Tech-writers are necessary because someone has to write the user doco. The programmers and managers sure as hell don’t want to. This is actually part of the reason that you’re evil, too. In my experience, most programmers and managers think that they could write the manuals if they wanted to… they just don’t want to. They might not write all “flowery" like the tech-writers, but what they write is correct.
Unfortunately, that’s quite often all that’s important to programmers and managers. There is a feeling within the software environment that accuracy = quality. Audience analysis, doco readability, consistency, usability, active and passive voice, commas in a list of three or more items… All of these things are relatively unimportant to everyone but the tech-writer. Oh… and the user.
In a world where accuracy is all important, a lot goes over the head of the dummy. I don’t know if it’s intellectual snobbery, but programmers and managers seem to think that if they understand it, so should the user. It doesn’t matter whether or not they do… they SHOULD! Stupid users! Maybe it’s the geek’s ultimate revenge…
Your document can be 100% accurate, but if the audience can’t read it, you’ve wasted your time.
So why doesn’t anyone acknowledge this? They do! That’s the weird part. In theory, everyone agrees with you, it’s just in practice that you find yourself out in the cold. I don’t know why this happens. Maybe it’s because most of these guys have never done tech-writing.
So tech-writers spend too long worrying about unimportant things. And they bother programmers and managers with unimportant things. But they’re necessary things. Otherwise why would you be employed. Maybe the absence of simple logic short circuits their brains. Who knows?
What we can get out of this is that there’s a feeling that tech-writers waste time, and as a result, they’re pretty much at the bottom of the heap in the software world. I think a good analogy is the way some rich see the poor. Dirty little creatures… if only we could do without them…
But there is an up-side. I don’t want you thinking it’s all bad.
Being at the bottom of the heap has its advantages. You can go unnoticed for years if you want. If you haven’t seen the movie, Office Space, you should hire it. There’s a little ferrety bloke in that who was “let go" years ago. Problem is, no one ever told him, and because of a glitch in payroll he still got paid. No one ever noticed.
Being a tech-writer’s a bit like that.
When I was managing doco teams, my favourite saying was “All we have to do is manage their expectations and our commitments". Because programmers and managers resign themselves to the fact that they don’t know what’s going on in the doco team, there’s sometimes a temptation to slacken off. Don’t give in to this temptation!!! If you ever get caught, doing it, it’ll be like the boy who cried wolf – they’ll never believe your estimates again!
The other risk is that you’ll lose your sense of urgency. And that’s a big part of what makes a good worker. You should be very strict about managing your commitments. This requires discipline, because sometimes it seems you’re the only one that cares, but you have to do it.
One thing you should be aware of though, is that your average tech-writer in software spends only about 50% of his or her time writing. The rest of your time is spent planning, problem solving, fixing your computer, researching, interviewing the programmers, writing work pracs…
I always found it was a good balance, though.
It was when I started managing teams that the bottom really fell out. Then the percentage dropped to about 10-20%. There were times when I’d go months without writing any help at all. That can be very frustrating, especially if you don’t particularly like managing.
Now managing tech-writers in software is an interesting thing. As with most technology management positions, you kinda fall into it, because you’re the most senior/experienced person in the company. Unfortunately, that doesn’t qualify you to be a manager. Software companies are renowned for dumping people into management roles without any real training or support.
I don’t really have any advice for you here. If it’s gonna happen, it’ll happen. Just be aware of it, and know that if you fall into a management role, it’s gonna be difficult. (That’s not to say that it can’t be rewarding though…)
The ironic thing is that the most difficult aspect of it is that your staff are screaming at you to change the system. “The programmers don’t answer our questions!" “None of my work has been reviewed for the last 2 months!" “The project manager just told me to forget about quality!"
Unfortunately, the inexperienced tech-writer is often naïve enough to think they can change the system. Once you become a manager, you know you can’t. Hold on a minute… Maybe apathy is what qualifies you to be a manager… Hmmmm.
In any case, my advice is not to push too hard. You’ll make life hard for your manager, and give yourself a bad reputation. Recognise you’re a necessary evil, and work within those constraints.
Tech-writing can be a lot of fun. And don’t let anyone tell you it’s not creative. Trying to think of a way to describe what goes in the Name field without just saying “Enter the name" is a real mind-boggler!
Probably, after finding out that you needed to have a root canal, you told a friend. What did your friend do? He or she immediately shared with you the gruesome details of the pain and suffering experienced by Aunt Bessie or Uncle Ben with their root canal back in 1962.
With that new piece of information your anxiety meter probably red-lined. Relax. It is the 21st century not 1962. There have been many advances made over the years. The important thing to remember is that a root canal procedure removes the nerve or nerves of the tooth. Where do the sensors send the brain its pain reports? The nerves. If the nerve is removed that particular pain transmitter is no longer there. Hence no pain.
Now can there be some discomfort? Yes that is possible. But let me be very clear. A root canal procedure is done to alleviate current or future pain.
Let's look at the steps taken in doing a root canal.
After examining your tooth you're dentist will do x-rays. This will give him a picture of the tooth that he will be working on. The x-rays will provide him with important information needed to assist him in determining the health of the tooth. With this information he will determine the treatment necessary to insure the health of your tooth.
During the x-rays, the technician will place a piece of x-ray film in your mouth. It will usually be held in place by a small "wing" that you bite. This prevents movement so that the picture will not be blurred. It only takes a moment. The technician will also place an apron over you during the x-ray. This is a precaution that will protect your body from the tiny amount of radiation used to take the x-ray. This procedure is completely painless and the x-ray itself only takes a moment.
Once your dentist determines that a root canal is necessary, you will have several options. The important thing at this point is to ensure that you and your dentist communicate. He will tell you what he deems important. This may not cover everything that you might be interested in knowing. The way to find out is to ask. Any concerned dentist will be glad to spend time with you answering your questions. After all, he wants you to be comfortable and to have a high confidence level in him.
If the tooth or area around the tooth is infected your dentist may elect to prescribe a regimen of antibiotics to halt the infection prior to the procedure. This may result in waiting a few days until the antibiotics have done their work. Once the antibiotics have run their course then the procedure will be scheduled.
General dentists are trained in root canal therapy and are qualified to do most root canals. However if your dentist believes it would be better for you to see a specialist he may recommend that you see an endodontist.
The endodontist specializes in the inside of the tooth. Whether it is the general dentist or the endodontist the procedure will be basically the same.
First the tooth will be numbed using a local anesthetic. Once your dentist is confident that the local anesthetic has taken effect he will begin the procedure.
The tooth will be cleaned down to the root area. Then the nerve will be removed with a small file. This will remove all of the nerve in the canal. Once that is accomplished the canal will be filled with a medicated substance and a temporary crown put in place.
In the past, this was normally done in two separate procedures. But modern advances are suggesting that the complete procedure may be done in only one visit. Your dentist will determine which procedure is in your best interest.
Once the procedure is successfully completed you will have a finished tooth that will continue to function well for many years.
Now you may be thinking that you can just wait and everything will be okay. Unfortunately that will not happen. Your body needs the protection given by having the root canal done. A sick, dead or dying canal area provides a great place for bacteria to breed and grow. Left unattended the infection will worsen and you will be experiencing pain that could become excruciating.
Don't wait. If your dentist makes the decision that a root canal is necessary, have it done as soon as possible. You will be glad you did. For once the root is gone, the pain will be gone.
Both Glenn Murray & Don Robertson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Glenn Murray has sinced written about articles on various topics from Writing, SEO Search Engine Optimization and Employment. Glenn Murray is a website copywriter, SEO copywriter, and article submission and article PR specialist. He is a director of article PR company Article PR and also of copywriting studio Divine Write. He can be contacted on Sydney +612 4334 6222 or at. Glenn Murray's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.
Don Robertson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Writing, Dental Practice and Dental Implants. Don Robertson is co-founder of Benefit Discount Services. Through his company he provides significant discounts to his customers. You can learn more by going to. Don Robertson's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.