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Thank you from the bottom of my cynical, hardened little heart for this
wonderful, articulate metaphor/explanation. I am currently in the throes
of writing a Developer's Guide for our core Java platform. The guide is
intended for new developers who join the group who have Java programming
experience but who have never programmed for our company's product. I
have the lump the size of Manhattan on my forehead from beating my head
against the proverbial brick wall when I beg, borrow, plead, steal,
threaten, cajole. . . the existing developers to translate their passive
voice developer-ease. Oh my god, the typical reply is indeed along the
lines of "Web services engineers are very knowledgeable, they're not
beginners. The reader of this document won't have any trouble with
this!"
Oh, I have totally resigned myself to never, ever making inroads with
these stubborn folks who consider themselves above the common when it
comes to knowledge - I have worked with developers all of my writing
career and never, ever have I stumbled across a group with their heels
so dug in about making a guide comprehensible to anyone - new or
seasoned - on the team.
I intend to print this email out, laminate it and superglue it to their
monitors and then, only then, will they possibly understand what I have
been futilely trying to argue for the last 9 months.
Thank you again!
TVB
Tammy L. Van Boening
Senior Technical Writer
Fiserv Insurance Solutions
Property and Casualty Division
303-729-7733
tammy -dot- vanboening -at- fiserv -dot- com
***********************************************************************
Keep smiling, at least until you get your own way.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+tammy -dot- vanboening=fiserv -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+tammy -dot- vanboening=fiserv -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]
On Behalf Of Nancy Allison
Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 3:14 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Stupendously learned user
The "This too" thread (which sounds like a good name for a soap opera
about tech writers, since we've wandered into the wilds of television
programming) --
Ahem.
Yes, as I was saying, the "This too" thread is currently reviewing the
useful role of the clueless idiot. I find this role helpful sometimes,
but in my current job, it's of no use at all. Every time I try to get
the engineer to think in terms of explaining the significance of his
context-free strings of jargon, every time I say something like "Imagine
you're explaining this to a bright 10-year-old" or "to a bright college
intern" or "to someone who's new to the job" -- he gives me the same
response:
"No, no. Not 10-year-olds! No interns! Web services engineers are very
knowledgeable, they're not beginners. The reader of this document won't
have any trouble with this!"
i finally, finally got him to recognize that there was a time, once,
long ago, when he himself did not know this stuff and needed to learn
it. And, there was the very first day he ever had the job title of "Web
Services Engineer" and had to rely on documents to help him by being
understandable. THERE WAS A TIME when he did not know these things, yet
was close enough to the technology to be starting a job that required
him to master them. AT THAT TIME . . . he would have welcomed a document
that explained things clearly.
(At a later date, I explained to the subordinate to whom the Web
Services Engineer had delegated the matter, "This text is like throwing
suitcases at somebody really fast. They have to catch them and put them
in order before they're hit with another one." I was getting a bit
desperate. Not sure if the image was really that helpful.)
Anyway, because the readers of this document are stupendously
knowledgeable, they don't need anything explained, and they don't mind
having suitcases thrown at them, and I should leave the document alone .
. .
Is it Friday yet?
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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
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
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