atw: Re: Agencies, contractors and other gripes (another longish contribution)

I think the meeting room in Epping is a good idea but probably pricey.
It might be best used once some work had been done to present to people
and would require sponsorship from one or other of the lurking
professional associations.

 

I would suggest a working group. It could be a few people meeting
regularly either in one place (Syd, Melb, Wagga, Kalgoorlie,???) or a
few people meeting using online software (the 'American organisation'
might be able to help there). The working group could produce a 10-page
document aimed at educating agents and employers as to what we do. The
resulting document could be published widely and a website maintained to
which people could post comments. Then we create a second working group
to suggest a strategy for presenting our document to its audience. This
is a cheaper option but still requires sponsorship and someone to 'own'
and 'drive' it.

 

The working groups could be volunteers or they could be voted for from
amongst those we think have the experience to best represent us. I'm
happy to start the volunteer list with my name.

 

Michelle Hallett

IT Trainer/Support Analyst

Leighton Contractors P/L

Tel: 02 8668 6047

Fax: 02 8668 6666

Mob: 0434 183 541

Email: michelle.hallett@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

________________________________

From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Warren
Lewington
Sent: Tuesday, 16 January 2007 6:30 PM
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: Re: Agencies, contractors and other gripes (another
longish contribution)

 

Thanks Ted, Michele.

I would be happy to organise something somewhere. I think
Sydney/Melbourne/Can't-borough would get big turnouts for a nation-wide
teleconference. I can organise a meeting room in Epping Sydney with some
remarkable on-line facilities, close to trains and parking. 

 

Is el-presidente for ASTC-NSW lurking on the list? 

        -----Original Message-----
        From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ted Briggs
        Sent: Tuesday, 16 January 2007 17:34
        To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        Subject: atw: Re: Agencies, contractors and other gripes
(another longish contribution)

        The members of the societies of editors in Australia voted in
Dec 2004 in favour of introducing an accreditiation scheme for editors.
That vote was the culmination of several years of work which is still
continuing, and I think the first accreditation is still at least a year
off. It is indeed a long haul, for all the reasons that have been
identified on this list. However there is a definite commitment to
making it work.

         

        For an update on where it is up to (or at least where it was up
to at the last National editors' conference in Oct 2005), have a read of
this report: http://www.iped-editors.org/files/Accred_Going_On.pdf

         

        The Institute of Professional Editors (a sort of umbrella body
for the state-based societies) has lots of information about the history
of accreditaion and about the proposed scheme:
http://www.iped-editors.org/accreditation.html

         

         

        Cheers

         

        Ted Briggs

        Business and Technical Writing and Editing

        
________________________________


        From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Irene Wong
        Sent: Tuesday, 16 January 2007 3:51 PM
        To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        Subject: atw: Re: Agencies, contractors and other gripes
(another longish contribution)

         

        
        I understand that the professional bodies (state based) for
editors are also looking at this issue of accreditation. 
        
        Irene Wong
        Publishing Manager
        Office of Corporate Affairs, Sydney
        Australian Securities & Investments Commission
        02 9911 2601   (internally dial 22601)
        
        
        
                                

"Bruce Ashley" <bashley@xxxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent by: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 

16/01/2007 03:00 PM 

Please respond to
austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

To

<austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 

cc

 

Fax to

 

Subject

atw: Re: Agencies, contractors and other gripes (another longish
contribution)

 

 

 

        
        
        
        ***
        This email message has been processed by MIMEsweeper
        ***
        IMNSHO, the Westies option floundered because it offered a model
based on
        popularity (or that was my perception) and not on ability.
        Those like myself want to see the introduction of a
skills/knowledge-based
        accreditation system, NOT a guild model based simply on time in
the job or
        on a vote by those we potentially do not class as our peers.
        I personally know several TWs that have been in the job for
years and still
        cannot produce a workable template and I would be disappointed
if they
        controlled the agenda, any part of the industry or my
professional standing.
        But apart from that, and the childish references to the PM, I
agree with
        much of what Warren has to say.
        BTW, I argued against the formation of the STC chapter at the
time but
        clearly Jill et. aliae needed something not available from the
ASTC.
        Cheers,
        Bruce Ashley
        
        
        -----Original Message-----
        From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        [mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Hallett, Michelle
        Sent: Tuesday, 16 January 2007 2:33 PM
        To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        Subject: atw: Re: Agencies, contractors and other gripes
(another longish
        contribution)
        
        Who cares which professional association does it as long as
someone
        does.
        
        As for the Westies effort, why did it fizzle? Why wasn't it
promoted
        further by the people who developed it.
        
        I've certainly offered to help in the past, I came to a Westies
meeting
        once to do so, even though getting there is difficult for me (I
live on
        the Central Coast). I promoted the effort in the 'American
organisation'
        during the 5-6 years when I was a volunteer there. And my reason
for
        being involved there was to ensure that money paid in fees by
Australian
        members came back to this country to promote the profession
here. It had
        nothing whatsoever to do with George W and Little Johnnie.
        
        So Warren, I think I've earned the right to make a little noise.
        
        What about the rest of you? Do you want some respect and a
little better
        pay packet? Or do you want to keep whingeing?
        
        Michelle Hallett
        IT Trainer/Support Analyst
        Leighton Contractors P/L
        Tel: 02 8668 6047
        Fax: 02 8668 6666
        Mob: 0434 183 541
        Email: michelle.hallett@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        
        -----Original Message-----
        From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        [mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Warren
        Lewington
        Sent: Tuesday, 16 January 2007 1:38 PM
        To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        Subject: atw: Re: Agencies, contractors and other gripes
(another
        longish contribution) 
        
        Well.
        You know.
        
        At the Westies we identified a number of possible solutions to
many of
        our
        problems we face as technical writers. Professional promotion
and
        associations rise prominently in the conversations. Some members
of ASTC
        NSW
        tried to promote a process of establishing a credible and
logical system
        of
        accreditation/training, and together with the Westies came up
with a
        couple
        of options. At the same time, various people have been trying to
        amalgamate
        the disparate technical communication associations into one.
Reason?
        This
        country isn't big enough for two. And while I admire those who
can
        afford to
        belong to an American association, they don't give a shit about
the
        minions
        of George W's lap-dog Little Johnnie. 
        
        All we have received in response here in Australia is muted
support or
        criticism. Because we as a fraternity don't want to work
together, we
        aren't
        going to get anywhere changing the problems. 
        
        It is always interesting to see the people who make the most
noise very
        often don't help the volunteers who run the industry
associations. If we
        want to change things in our industry we are all going to have
to
        contribute. United we stand. Otherwise: Divided we fall. 
        
        I know of several nobodies who changed an entire industry (at
their
        direct
        financial benefit) simply because they were opportunistic (and
        narcissistic)
        enough to do it. We could do exactly the same thing if we so
chose, and
        it
        would benefit us all directly. Again, look at accountants,
project
        managers,
        actuaries (hell of a case study there), physiotherapists,
doctors and so
        the
        list goes on. 
        
        Are we dedicated professionals, prepared to defend ourselves and
benefit
        our
        fraternity or are we a bunch of wusses?  
        
        Warren Lewington.
        Black-listed black-humoured black-sheep. 
        
        -----Original Message-----
        From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        [mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
        Sent: Tuesday, 16 January 2007 09:01
        To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        Subject: atw: Re: Agencies, contractors and other gripes (long)
        
        
        Both Colin and Christine make a valid point in that it is our
        responsibility
        to educate people as to what we are and what we can do and we
need to do
        so
        as a group. We need our professional associations to lead this
        discussion
        and to create forums in which these matters can be discussed.
And the
        results need to be promoted within the community.
        
        We also need to stop being afraid of agents lurking on the list.
They do
        not
        control (and, as Colin pointed out, often do not understand)
what we do.
        We
        need to educate them and help them understand, and where
exploitation
        occurs
        we need to act against it and refuse to work for agencies who
undermine
        our
        skills or undersell them. Agencies need to be able to attract
the best
        staff
        for their clients, no agent wants to be ignored by people with
the best
        skills.
        
        It all starts with us valuing what we do and teaching employers
and
        agencies
        to value it. Look at the respect within IT for project managers.
Most of
        them have less skills than technical writers and some of the
ones I've
        worked with have far less technical knowledge. They have
professional
        associations which promote them and the work they do.
        
        Michelle Hallett
        IT Trainer/Support Analyst
        Leighton Contractors P/L
        Tel: 02 8668 6047
        Fax: 02 8668 6666
        Mob: 0434 183 541
        Email: michelle.hallett@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        -----Original Message-----
        From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        [mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Christine Kent
        Sent: Saturday, 13 January 2007 9:28 AM
        To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        Subject: atw: Re: Agencies, contractors and other gripes (long)
        
        Very well said, Colin
        
        I had a contract with a team of Business Analysts where I
realised the
        same
        thing.  I was employed as a technical writer to document their
        processes, by
        a manager who could not get to grips with why their work was so
bad.  I
        realised very quickly how seriously TWs are underselling
themselves.
        
        Where we "write procedures" a business analyst is a "process
analyst".
        Where
        we "document systems" a BA is a "functional analyst".  Where we
perform
        a
        needs analysis, a BA is a "requirements analyst".  
        
        The perception of the manager was that only those from an IT
background
        could do any of the "analyst" jobs well.  So the role of a TW
was to
        write
        what analysts tell them to write, where the role of a BA is to
think and
        write as well.  No matter what I did, I did not manage to change
her
        perceptions that the BA had to come from a techo background.
She wanted
        me
        to invent systems to get them to write well, when the problem
was that
        they
        could not think well.
        
        In part she was right.  I have worked with far too many TWs who
do not
        require that they make sense of what they write, or that any
user is
        ever
        going to be able to use what they write.  Unfortunately the
industry is
        at
        least littered if not dominated by this passive type of TW who
just
        produces
        wads of fabulously punctuated drivel.  Even worse, this seems to
be what
        the
        employer wants them to do. "There has to be documentation so
produce it
        - we
        all know it is a waste of money and time and that it will sit on
the
        shelves
        (metaphorically) collecting dust, so let's not take the whole
process
        too
        seriously!"
        
        On the other hand, the Business Analysts, on the whole, could
only do
        one of
        those jobs (process, functional or requirements) and even then
not do it
        very well, where any competent and thinking TW can do all of
them, and
        do
        them superbly.
        
        I don't think our primary problem is providing a standard by
which we
        can be
        measured.  The problem comes before that, with identifying what
we are
        measuring.  To my mind it comes back, all the time, to our use
of
        language -
        the person who invents the language is in control, so we need to
be
        inventing the language that covers what we do.  What is the name
for the
        "thinking tech writer" compared to the "transcription tech
writer"? What
        is
        the name for the TW who is a good analyst, compared to the TW
who will
        structure and punctuate something superbly, compared to the TW
who will
        graphically present something that someone else writes, compared
to the
        TW
        who can script a good website, compared to the TW who can write
        documentation that trains the reader.  These are all different
skills.
        The
        employer knows which they want, so we should give them the
language to
        recruit that person.
        
        At the next conference why not use a facilitation methodology
with an
        expert
        facilitator, and a full day session, to brainstorm through the
types of
        skill sets, give them names, identify their customers, etc?
After that,
        this list could agree to use the new terminology, and send it
around to
        every single recruiter they know.  What price a day in our
lives?  Is a
        day
        too much?
        
        ck
        
        
        
        -----Original Message-----
        From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        [mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Info
Action
        Sent: Friday, 12 January 2007 8:29 PM
        To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        Subject: atw: Agencies, contractors and other gripes (long)
        
        
        Hi,
        
        I am between contracts right now, with some time up my sleeve
for a
        visit to
        austechwriter. (Gratuitous plug: I am in the market if there's
any
        contracts
        around with direct-to-client billing). I've just picked up on
the thread
        started by Gary Stevens - I'm a bit late to the party on this,
but I'd
        like
        to comment.
        
        I think the debate about recruitment agencies arising from
Gary's post
        is
        tangential to the real issue: how is it that recruiters have
become the
        gatekeepers of technical writing in Australia? Sadly, the
observation
        that
        'some of them might be reading this, so we better not say
anything bad'
        may
        not be too far from the truth.
        
        Here's what I see as the consequences of the current status quo:
        
        1. The majority of agency placements are opportunistic. The
agency has a
        relationship with the client via 'mainstream' placements
(programmers
        etc)
        but doesn't want to miss an opportunity when they uncover a tech
writer
        vacancy, even though they have minimal credentials in evaluating
the
        skills
        of candidates. Naturally I exclude specialist agencies from this
        observation.
        
        2. For many agencies, the first pass of filtering is done by
machine.
        They
        are just searching for a few magic words. This will obviously
eliminate
        well-qualified candidates who didn't use the right combination
of magic
        words.
        
        Part of the reason that recruiters have resorted to such a
low-skill
        approach is that job descriptions are vague and don't mention
critical
        requirements. Perhaps they just don't understand the role? I
realise in
        many
        cases the client does not provide a decent job description, but
surely
        this
        is an opportunity for the recruiter to add some value to the
process?
        Tighter job descriptions would yield fewer and better qualified
        applicants.
        
        3. The reputation of technical writers as a whole is diminished.
There
        are
        way too many defacto editors being placed as writers. The
expectation
        that a
        writer can create original content (rather than rewrite
dictation or
        drafts)
        has all but disappeared from Australian industry.
        
        Further, technical skills are vestigial. Job descriptions are
mostly
        framed
        to eliminate their need, which is really a pity because there is
so much
        more value that can be added when they are available. It's a
serious
        constraint on the scope of tech writing roles.
        
        4. The role of technical writers has stagnated. It's the
recruiters who
        decide exactly what a tech writer can do (and cannot do), hence
the role
        does not evolve to take onboard relevant new technologies (how
did
        graphic
        designers gazump tech writers in the first wave of web
developers?). I
        once
        attended a Knowledge Management seminar, only to find that KM
luminaries
        were grappling with the concept of "identifying audiences"! 
        
        This is not a question of ability, it is a question of
perception. It's
        pretty much a case of "don't you worry about that, just keep
pressing
        Alt
        Print Screen".
        
        5. Extending points (1) and (2), the lack of ability in
identifying
        actual
        skill means that many candidates are chosen on the basis of the
        companies
        that they have worked for and the job titles they held. How many
times
        have
        you seen a role advertised with a 'prestige client?' The client
name is
        everything to recruiters - far more important than the actual
job
        skills.
        Fact: it is far easier to hide incompetence in a big company
than in a
        one-person department.
        
        6. Again on points (1) and (2) there is an inappropriate
fixation with
        software package. You must have seen it - 'two years recent
experience
        with
        Framemaker' and so on. The fact is, expertise in any package is
quickly
        transferred to comparable packages. Anyway, I think the notion
that
        Framemaker is hard to learn has arisen through the lore of
        inexperienced/incompetent practitioners who had only minimal
        understanding
        of Word to begin with.
        
        7. Contractors exist in a no-man's land, deemed by the ATO to be
        employees
        when working through an agency, but treated by agencies as a
business.
        As
        far as the ATO is concerned, agency contractors have no tax
entitlements
        beyond a normal employee, yet they are still obliged to carry
the normal
        risks and costs of running a business.
        
        8. Agencies add a significant overhead but not much value. This
is
        generally
        true of any agency placement, but a particular burden with
technical
        writing
        due to the poor quality of selection, as per point (1).
        
        Think about it: the agency offers no warranty to the client and
no
        guarantee
        of continuity to the contractor. Only the agency benefits from
this
        arrangement. Obviously clients have only themselves to blame by
        outsourcing
        their HR function and not effectively supervising the process.
But how
        did
        tech writers come to be such passive victims? (see next point).
        
        9. We have only ourselves to blame. All professionals will be
compared
        when
        it comes time to make a selection - it's a simple consequence of
having
        more
        candidates than roles. We provide no standard by which we can be
        measured,
        so others step into the void. The process is in many cases
superficial
        and
        the criteria inappropriate, but it's better than indicators that
we
        collectively give about ourselves (i.e. nothing).
        
        
        OK then . that's about all I have to get off my shoulders on
this
        subject.
        Oh yes . happy new year!
        
        cheers
        Colin Dawson
        
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