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Yes, you are a professional. What is in your mind and heart is what counts.
In today's bizarre world where most people do not care about quality, about
their impact on society, I know that I can make a difference. That is what
matters to me. We are on earth for such a short time. It is what we can do
for others that matters.
I strive to improve myself, I strive to provide the best information
possible. It is what most techwriters I meet want to do.
It is what I grew up believing when I met a doctor who cared about his/her
patients, a lawyer who argued for the client, the nurse who spent time with
you when nobody was there except all the machines, and asked how she could
make you more comfortable. I see and hear it everyday in the techwriters I
meet. They are going beyond what is expected. Why? Because it is what we
would expect. We want the information ourselves, so why not expect that it
is what we need to deliver to our clients?
Do you remember when somebody would say, he/she is a real Mensch? God, it
seems like years since I've heard that expression. Well, you can do
technical writing for the pay, or you can do it for what people really
need... It is information from which they can learn, expand their horizons,
and pass it forward.
Jon Leer
Leer Technical Communications
Bedford, NH
603-315-4029
jleer -at- leertech -dot- net http://www.leertech.net
Technical and Business Communication Consulting:
Technical - Manuals to Online Help
Business - Marketing Communication
Content Management - Knowledge Base Development and User Experience
> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+jleer=leertech -dot- net -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+jleer=leertech -dot- net -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
] On Behalf Of Deborah Hemstreet
> Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 5:47 PM
> To: TECHWR-L
> Subject: Re: Exempt status for Tech Writers
>
> Hi Dan,
>
> I think its the way society has developed in the US.
>
> I was an hourly professional in Israel for 20 years. For the
> first 10 years, I was a professional, but didn't know it..
> and the university I was at did not recognize it anyway.
>
> For the next 10 years, I received a much better hourly wage,
> and knew I was a professional, and was recognized as a professional.
>
> In today's economy, and I guess my whole life, I don't
> really care what others think. If I believe I'm a
> professional - - I am. I remember getting into this
> discussion years ago when I was a licensed practical nurse.
> I said I was a professional. Others said I wasn't, because I
> was not an RN.
>
> In the end, both then, in Israel, and today, I don't really
> care what others say. I know what I am, and am thankful when
> I can support my family with whatever skills I've been blessed with.
>
> I personally think that the whole issue of "Professional"
> needs to be carefully examined and defined. In my opinion, a
> degree and job title, or even the US Government, do not make
> a person a professional practitioner of their career... but I digress.
>
>
> Deborah
>
>http://www.tech-challenged.com
>
>
> Dan Goldstein wrote:
> > It sounds like you're speaking as a contractor/consultant for
> > project-specific clients. For some of us who are permanent
> employees
> > (as opposed to contractors), an hourly wage would be a step down,
> > regardless of its amount.
> >
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Deborah Hemstreet
> >> Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 7:50 AM
> >> To: .TECHWR-L
> >> Subject: Re: Exempt status for Tech Writers
> >>
> >> One of the questions that was asked related to if we
> prefer salaried
> >> vs hourly. I personally prefer hourly. Each project is
> different. I
> >> believe it is fairer to my clients, and myself, to be paid
> for work
> >> that I actually did...
> >>
> >>
> >
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> >
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> >
> > ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 2009 is your all-in-one authoring and
> > publishing solution. Author in Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor,
> > Microsoft Word or HTML and publish to the Web, Help systems
> or printed manuals.
> > http://www.doctohelp.com
> >
> > Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual
> > authors and teams. Professional power, intuitive interface. Write
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> ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 2009 is your all-in-one authoring
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> systems or printed manuals.
>http://www.doctohelp.com
>
> Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for
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> interface. Write once, publish to 8 formats. Multi-user
> authoring and version control! http://www.helpandmanual.com/
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ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 2009 is your all-in-one authoring and publishing
solution. Author in Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word or
HTML and publish to the Web, Help systems or printed manuals. http://www.doctohelp.com
Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual
authors and teams. Professional power, intuitive interface. Write
once, publish to 8 formats. Multi-user authoring and version control! http://www.helpandmanual.com/
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