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.
Subject:Re: Tops in the Field From:Michael Andrew Uhl <uhl -at- VISLAB -dot- EPA -dot- GOV> Date:Fri, 24 Jan 1997 08:27:31 -0800
It is the height of arrogance for a writer to proclaim
themself to be "in the top ten," especially in an area
such as Silicon Valley. At least atheletes that make
such claims can often back them up with specific,
quantifiable achievements.
I know a few people in this area that I'd say are in
the top 10% of the profession. They have excellent people
skills, are excellent writers, manage projects well,
and exhibit inspirational behavior for other professionals.
BTW, just because a technical communicator publishes a
lot of articles in journals or presents at conferences
does not provide enough evidence of the *overall* quality.
It could be that they're good writers with lots of time
on their hands.
STC recognizes the best through awards and special membership
status, such as Fellow and Associate Fellow.
Cheers.
-Mike
--
Michael Andrew Uhl (919) 541-4283
Lead Technical Writer, Lockheed Martin
U.S. EPA Scientific Visualization Center &
National Environmental Supercomputing Center
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina USA
P.S. I'm definitely the best technical writer in my group. It's
easy; I'm the *only* technical writer in my group.
Linda Castellani wrote:
>
> The question about wanting to write to a tech writer who is tops in his
> field brings a question to mind:
>
> What identifies someone as tops in their field?
>
> I recently had a writer tell me that she was one of the top ten writers
> in the Silicon Valley. I asked her how she knew that, and she said, "I
> just know."
>
> But really, is it just a perception, or does everyone agree on who is
> tops in the field, and why?
>
> TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
> to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
> to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
> Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
> browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html
TECHWR-L (Technical Communication) List Information: To send a message
to 2500+ readers, e-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send commands
to LISTSERV -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU (e.g. HELP or SIGNOFF TECHWR-L).
Search the archives at http://www.documentation.com/ or search and
browse the archives at http://listserv.okstate.edu/archives/techwr-l.html
