Re: Important News for Writers (long)

[Linda Castellani <linda -at- GRIC -dot- COM>]

Does this apply just to contractors or to employees also?

Is it retroactive to everything you've ever written?

This is unbelievably scary.


At 05:02 PM 7/7/98 EDT, Barbara Karst-Sabin wrote:
>In a message dated 98-07-07 16:34:25 EDT, mhunterk -at- BNA -dot- COM writes:
>
><< For technical writers in particular, this
> Article 2B would make *us* responsible for the accuracy and content of our
> work--not our clients. In short, a client could give us lousy copy and no
> help and expect us to create a masterpiece. If we don't, they could take
> action, like withhold payment. >>
>
>I heard something to this effect among a group of tech writers a couple of
>months ago.  The worry then was that, in addition to withholding payment, a
>company might choose to sue the "offending" writer for the cost of
reprinting.
>Then there's always the possibility of an error in an equipment manual which
>would lead to physical injury or damaged property...how's that for giving you
>paranoid nightmares?
>
>This just means to me that I will not only document every time I cannot get
>the appropriate information from the SME or everytime the reviewers fail to
>answer questions or address issues I have queried, I will hang onto that
>material until hell freezes over. \;+)))  I would, however, think that few
>companies would resort to these tactics, simply because there are too many
>steps in the process over which the tech writer has no control.
>
>One hopes,
>
>BJ
>
>
>
>
>
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Linda Castellani
Technical Writer
GRIC Communications, Inc.
1421 McCarthy Blvd.
Milpitas, CA   95035

408.965.1169
408.955.1968 - fax

linda -at- gric -dot- com
<http://www.gric.com>