RE: Status of the Technical Writer

["Condo, Candis" <ccondo -at- c-cor -dot- com>]

Sometimes I say, "Hey, you know that Help button you push when you want
help? I may have written that online help system." Sometimes that's even
true. I may have written the help.

That's gets things going. Some people are actually impressed. Maybe they
have not had to use help recently :-) Others have legitimate questions
like, "Why can't I ever find blab, blab, blab? I get an instant
usability test. Unfortunately, I can't fix the problem because I don't
work there any more. In fact, the company is no more.

Candis L. Condo

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+ccondo=c-cor -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+ccondo=c-cor -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf
Of Kevin McLauchlan
Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 10:15 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Status of the Technical Writer



> On Behalf Of Cardimon, Craig said:


> Try this the next time you're at a party. Tell someone you are a
science
> writer instead of a technical writer. Use a little spin. I became a
> computer science writer. I did that in an elevator in Las Vegas. The
> results were stunning. I got wows instead of nods. Just try it. Your
> mileage may vary.

SOME days, what I do isn't even of interest to _me_, let alone normal
people. :-)

My standard response, these days, to the question "And what do _you_
do?" is
something like:
<deep breath>
"Well, enough about me. Read any good pill bottles lately?"

or

"I look for sources to feed my chocolate habit. D'you know a good
pusher?"

Those (and similar) replace my previous effort: "I write manuals that
nobody
reads."  If that didn't derail that line of questioning instantly, I'd
go on
with: "You know; you've seen 'em gathering dust on shelves everywhere,
holding doors open, helping raise video monitors that extra inch or
two...
hmm? No, not the reference books and the For Dummies stuff - those
actually
made money for somebody - I'm talking about the kind where the plastic
wrap
doesn't even get split unless the CD is inside too."  [This finally
meets
with knowing nods and sympathetic expressions.]

But seriously, I'm not really down on what I do - I like what I do. It's
just not glamorous unless it sells commercially (or gets a half million
hits
per day, minimum). So I have a little fun with the eye-glaze inducing
effect
it has on the general public.

Kevin

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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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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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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