atw: Re: Are you content to be a 'content provider'?

Two cents worth for some of the issues I see here:
1. Don't get too precious about life as a technical communicator. business 
and technology is fluid, so we need to be too. In the end, we are merely 
gate keepers, the moment the breeze changes, we change gates. We produce 
information about products that change, there is no lengthy posterity for 
us or mass market appreciation for our anonymous skills beyond those who 
have the privilege or misfortune to use the information we have 
contributed to. Note the phrase "contributed to," sometimes we get to do 
the whole lot (common now) sometimes we are a part of the larger whole. 
Providing, writing, editing, creating, designing, managing, archiving, 
producing or formatting the content? It doesn't really matter in the end. 
Just be true to yourself. (Leading me to the next point...)

2. If things have changed and a manager with limited writing knowledge and 
skills has a big picture view, you can use it as an exercise in teaching 
your new boss the things they need to help you, and vice versa; it is 
called up-management. Sometimes a keen management eye to oversee the big 
picture really helps everyone, especially us, because we can be so 
dedicated to detail. Alternately If someone is playing politics to empire 
build, then that is a political problem internal to the organisation. if 
your seniority is being questioned or stymied for someone else's own 
benefit, well, find another job. You won't win. Fighting internal politics 
in kind takes your eyes off the ball, and reduces the quality of your 
work. If you won't have power then, you have already lost now. 

A new horizon is only one step away. 
Take care out there Howard and everyone else to.
Warren Lewington
Technical Writer
Metso Minerals
Arndell Park, Sydney.
NSW, Australia.

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