Defining Professional Technical Communicator (was STC is broken)

[Gene Kim-Eng]

I would say the responsiblity is to understand the client's
(or employer's) goals, point out issues seen and recommend
solutions, then implement whatever decision is made.  If
I'm a direct employee, if my employer sets the requirements
at a certain point despite my recommendations I'm not going
to spend time going beyond those requirments that I could
be devoteing to other projects (if I have loads of spare time
on my hands, that's another matter); if I'm a contractor, I'm
not giving my clients $80/hr services when they have opted
to decline them and engage me for $60/hr services instead.

In either case, if I'm repeatedly asked to do work that I think
is shoddy, it's probably be an indication that I shouldn't be
there.

Gene Kim-Eng



----- Original Message ----- 
From: <jlshaeffer at aol.com>
> Yes, but Beth's original post implies that a real Technical 
> Communicator has a responsibility to always raise those? higher level 
> issues (like a doctor discussing observed symptoms that have nothing 
> to do with why you made the appointment).
> So, is raising those communication and usability issues the 
> responsibility of the professional Technical Communicator or is it 
> equally professional to just do the work as it was offered?