Interview with Keith Johnson, Blogger, Techwriterguy
Today's Date: Friday, February 5, 2010
Good morning, Keith, how are you today?
I am great! Thank you for asking.
You have written quite a few posts over the past two years at your Great Documents Technical Writing blog. Why?
I wish to share my Technical Writing and Software Training experiences and insights with my readers. If my blog posts can help them in some way, then that is wonderful news.
So, you are an Educator, then?
Yes. From 1991 to 1996 I worked overseas in Curitiba, Brazil as a Microsoft Applications Trainer - teaching students and working professionals how to use MS-DOS, MS-Windows, MS-Office, MS-Fox Pro and MS-Visual Basic. After this experience, I returned to the states (Miami, Florida) and have continued to educate end-users and developers as both a Technical Writer and Software Trainer. I recently completed a Master's of Science in Education degree from Nova Southeastern University to further my analytical, quantitative, presentation, and organizational skills.
Why have you chosen this professional path?
It all began at Willamette University (my undergraduate university). I was asked by a good friend to write feature articles for the News section of the weekly campus paper "The Collegian". I did this for two years and then served as the paper's News Editor during my Senior Year. So, Technical Writing and Software Training have allowed me to combine the two academic and professional areas I enjoy most - communications and computer software technology.
Why did you not pursue computer programming?
I did not pursue computer programming because my "forte" is Technical Communications. Writing and Training are complementary aspects of Technical Communications and are extremely helpful to corporate software development environments.
Are you a proponent of proprietary software or open-source software?
Fortunately, the universe is a big place. Hence, there is room for both proprietary software like Microsoft Office and open-source software like Open Office. When a software program or suite is well designed, meets the needs of its user community, and is not exorbitant in price, then it gets a "thumbs-up" from me.
Do you believe in collaboration?
Absolutely. There are all sorts of new tools emerging that enable people to work on documents and projects together. A great example is Google Docs. More than one person can actively edit and improve a document, all from different locations. Collaborative learning is also the basic premise of Wiki-style education. It is because of collaboration that the Internet has exploded with hundreds of great applications that enable people to work in groups and collaborate with one another. I am still hoping to get an invite to Google Wave - the latest in collaboration - social media style.
Do you enjoy working with other people?
Absolutely. I try to learn from others as much as possible, even if I am their instructor.
Do you handle criticism well?
I do my very best! As a Technical Writer, you must seek the outside opinions and even criticism from others, especially Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). When you create a document and it gets approved by individuals well established in a field, then you know you have succeeded. At the same time, to get to this level of mastery, you must endure constructive criticism and rework documents constantly.
Are you group-motivated or self-motivated?
I enjoy both types of work. There are some documents that are best written by one person. At the same time, there are documents and training presentations that require the input of many people. At times like this, you need to listen and try to position your input to benefit the group at hand.
What is the hardest type of documentation to write?
It is always challenging to write documentation for software, systems, or processes that have no previous documentation. So, you must start from scratch. You need to interview people in situations like this. After much perseverance, you will emerge with version 1.0 of a document that has probably been needed for quite some time, but nobody possessed the courage or confidence to write the first version.
What is the hardest type of training to deliver?
It is always challenging to train others who have a greater subject matter expertise than you. Once, I gave a Wireless Internet Server (WIS) training to a bunch of engineers who were experts in WIS architecture, programming, testing, and implementation. Fortunately, I made it through the presentation and even received an applause after I covered all the slides.
Why do you call yourself the Techwriterguy?
I want people to know that I am, first and foremost, committed to creating a quality written document. From there, diverse written guides and trainings may be created using this content.
What products or services do you offer?
1. Project Management (Business Requirements) Documentation
2. Quality Assurance (Testing) Documentation
3. System Architecture (System Design) Documentation
4. Source Code (Computer Code) Documentation
5. Software Installation (Implementation) Documentation
6. End-User (How-To Guide) Documentation
7. Customer Service (Help Desk) Documentation
7. Release Notes (Upgrade or Hot Fix) Documentation
8. Basic Software Application Training
9. Advanced Software Application Training
10. Technical Writing E-book (currently in progress)
Thank you! How can someone get in contact with you?
1. My e-mail address is keith@greatdocuments.net.
2. You may contact me using this online form.