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.
Re: Do Technical Writers Deserve Their Own Office?
Subject:Re: Do Technical Writers Deserve Their Own Office? From:Sheila Marshall <sheila -at- STK -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 17 Apr 1998 09:20:20 -0400
<BeginSnip>
Our Documentation Group is having a hard time justifying private offices
for technical writers to Product Development. We need some strong
reasons to justify that we are different than developers and work more
productively in a quiet working space, especially when we performing
editing duties.
<EndSnip>
Debbie:
Are you sure you want to do this? There could be repercussions that could
definitely affect your ability to do your job. For instance, management,
and certainly development, may perceive tech writing as separate and
unequal if there is separate work space. This may, in turn, make it
difficult to remain an active party in developing the project and also very
difficult to find out info just as a byproduct of working in an open
cubicle space (I think Dilbert calls it gophering). I'd hate to miss out on
the wealth of info just for some peace and quiet.
Is there possibly a less radical solution, such as designating a room as a
library? This way, management still considers you a team player, the room
could serve a dual function, and you get your peace and quiet.
