radical revamping of techpubs

[John Posada]

> Contract exclusively, preferably three- to six-month. Contractors
> tend to be more fully focused on task completion, and doing the job
> right, both of which suit my inclinations perfectly. "Full-time"
> work becomes more a social issue, in which the most importance is

Allow mw to offer a different perspective without disputing what
Chris says, except to say it's not as black and white as he makes it
out to be.

> Why would anyone with experience as a manager want a developer or
> tech writer position? More jobs, more opportunities, less hassle,
> less effort. Lots of IT people switch from doer to manager and
> back. Keeps up the job interest, keeps it challenging, a myriad of
> reasons. Most work as contractors, and politely decline offers of
> "full-time" work as the equivalent of being purchased as a "wage
> slave" by an organization that clearly understands it can more
> easily manipulate its employees than it can manipulate contractors.
> A gold star, an Employee-of-the-Month certificate, recognition,
> congratulations on a job well-done, flattery, perhaps even a
> favored parking spot for a month--have meaning only to those many
> contractors refer to as "lifers."

I was a contractor for 18+ years at over 10 gigs with some
blue-ribbon companies, so I think I paid my contractor-dues.

Yes, as an employee, there is the gold star, certificates, corporate
culture/drinking the koolaid mentality and sometimes, the cover of
the corporate magazine (me in this quarter). I can take that stuff or
leave it.

I'm currently an employee of a Fortune 500 IT company; EMC (two years
this coming April). Why did I jump the fence? I'd heard that EMC was
strong on training. So, while I churn out user guides, installation
manuals, and such, I can also take advantage of a wide range of
training opportunities that I would not have been able to afford.
What kind of training? 
- ITIL Foundation Certification
- Six Sigma Greenbelt with a project in the works
- UML courses
- Human Factors courses
- DITA and Usability bootcamps
- UNIX and Linux college courses
- The ability to set corporate standards through online help and 508
standards committes
- others

All 100% paid while working from home 4-5 days a week.

Granted...not all companies offer opportunities. However, find the
right one and you can take advantage of things they offer as they do
so with you.

John Posada
Senior Technical Writer

"They say everyone needs goals. Mine is to live forever.
So far, so good."