Comments on: Is there such a thing as a “Programmer/Writer”?

By: Jennifer O Neill

Jennifer O Neill — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:04:13 +0000

I think that it is an advantage for tech writers to have some domain knowledge. Such knowledge helps you understand the “why” of the product you are documenting and so provide better context to the “how”.

By: Jeremy Griffith

Jeremy Griffith — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:03:17 +0000

I started out as a TW, and after 15 years (by which time I’d been a Pubs Manager for several years), I switched over to programming. Initially I went into programming because I needed better tools for my pubs work, and they did not exist, so I had to build them. In 8080 assembler.

When writing software docs, I think it’s important that a TW can at least *read* the code. I always asked for it, and almost always found problems in it, which I reported to the responsible engineer. Before I wrote about software, I wrote about other engineering projects (power plants, chemical process plants) and there too used the same info the engineers used, drawings and specs. I felt the TW needed to understand the item they were writing about on an engineering level, not just interview an engineer and make the words nice. So the writers I hired could all do that.

Now, after 34 years writing software, I no longer feel I am personally a good TW. Programming has spoiled me. So the TWs I work with have final say over their own work. Indeed, we all need to bridge two worlds, both to communicate, and to design software that really serves our customers, who are, still, TWs.

By: Milan Davidovic

Milan Davidovic — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:34:32 +0000

David wrote: In a recent discussion thread on LinkedIn, someone asked for opinions about the job description for a vacancy for a “Programmer/Writer”.

Can you provide a link to the job posting in question?

By: Rachel P

Rachel P — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:26:33 +0000

Interesting points.
You might be interested in a recent discussion from the other side of the fence: http://tiny.cc/FWSsC