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Subject:Isolation and the technical communicator From:Laurel Nelson <Laurel_Y_Nelson -at- NOTES -dot- SEAGATE -dot- COM> Date:Mon, 8 Jun 1998 16:36:50 -0500
Currently, I'm in a contract position in which I'm extremely isolated and
have very little contact with others. I'm creating online Help, using
information in the design documents and other documents, have been here 16
months, and will probably be here until the end of the year. Sometimes
the isolation really bothers me, but the end of this job is in sight so
it's livable. The temporary position I held before this job was very
similar. A tech writing friend of mine also found herself in similar
circumstances only in a permanent position. Between the slow work pace and
the isolation, she lasted six months.
Maybe isolation is just the nature of the beast. Obviously, technical
communicators are going to spend a fair amount of time at the keyboard. I
would like to hear from anyone who has gone through this. Did you quit and
find a position in which you had more people contact? What type of job did
you have that you felt so isolated? Were you the only person who was
creating documentation? Were you in a permanent or contract position? All
comments and feedback are appreciated. If you have a position that you
feel has a good balance of job duties, I would like to hear from you also.
