Re: Why should I go to a conference?

[Jason Huntington <JasonH -at- CAPTURA -dot- COM>]

Anne,

By now you have probably sold your boss (and your boss's boss) on the
conference using the ammo supplied by other list members.  But on the
chance that you haven't and because I like the sound of my own ideas,
I'll add some more tips like--high pressure.  Phrase your motive
something like, "This is the last opportunity I'll have for this
essential experience for a whole year."

If your boss is especially obtuse, add that a whole year is equivalent
to twelve whole months.  Bigger numbers and empty adjectives tend to
impress the obtuse.

If your boss has a short attention span, don't break the information
into two whole sentences; stick with "...for twelve whole months." and
leave it at that.  Don't write it down because then your boss can use
your claim against you later.  Keep it verbal and very, very simple.

Oh yeah, and pick your battles.  After all, after November has gone,
after you have submitted your expense report to Accounting, and your
sense of the importance of the conference has peeled from you like the
bark from the madrona trees outside your boss's boss's office, you might
develop an urgent hankering for a carpal tunnel wrist brace.

Half seriously,

        Jason R Huntington
       Senior Technical Writer
              (425) 487.9484 x146

      Captura Software, Inc.
You may be losing money by waiting.

        -----Original Message-----
        From:   Anne Chenette [SMTP:anne -at- WAVEFRONT -dot- COM]
        Sent:   Monday, October 13, 1997 8:41 PM
        To:     TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
        Subject:        Why should I go to a conference?

        Please, if you have a minute to help...

        I just started a new job (today), and I noticed an upcoming
        technical conference in the area I will be documenting.

        I would like to go because the technical presentations (plus
        a day-long tutorial) would help me get up to speed quickly.
(I'm
        moderately technical, but I've been out of the field for a
while.)
        My boss is a good guy, and he thinks this sounds reasonable, but
        the cost is an issue.  So he needs a little help justifying why
        a technical conference makes sense for a technical writer.

        Me, I've got mental writers' block, and the best I can do is
this:
        "I'll learn a lot, and absorb a lot of good vocabulary.  And
maybe
        I'll meet some of my future readers.  All of this will help me
write
        faster."   But I think this sounds too simplistic.

        Got any suggestions for fancier words to help push this idea?

                        Many thanks in advance for email to
                              Anne (anne -at- wavefront -dot- com)

        P.S.  Of course, my desire to go to this conference has nothing
              to do with the fact that I'm in Minnesota (WHERE IS IS
ACTUALLY
              SNOWING RIGHT NOW) and that the conference is in
California,
              in November...  Really!  Nothing at all!


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        Anne Chenette, Technical Writer and Web Developer
        anne -at- wavefront -dot- com
        http://www.wavefront.com/~anne/

        The Web Server Handbook: http://www.prenhall.com/~palmer/

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