Just a quick note to say I really liked the three little pigs example. :) I'm also enjoying your new podcast and hope you'll keep it up.

Dear Mr Harry Miler,

This is Muralidharan Kuppuswami from India. Greetings. Hope this finds you in cheers and success.

Will you be kind enough to reply to the following? My e-mial ID is

kmuralidharan66@yahoo.com

It will be great help, if I will be fortunate to get my questions answered comprehensively!

I know it is difficult to take my request, but I believe with your knowledge and experience, you can address my request at ease!

I have great experience in Training of English across corporates, Training of Technical writers (software) and Training of Technical (software) editors. I also led successfully a technical editing team in a software product company until recently. My cup of tea is of course editing and training. However, I am adept at writing as well.

I feel there is only very, very less demand for editing especially in I.T (I do not say it is not there at all!). Of course, (in India at least) there is great demand for Technical writing (documentation).

I want to broaden my scope by applying for “documentation manager” positions as well. The issue is I do not know how technical (SOFTWARE) writers practically approach their job with reference to following:

1. What are ALL the basic documents they have (to reference) while producing documentation?

2. What are the different modes of delivery in software documentation?

3. When does the documentation start?

4. How the help project is integrated?

5. What is the coordination usually needed with the developers in getting the documentation to shape? What is the developers’ role (how they help technical writers)?

6. What are the roles and responsibilities of a “documentation manager” especially after the technical writers prepared the content?

7. What is your advice on my aspiration to become a DOCUMENTAION manager.

8. Please suggest any other thing (you think) I should need to become a documentation manager. I MUST NEED to know the work of a tech writer at least theoretically to aspire for a supervisory position!

Only because I do not know exactly what a technical writers’

role (the process they follow generally) and documentation manger I rejected so many such offers. It is worth mentioning that I do not find much help from usually dependable “google search!”

I do not have experience in Help Authoring Tools (HATs) such as ROBO HELP or Framemaker. But, I do not think for a DOCUMENTATION manager it is required.

I strongly believe I have cutting edge strengths such as Editing, training, writing etc over others once I know the practical things.

I KNOW OR AT LEAST HANDLE WRITING OF MANUALS SUCH AS

USER DOCUMENTS ETC.  BUT  I DO NOT KNOW THE PRACTIAL ROLE OF A TECHNICAL WRITER OR DOCUMENTATION MANAGER.

YOU HELP WOULD DO ME A WORLD OF GOOD!

Thanks in advance…

Murlaidharan

Well, Muralidharan, I'm not really the right person to ask -- I'm not a documentation manager either, and I'm not even trying to work in that direction. :-) I'd suggest finding someone who is, who can work with you directly. Or perhaps another reader who has experience can leave a comment or write to you directly.

Dear Mr Harry Miller.

Thanks a lot for the response...

You've got the podcast fire again.

I wrote my answers to Muralidharan!