Re: Hurdles

["Jason A. Czekalski" <topsidefarm -at- mva -dot- net>]

Wanda, I would say welcome to the group, but I guess the lynch mob, I
mean welcome wagon, arrived ahead of me. While I might have had a few
problems with the format of your email, the content definitely made it
worth the extra effort to read.

BTW, for those of have emailed me asking why I no longer participate in
the list, here is a prime example. While there is plenty of useful info
on the list, it has become a very hostile and unfriendly place. The
ghost of AP still haunts the list. Christine is right. The other lists
are friendlier. I'll continue to lurk here and take what useful
information I can from the list. However, given how certain people have
managed to reinforce my prior beliefs about the list, I'll go back to
keeping my own counsel as far as this list is concerned.

Jason A. Czekalski 

> Today's Topics:
> 
>    1. Re: Hurdles (wanda)
>    2. RE: Hurdles (Bonnie Granat)
>    3. RE: Hurdles (Bonnie Granat)
>    4. Re: Hurdles (Ned Bedinger)
>    5. Re: Hurdles (Janice Gelb)
>    6. RE: Hurdles (Christine Kent)
>    7. FW: Hurdles (Christine Kent)
>    8. RE: Hurdles (Christine Kent)
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:00:59 -0700
> From: wanda <wanda -dot- jane -at- gmail -dot- com>
> Subject: Re: Hurdles
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Message-ID: <47F00D9B -dot- 1060708 -at- gmail -dot- com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
> 
> I wish I had the time to do that... but that's the way the cookie formats
> 
> Bonnie Granat wrote:
> > Wanda,
> >
> > Please post your message reformatted with paragraphs (white space) and
> > probably people will respond. I cannot bear to read it as it is myself (more
> > than about 20 lines).
> >
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:02:28 -0400
> From: "Bonnie Granat" <bgranat -at- granatedit -dot- com>
> Subject: RE: Hurdles
> To: "'wanda'" <wanda -dot- jane -at- gmail -dot- com>,   <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
> Message-ID: <005d01c892c2$83a02380$2f01a8c0 -at- GranatEditOne>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="us-ascii"
> 
> Two taps on the Enter key will do it.
> 
> There's really no excuse for no paragraphs. People are simply not going to
> respond; oh, they might politely write to you, as I did. In some cases, they
> will actually yell at you as if you were an idiot.
> 
> Bonnie Granat
> http://www.GranatEdit.com
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From:
> > techwr-l-bounces+bgranat=granatedit -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> > [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+bgranat=granatedit -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l
> .com] On Behalf Of wanda
> > Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2008 6:01 PM
> > To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> > Subject: Re: Hurdles
> >
> > I wish I had the time to do that... but that's the way the
> > cookie formats
> >
> > Bonnie Granat wrote:
> > > Wanda,
> > >
> > > Please post your message reformatted with paragraphs (white
> > space) and
> > > probably people will respond. I cannot bear to read it as
> > it is myself (more
> > > than about 20 lines).
> > >
> >
> >
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 3
> Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:04:58 -0400
> From: "Bonnie Granat" <bgranat -at- granatedit -dot- com>
> Subject: RE: Hurdles
> To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
> Message-ID: <005e01c892c2$df01d890$2f01a8c0 -at- GranatEditOne>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="us-ascii"
> 
> Excuse the post, folks. I wrote the poster privately and just noticed that
> she, without my permission, responded to the entire list.
> 
> Bonnie Granat
> http://www.GranatEdit.com
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Bonnie Granat [mailto:bgranat -at- granatedit -dot- com]
> > Sent: Sunday, March 30, 2008 8:02 PM
> > To: 'wanda'; 'techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com'
> > Subject: RE: Hurdles
> >
> > Two taps on the Enter key will do it.
> >
> > There's really no excuse for no paragraphs. People are simply
> > not going to respond; oh, they might politely write to you,
> > as I did. In some cases, they will actually yell at you as if
> > you were an idiot.
> >
> >
> > Bonnie Granat
> > http://www.GranatEdit.com
> >
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 4
> Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:32:35 -0700
> From: Ned Bedinger <doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com>
> Subject: Re: Hurdles
> To: Bonnie Granat <bgranat -at- granatedit -dot- com>
> Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Message-ID: <47F03F33 -dot- 1010100 -at- edwordsmith -dot- com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
> 
> Write on, Bonnie!
> 
> I back you up on this. If wanda wants correspondence or to be read at
> all, then any list, not just this one, would best be approached with the
> usual list protocols and etiquette, involving a certain amount of
> concern for being readable, and respect for public/private responses.
> 
> I read wanda's portrayal of can-do tech writers being crushed by
> pressure, working at a depth too deep, and I was moved by the overall
> effect--it was like video from a deep-sea ROV exploring a shipwreck--
> too late to be helped, no advice sought, just ... documenting.
> 
> I imagine the point of sending the original to the list was catharsis.
> 
> Ned Bedinger
> doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 5
> Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:48:49 +1100
> From: Janice Gelb <Janice -dot- Gelb -at- Sun -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: Hurdles
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Message-ID: <47F04301 -dot- 4020601 -at- sun -dot- com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=ISO-8859-1
> 
> wanda wrote:
> >
> > Bonnie Granat wrote:
> >> Wanda,
> >>
> >> Please post your message reformatted with paragraphs (white space) and
> >> probably people will respond. I cannot bear to read it as it is myself (more
> >> than about 20 lines).
> >>
> > I wish I had the time to do that... but that's the way the cookie formats
> >
> 
> Then I'm sure you'll understand why many of us don't have
> the time to read through a sea of gray to try to parse it
> and respond.
> 
> -- Janice
> 
> **********************************************************
> Janice Gelb          | The only connection Sun has with
> janice -dot- gelb -at- sun -dot- com  | this message is the return address
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 6
> Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:56:38 +1100
> From: "Christine Kent" <c -dot- bkent -at- bigpond -dot- net -dot- au>
> Subject: RE: Hurdles
> To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
> Message-ID: <003101c892da$d7254950$856fdbf0$ -at- bkent@bigpond.net.au>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="windows-1250"
> 
> My goodness, how unkind this list is.
> 
> I have only just signed up again after many years of giving it is miss.  I
> find other lists more useful, or more fun, or more supportive.
> 
> The same people who take the moral high ground and rage around slamming
> anyone they disagree with on this list, do it also on the other lists -
> there is no getting away from them.  However, fortunately, they haven't
> succeeded in setting the culture on the other lists.  So I think it is time
> for me to slink back off this list - too  much volume and too much agro for
> too little value.
> 
> Ladies, try to learn a little kindness.  Try to remember, "There but for the
> grace of god go I." Even for the atheist it is a useful reminder.
> 
> Christine
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: techwr-l-bounces+c -dot- bkent=bigpond -dot- net -dot- au -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> > [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+c -dot- bkent=bigpond -dot- net -dot- au -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
> > Behalf Of Wanda Phillips
> > Sent: Sunday, 30 March 2008 9:06 AM
> > To: TECHWR-L
> > Subject: Hurdles
> >
> > I don't usually write to the list, but I'm practicing the art of
> > community. I'm kind of hermit-like in real life.
> > I'm not writing to get suggestions as to what to do, though I expect
> > that some will be forthcoming, that is what we do so well.
> > There are days when what I do just seems insurmountably difficult.
> > These are rare days, but when the four corners of the earth rise up
> > and whack at you all at once... well, it's a bit overwhelming.
> > We're about two years into the process of going from unstructured
> > content to DITA. It was not a decision taken lightly. We are a large
> > group by most standards but the workload is commensurate with the body
> > count. Three full time writers working on user manuals, one contractor
> > helping out, and two editors (we share them with the three system
> > manual writers). We translate into 22 languages. We used to produce
> > several small updates a year (maybe 20) that ranged in size from a
> > single page to about 20 pages. Anything larger than that requires we
> > update the manual.
> > We had a mature, reliable process. We had consistent information
> > sources. We knew our own tools. I know it sounds like a fantasy for
> > technical writers.
> > A couple of years ago, we were told to reduce our costs. We were also
> > told that the the product line is expanding. We're now supporting
> > twice the product line and a faster pace of development.
> > We now no longer have a clue about what we're doing. We wrestle as
> > much with our tools as we do the fluctuating processes and demands
> > that feed us information and schedules. We used a pilot project to
> > familiarize ourselves with DITA. When we wanted to move to production,
> > our pilot project processes didn't scale out. The pilot project was
> > done outside of our content management system because the tools were
> > not in place to make the link happen. We're deep into production and
> > our tools support person has left the company. We are having a
> > horrible time importing our restructured content (1000 topics) into
> > the CMS. The setup is somewhat laborious and unreliable. Sometimes a
> > section will import with few or no problems and then refuse to come
> > back out for editing and updating. The export of content from the CMS
> > does not maintain the links to graphics so we're freaking about what
> > we're going to send to translation. That is, if we can get everything
> > in, we still have three sections (maybe 150 topics total) that are
> > resisting the import process that has worked for other sections.
> > Because our workload is already doubled, trouble-shooting the
> > transition is eating up time and energy we don't have on tap. There is
> > no money to pay for a hero to come and rescue us.
> > One thing we did was to switch from a vertical documentation process
> > to a lateral process. Instead of one individual writing everything for
> > one product, we split the subject areas up between us and one of acts
> > as the lead for a particular product release (that person builds the
> > books, runs the technical review, and signs off on the audit trail
> > tasks).
> > All that, and I'm finding that the area I have assigned myself is one
> > that could drive me mad. It's my own fault. I had been documenting one
> > product that was being integrated into others, so I'd become somewhat
> > of an expert on it. But, it's not simple, I can't just say click this
> > or choose that. I have to explain mathematical and spatial models. And
> > today, after months of working ten hour days six or seven days a week,
> > I'm done in. I'm listening to an interview with an engineer who is
> > eager to have me understand the concepts and operating principles of
> > his piece of the product. I can't write it. If I could put an AVI of
> > the screen with a voice over, I would. We minimize screen shots for a
> > number of reason and we don't include AVI for a number of other
> > reasons. I can grasp what the engineer is talking about, but I'm
> > almost too tired to write it. So, I wrote this instead.
> > I'm supposed to be done on Monday. I think I'll be baked on Monday.
> > Thanks fro listening,
> > wanda
> >
> > --
> > Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which
> > differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people
> > are even incapable of forming such opinions.
> > Albert Einstein
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 7
> Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:57:10 +1100
> From: "Christine Kent" <c -dot- bkent -at- bigpond -dot- net -dot- au>
> Subject: FW: Hurdles
> To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
> Message-ID: <003201c892da$e9e76140$bdb623c0$ -at- bkent@bigpond.net.au>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="windows-1250"
> 
> This is the private reply I sent Wanda.  I sent it privately because I did
> not want the "ladies" kicking my head in with their jackboots.
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Christine Kent [mailto:c -dot- bkent -at- bigpond -dot- net -dot- au]
> > Sent: Sunday, 30 March 2008 11:32 AM
> > To: 'Wanda Phillips'
> > Subject: RE: Hurdles
> >
> > Yes, as you predicted, it's almost impossible not to wade into one of
> > these discussions.
> >
> > This is the point I reached.  I say you, but I mean ME.
> >
> > Your primary priority is NOT to write good documentation.  Your primary
> > job is to manage your manager so that you are able to manage your own
> > workload. You have to manage their expectations about what is possible.
> > If you have a good manager this is not difficult, and you can move on
> > to your second priority.  If you have a bad manager this can become an
> > ongoing operation of manipulation or passive aggression, depending on
> > how bad they are. So you need to learn to enjoy it.  I have seen many a
> > technical writer get massive satisfaction from revenge.
> >
> > Your second priority, is to manage your own self-imposed expectations
> > within your own workplace constraints.  A quality product is not
> > measured in absolutes.  It is measured by what is achievable by you in
> > the circumstances, and only you know that in your own case.  If there
> > is no reward for unsustainable hours except burnout; if it doesn't win
> > you money, promotions or brownie points, don't do it. If you deem it
> > wise to look as if you are putting in those excess hour, play the game.
> > Learn how to put in the hours when someone who matters will see it and
> > note your diligence.  Again, this is all easy if you have good
> > management, but if your manager is not protecting you, then you have to
> > protect yourself.
> >
> > Your third priority, once you have produced a product to your own
> > definition of what is achievable in the circumstances, is to control
> > your manager's perceptions of how well you have done.  It may be that
> > your manager is only capable of understanding page count and typos, so
> > you may decide that all you can do in the time is produce 500 pages of
> > very well punctuated meaningless pap. If you have a quality manager,
> > you can produce a quality product.  But you have to make your own
> > judgement about what will please them, based on their limitations.
> >
> > Now, if you are very lucky, you have a superb manager who has given you
> > a realistic workload and the luxury of high quality standards, in which
> > case, you can now turn your attention to the last priority, the user.
> > What would they like, what would be usable for them?
> >
> > Unfortunately, on all too many projects, usability is not an
> > expectation or a quality parameter.
> >
> > If you cannot learn to enjoy and get personal reward from manipulating
> > your manager, and if you cannot adjust your own product output
> > expectations down below your own definition of "fit for purpose" then
> > you have to move on to a job or a project or a career change where your
> > own sense of pride in your own work output DOES match that of your
> > management.
> >
> > ...And all this good advice from a person who failed to be able to do
> > any of this.  I could never change my priority from delivering quality
> > product to managing the perceptions of management. So I had to move
> > into territory where they matched.
> >
> > Christine
> 
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG.
> Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.1/1350 - Release Date: 30/03/2008
> 12:32 PM
> 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 8
> Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:00:51 +1100
> From: "Christine Kent" <c -dot- bkent -at- bigpond -dot- net -dot- au>
> Subject: RE: Hurdles
> To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
> Message-ID: <004501c892ec$31303840$9390a8c0$ -at- bkent@bigpond.net.au>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="windows-1250"
> 
> Bonnie and Janice, both of whom replied to me off list, I stand by what I
> said. If you want to take it on board as pointed at you, well... who am I to
> stop you?
> 
> It is sad when we no longer have any time left for human frailty, or any
> kindness in our souls, or any sense of give and take, or any humour, or any
> - well - humanity!
> 
> ..and frankly, if you are so good at setting your email parameters so you
> can guarantee how a list and from there, each individual mail program will
> receive them, please post explicit instructions somewhere - they have eluded
> me for 20+ years.  It is my understanding that an email formatted as HTML
> may lose styles when received as plain text. If styles with line spacing are
> applied in the original, then they will be lost when formatting is lost.  I,
> too, cannot be bothered working out the rules for all the different lists.
> 
> I made this assumption when I saw the email.  Instead of griping at someone
> already under stress, I found reasons.
> 
> Christine
> 
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG.
> Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.1/1350 - Release Date: 30/03/2008
> 12:32 PM
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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