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.
> There's something that's been mentioned several times now by several
> posters
> that has me wondering, namely that consultants should by definition be
> good
> writers/communicators.
>
> Is this so? I don't know the security business, to go back to Andrew's
> question, but isn't it possible that someone could really be great at
> analyzing a security setup, identifying any holes, and recommending the
> necessary fixes, without being a good writer?
You can't be really great at explaining the problems and the necessary fixes to your client if you can't present the information (orally or in writing) clearly, succinctly, and in a way that convinces the client to have confidence in your recommendations.
Unlike brain surgeons or mechanics, consultants can't just grunt and point to their finished work.
And to anticipate the objection that some people can express themselves orally, but can't write worth a damn -- if by "can't write worth a damn" you mean have poor spelling and grammar (but not to the extent of obfuscating meaning), that may be true to a degree. But spelling and grammar checkers can address most of those issues.
The hard part is organizing the information and presenting it clearly and succinctly, and that part has to be done whether you're communicating orally or in writing.
In any case, when clients pay big bucks to consultants to address critical problems like security, I suspect they generally expect a detailed written report, not just a conversation.
Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-903-6372
------
Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help.
Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need. Try
Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days. http://www.doctohelp.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-
