Writers in the dot.com storm

ABSTRACT

The dot.com phenomenon is the subject matter of numerous anecdotes. At one time the stuff dreams are made of, the dream turned sour. Now those few companies still remaining try desperately to find buyers for their products before they run out of cash.However the dot.com experience provided a wealth of new experiences for me as a technical writer. The more casual approach to work made it possible for me to join the Product Design team during the spec and design phase of the project - the technical writer's nirvana. However, as the financial squeeze was felt our company underwent several restructurings. This meant fewer people to complete the required work. As someone who was involved in the product spec sessions I now found myself doing more and more Business Analyst work, with technical writing and training work falling by the wayside.This paper examines my experiences in the design, development and implementation phases of a product, as a technical writer and as a general addition to the team. This paper also reviews the positive and negative effects my work in other areas had on my ability to perform as a technical writer.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Evaluation/methodology

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.3 INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL
      H.3.5 On-line Information Services
          Subjects: Web-based services
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Training, help, and documentation

General Terms:
Experimentation, Human Factors, Management, Performance