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Subject:Does knowing technology help you write? From:"Race, Paul D" <racepa -at- WHQPOS4B -dot- DAYTONOH -dot- ATTGIS -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 25 Aug 1995 11:17:07 -0600
I'd like to make a very short informal survey. I recently heard a manager
express the opinion that technical writers are a sort of commodity item;
they don't have to really understand a given technology to write about it.
This is one way he justifies not hiring and training writers in particular
computer technologies -- with contractors, this manager can pick up and dump
warm bodies at any given time. When I complain that writers have to have at
least SOME understanding of the basic technologies involved to effectively
document subjects like, say WAN integration, they say, that's what the SME
is for.
What do YOU say?
When documenting highly technical information, how important is
understanding of the subject matter to effective documentation?
1.Not necessary at all
2.Helps, but not essential
3.Pretty important
4.Critical
5.Say WHAT?
Please E-mail replies to paul -dot- d -dot- race -at- daytonoh -dot- attgis -dot- com
