radical revamping of techpubs

Fri Oct 19 16:09:49 PDT 2007

That's what makes marketing such a popular major.

http://www.tekwrytrs.com/Specializing in the Design, Development, and Production of:Technical Documentation - Online Content - Enterprise Websites

Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:23:07 -0700From: rinnie1 at yahoo.comSubject: RE: radical revamping of techpubsTo: john at hedtke.com; tekwrytr at hotmail.com; gflato at nanometrics.com; framers at lists.frameusers.com
The market is also driven by price, availability, and value (=quality for the price), but pervasive marketing and cut-throat competition can trump.

ReneJohn Hedtke <john at hedtke.com> wrote:
You're making an assumption that the market is driven by quality. It is not, though that's certainly a factor. The market is driven even more by good marketing.At 10:58 AM 10/19/2007, Technical Writer wrote:>And yet people still buy it. If they did not, issues of quality >would be irrelevant; only the "quality" items would be purchased, >the "crap" would languish on the dealer shelves, and we would be >working rather than having this >discussion.http://www.tekwrytrs.com/Specializing in the Design, >Development, and Production of:Technical Documentation - Online >Content - Enterprise Websites>>>Subject: RE: radical revamping of techpubsDate: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 >10:55:33 -0700From: gflato at nanometrics.comTo: tekwrytr at hotmail.com; >framers at lists.frameusers.com>>>>I have seen enough bug reports in my time to know that quality is >not subjective. If the software generates a mile-long list of bugs >reported by customers and QA people, the software application is crap.>>>Thank you,>>>Gillian Flato>Technical Writer (Software)>nanometrics>1550 Buckeye Dr.>Milpitas, CA. 95035>(408.545.6316>7 408.232.5911>* gflato at nanometrics.com>>>>>From: Technical Writer [mailto:tekwrytr at hotmail.com] Sent: Friday, >October 19, 2007 10:52 AMTo: Flato, Gillian; >framers at lists.frameusers.comSubject: RE: radical revamping of techpubs>The same could be said of pacemakers, missile control systems, and a >host of others. That does not change the fact that in most software >applications, perceptions of quality are highly subjective.>>>Subject: RE: radical revamping of techpubsDate: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 >10:09:42 -0700From: gflato at nanometrics.comTo: tekwrytr at hotmail.com; >framers at lists.frameusers.com>>> >>Quality is primarily a subjective opinion;> >>Similarly, whether a product is crap or not is again an opinion, > not an objective evaluation that can applied in all cases.>>When you work in the semi-conductor industry making high-tech >instruments that are used in fabs (chip fabrication plants), quality >is not subjective. If the tool stops running after a few thousand >cycles or a part on the tool fails after only a few months of >running, then it's objective. A part broke, the Tool shutdown, >quality is crap, that's not subjective.>>TechWriters in my field document the software that runs on these >types of tools. If you go to a fab, you'll see the type of tools I >am taking about.>>BTW, why don't you identify who you are? You act so sanctimonious >yet you hide behind a moniker. Have some cohones and tell us who you are.>>>Thank you,>>>Gillian Flato>Technical Writer (Software)>nanometrics>1550 Buckeye Dr.>Milpitas, CA. 95035>(408.545.6316>7 408.232.5911>* gflato at nanometrics.com>>>>>From: Technical Writer [mailto:tekwrytr at hotmail.com] Sent: Friday, >October 19, 2007 9:37 AMTo: Flato, Gillian; >framers at lists.frameusers.comSubject: RE: radical revamping of techpubs> And I know of a CEO who used to either get there first, or let the > wannabes struggle over the crumbs. Name of Bill Gates. Quality is > primarily a subjective opinion; witness the 90+% of the population > of the planet using Windows, despite the occasional Blue Screen of > Death, or necessary re-booting orre-installing required. Similarly, > whether a product is crap or not is again an opinion, not an > objective evaluation that can applied in all cases. The Debian > flavor of Linux is considered "the best" by some, and "the worst" > by some. The opinions are subjective. Everyone TW wants to believe > that he or she is producing quality documentation that creates a > warm fuzzy in the user, and makes customers-for-life of the company > that produces whatever is being documented. I simply suggest a > reality check may be more useful. If the TW is documenting > software, perhaps he or she should change fields to one with a > slower pace of life (and writing). The option is to accept the > realities of the marketplace, and how those influence and constrain > the production of technical documentation. In a world in which > dynamic onlne help files are rapidly replacing hard copy documents, > it seems more useful to focus on developing a skill set that > enables high-volume production of acceptable quality content, > rather than obsessing over trivial (to most users) details of > grammar, construction, or voice. In that direction may lie the > future of TW--get it written, get it online, and concentrate on the > Pareto principle of satisfying the needs of the majority of users > rather than obsessing over the subjective opinions of the > minority. < From: gflato at nanometrics.com> To: > tekwrytr at hotmail.com; framers at lists.frameusers.com> > ...or similar > biggies realize that time-to-market is everything, > > > Time-to-market is not everything if you sacrifice quality. If > you're first on the market but your product is crap, the fact that > you were first on the market is irrelevant. > > I know a CEO who > got fired because all he cared about is being first on the market > but his products were crap and failed often. Other company's that > were slower to market but turned out quality products, stole > marketshare from that company. The company almost went under until > the board of Directors wisely fired him and put a new CEO at the > helm.> > > -Gillian> >>>Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live >OneCare! Try now!>>Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live >OneCare! Try now!>_________________________________________________________________>Climb to the top of the charts! Play Star Shuffle: the word >scramble challenge with star power.>http://club.live.com/star_shuffle.aspx?icid=starshuffle_wlmailtextlink_oct_______________________________________________>>>You are currently subscribed to Framers as john at hedtke.com.>>Send list messages to framers at lists.frameusers.com.>>To unsubscribe send a blank email to>framers-unsubscribe at lists.frameusers.com>or visit http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/john%40hedtke.com>>Send administrative questions to listadmin at frameusers.com. Visit>http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info.Yours truly,John HedtkeAuthor/Consultant/Contract Writerwww.hedtke.com <-- website541-685-5000 (office landline)541-554-2189 (cell)john at hedtke.com (primary email)johnhedtke at aol.com (secondary email) _______________________________________________You are currently subscribed to Framers as rinnie1 at yahoo.com.Send list messages to framers at lists.frameusers.com.To unsubscribe send a blank email to framers-unsubscribe at lists.frameusers.comor visit http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/rinnie1%40yahoo.comSend administrative questions to listadmin at frameusers.com. Visithttp://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info.
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