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*Trouble ahead, trouble behind,*
*And you know this notion...just crossed my mind.*
Greg's points are critical here. If a compromise can be struck in relation
to where the actual files are stored, great.
If not, then I might be inclined to use the SysAdmin as the bad cop,
asserting that Fences only serves as another layer of user insulation that
runs counter to accepted system and file backup procedures.
Yours is a Windows environment. If the new hire doesn't care to fully
understand the OS and its file structure, then I'd question her ability to
be adaptive to the established ways of the company.
I worked at several places in the past where one was simply NOT permitted
to introduce software to one's own system, period. Other places were a bit
more lenient, but I'd need to first seek permission to use such things as
favored utilities the company did not yet know about (but enhanced
productivity).
I don't know what the nOOb will be documenting, but this entire thread
would give me pause regarding whether or not she's an appropriate fit.
I may be a bit hard-nosed about this, but it's already sounding problematic
when the easiest solution is to learn the file system. In this regard, what
is so bloody complicated about understanding folders and subfolders,
drawers and cabinets when related to such physical items in the paper-based
world?
On Wed, Nov 1, 2017 at 11:20 AM, Wright, Lynne <Lynne -dot- Wright -at- kronos -dot- com>
wrote:
> Except i don't think he DID hire her... he just said she was an internal
> hire that was added to the tech writing team, and that he's trying to train
> her.
>
> Now I'm wondering about all kinds of things that aren't clear about this
> situation... was he assigned to be her mentor/trainer? Or did he just take
> it upon himself to tell her how to do her job?
>
> And IS she a complete novice, or did she take some kind of tech writing
> courses to qualify for the position? Because maybe you're right... maybe
> she's actually capable, with some fresh and useful ideas. In any case,
> while she needs to follow whatever protocols are in place for backups of
> work-in-progress and the storage of final docs, its her business how she
> chooses to manage her local files.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=kronos -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:
> techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=kronos -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of
> Sarah Kiniry
> Sent: Wednesday, November 1, 2017 10:58 AM
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Re: Using "Fences" as File Management Tool?
>
> Iâd be far more concerned about the effects of micromanaging a new
> employee and sending the message of âI already donât trust your
> professional judgement,â particularly when you arenât familiar with Fences
> yourself. It comes off as very old guard and change-resistant, especially
> when your solution is the built-in Windows option.
>
> If youâre wrong, youâre not helping her at all and youâre stifling
> someoneâs ability to work in the way thatâs most effective for them.
>
> If youâre right, youâre only going to turn off her ability to feel safe
> learning/exploring around you. She also wonât learn anything from failure
> because sheâs too busy fuming about being controlled.
>
> If sheâs more comfortable and thinks she can work faster this way, why not
> at least give her the benefit of the doubt? You already hired her, so you
> have to think she has something to offer, and maybe this is part of that.
>
> Sarah Kiniry
> Technical Writer II
> cPanel, Inc.
> sarah -dot- kiniry -at- cpanel -dot- net
>
>
> > On Nov 1, 2017, at 9:15 AM, Paul Hanson <twer_lists_all -at- hotmail -dot- com>
> wrote:
> >
> > I get the points about being new, etc, but there's also the other side
> of the coin where 'existing people' (I didn't say 'old' on purpose <grin>)
> should also be open to a fresh perspective. It goes both ways.
> >
> > For example, I worked at a hellhole for a short period of time with a
> senior department member who insisted on using InDesign with no application
> of styles - as in manually typing the TOC and the leader dots and the page
> numbers - for a 150ish page user guide. She would print the entire user
> guide and manually verify the heading in the body matched the TOC. If there
> was a discrepancy, she would make changes, reprint, and start over. She
> bragged about staying past midnight to get the user guide done because of
> that process. Being the problem-solver type I am, I showed her a small
> InDesign document with headings and a auto-generated TOC. How many hours
> could be spent on other tasks if the TOCs were auto-generated? I have no
> idea because she wasn't even open to a fresh perspective. I believe her
> exact phrase was styles were "too complicated" to implement. I still shake
> my head in disagreement. You can't convince me that in an InDesign file it
> is "too complicated" to apply Headings 1 -4 styles to text that is already
> manually formatted to look like a heading. I call that ignorance.
> >
> > FWIW, I downloaded the 30 day trial of Fences and am giving it a test
> drive. So far, so good. Think of it as creating a folder on your desktop,
> putting files into that folder and being able to see the files in that
> folder without double-clicking. You can also make the folders roll up,
> which has already decluttered my Desktop. That's just my observation after
> a couple of hours of playing with it.
> >
> > Paul Hanson
> > My blog: http://prhmusic.blogspot.com
> > Me Playing Drums: http://prhmusic.blogspot.com/
> p/videos-of-me-playing-drums.html
> > Twitter: @prhmusic
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: techwr-l-bounces+twer_lists_all=hotmail -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> > [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+twer_lists_all=hotmail -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> > ] On Behalf Of Chris Morton
> > Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2017 8:59 AM
> > To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> > Subject: Re: Using "Fences" as File Management Tool?
> >
> > Lynne has a point; if your new hire cannot understand basic Windows file
> management and requires a crutch in order to do her job, how in the world
> is that person going to comprehend anything more complex?
> >
> > Further, what happens when everyone gets a system upgrade and the person
> isn't permitted to use Fences? Or gets on someone else's machine and can't
> find anything without the crutch?
> >
> > How about when trying to explain to anyone else where a given file is
> located, or vice versa?
> > <snip>
> > On Wed, Nov 1, 2017 at 9:51 AM, Wright, Lynne
> > <Lynne -dot- Wright -at- kronos -dot- com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Wanting to use her own file-management tool isn't really a problem,
> >> but her attitude is. If she is an absolute tech writing novice but is
> >> unwilling to listen to the advice of the person who is trying to
> >> train her, she's going to be a complete nightmare.
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=kronos -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> [mailto:
> >> techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=kronos -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
> >> techwr-l-bounces+Behalf Of
> >> Emoto
> >> Sent: Wednesday, November 1, 2017 7:09 AM
> >> To: TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
> >> Subject: Using "Fences" as File Management Tool?
> >>
> >> I almost can't believe I am writing this. We hired an internal
> >> candidate into a tech writer position. I am trying to mentor/train
> >> her. We'll be dealing with Word documents on Windows machines.
> >>
> >> I want her to set up a folder structure to manage the files she'll be
> >> handling. I suggest Windows Explorer as the "right tool" for doing so.
> >> Instead, she wants to keep everything on her desktop and use a
> >> software called "Fences" to manage everything.
> >>
> >> I think this is a really bad idea. Am I wrong?
> >>
> >> I try to be easygoing and offer "suggestions" rather than dictate
> >> things, but am losing patience.
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >>
> >> Bob
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