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

Howard said:
So few people know what a Technical Writer is, I doubt that an even more
obscure term, however apt, will make much difference.

Well here's an interesting titbit...
If anyone read the article in the weekend Australian about a very, very
tall famous and prominent Australian actor who has become a world wide
cult figure because of his roles in at least 3 sci-fi and fantasy
blockbuster trilogies made over the last twenty five years or so, you
would have picked up the fact that his wife described her profession
something along the lines of an "IT Information Expert and On-line Help
Expert". (Not an exact quote, but I think pretty close. If anyone wants
to get the exact wording, go for it). Hmmm... sounds like a technical
writer to me... if only she had said she was a technical writer, our
profession would have been instantly associated with a famous Hollywood
cult figure and we would then have the riches, fame and glory we all
know we so richly deserve ;). Maybe they would even make a movie about
us! 






-----Original Message-----
From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Stuart
Burnfield
Sent: Wednesday, 24 August 2005 4:05 PM
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: Re: Are you content to be a 'content provider'?





Howard said:
> Respondents, both on- and off-line, shared my frustration that their 
> work wasn't being valued for the effort that went into the overall 
> effect...

Well it's certainly being valued. If you're getting $30/hour, that's
what it's being valued at. If you're getting $80/hour,
*that's* what it's being valued at.

You might disagree with that valuation because you have your own view of
what your work is worth, but I think that's just life.
Of course we have a better idea of the value of our work--we're the TW
experts! All clients and employers can know is what our work is worth
*to them*. And they're the experts in knowing that.

When you know you've done good work, just savour the inner glow. That
makes up for a lot.

If that's not enough, enter it in the STC Tech Pubs competition and bsak
in the admiration of your peers :^)

> Inventing different names to distinguish different types may be a good

> idea, but not if those names only make sense to those with experience 
> of doing whatever it is. (Though I don't have time to get into the 
> subject now, I suspect that any title with the word 'information' in 
> it is going to be pretty useless.)

True, and when I say I like the term Information Developer I don't have
any illusions that it's going to sweep the globe and improve our lives.
So few people know what a Technical Writer is, I doubt that an even more
obscure term, however apt, will make much difference.

Stuart

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