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:Re: This too is technical communication From:"Gene Kim-Eng" <techwr -at- genek -dot- com> To:<techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Wed, 6 Jun 2007 11:02:13 -0700
I would be very unhappy with any writer working for me who
described his or her role or the job description of a technical
writer in this manner. The role of a writer is never to "not know"
something, and any suggestion that it is, even on a "let's pretend"
basis, is a bad idea because inevitably somebody will forget the
part about pretending. The role of the writer is to *know:*
To know about the product and its underlying technology
To know about the user
To know what the user is likely to know and to not know
To know what the user will need to know
It is far more productive to present yourself as someone who
knows these things than as someone who doesn't know
something, either for real or pretend. Of course, you need to
make sure you really *do* know them.
> I'm not trying to write documentation for clueless idiots but I
> may adopt the persona of one when interviewing a subject matter
> expert or testing a software product.
> For me, the short explanation I give to some folks is that I'm a
> "professional clueless idiot". It's also particularly helpful in
> delivering a brief synopsis of a major aspect of my job to
> someone who's never even heard of a technical writer.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-
