Re: What does a tech writer do?

[Faith Weber <weber -at- EASI -dot- ENET -dot- DEC -dot- COM>]

Julie Barker asks:

>Anyone else out there
>been cornered and made to feel professionally responsible on a regular
>basis because their mum (bless her) can't figure out how to turn the
>video on and off using the manual (let alone how to program it)?

All the time! Sometimes it doesn't even matter that I'm a tech writer --
the important thing is that I "work with computers", which seems to be
on the same level as "witch doctor" with some folks. My significant
other is an MIS, so he gets the same thing.

As someone else suggested, I usually try to be as helpful as possible.
Being technically well-informed and willing to help others has
definitely increased the amount of respect I get at work, so I
figure it's bound to help outside work as well. Sometimes I even think
you get the best payoff when you help someone who's really hacked off
about something and tries to take it out on you -- if you can sympathize,
lament the (lack of) quality of most manuals, and point them in the right
direction, they're forever grateful. And, one hopes, their opinion of
tech writers moves up a notch.

Although people take it out on us, I think what they're really
frustrated with is their increasingly complicated gadgets (and lives).
(My philosophical thought for the day)

Faith Weber
EA Systems Inc.
weber -at- easi -dot- enet -dot- dec -dot- com