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"I have noticed an increase in job listings for
combination
Programmer/(Technical) Writers. As I understand it
(please correct me if I
am wrong), these individuals write end user
documentation directly off of
code.
What is the demand for such people? Is this some
sort of major new trend?
Can you recommend any good written materials on
this?"
I was hired because I had COBOL skills and could understand
the programmers more quickly. As for a step backward - yes, it would be
nicer to have someone tell me what everything does and then I could write it
down. But on legacy systems, I like being able to combine interviews with my
own verification of what programs do. My audience is mainly the programmers,
so it really works out in my case. I create quick references, easy-to-digest
process flows, data dictionaries, etc. on the intranet geared toward getting
the new programmer up to speed.
However, if the audience was only end-users, then it would
seem pointless to know code - I would be able to provide the "how to do a
task" information without analyzing code. I bet the rise of the tech
writer/programmer has a lot to do with the legacy systems that we are all
very aware of now with Y2k. Good written materials... I could sure use some!
;-)
Joy M. Brady
Sr. Technical Writer/Retail Systems Documentation (CAD4A) mailto:jbrady -at- alldata -dot- net <mailto:jbrady -at- alldata -dot- net>
614.729.4645 (voice)
614.729.4499 (fax)
