, WA
---------------------------------
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
Now shipping: Help & Manual 4 with RoboHelp(r) import! New editor,
full Unicode support. Create help files, web-based help and PDF in up
to 106 languages with Help & Manual: http://www.helpandmanual.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-
