A2K MEMBER VOCATIONS

Mapleleaf, We all know what your vocation is! It's posting on all the active forums to let us know "YOU'RE LEAVING ON FRIDAY ON A FAMILY TRIP, and WILL BE BACK ON JAN 4."

C.i., I suspect Mapleleaf may have been unaware of the netiguet applicable to this situation. I had a private word with him on the matter via PM. All in all, he seems a likeable enough sort, and doubtless will be somewhat abashed and apologetic upon recognizing his error.



timber

I'm a writer, editor, and proofreader. I also volunteer as a teacher of English as a second language. The volunteer work is more avocation than vocation.

Pimp, and Player.

Kidding....KIDDING!.....No one has accused me of those things, in years.

....Actually, I am a retired, Entertainer, Photographer, entrepeneur, artists model, and civil service worker, in order of importance in shaping me. I'm not going to even bother with the other hundred or so things I've done to make a living. I share a kinshp with Asherman in that Ive done so many things, some of which I'm not eager to mention.

Well looky, looky. I've finally got an avatar. Thanks Craven.

eoe, The Eiffel Tower in the middle of water? c.i.

Great one, eoe!

Speaking of great ones Diowan, that is one...KOOL.. .rabbit.

vocations
starting in the 60's post military i was a radio d.j.
cowboy/rancher
news journalist
child welfare caseworker
mental health clinition
social worker specialist for children with behavior disabilities (autism-fragil x-ebd-downs syndrome etc)
and finally as a child welfare policy analyst for the state dept of social services
maintained my "hobby" as cowboy thru it all raising cattle-sheep and hogs.

eoe - That is a cool avatar. Are those things symbolic of your life?

In college and directly afterwards I worked in a large research library. I love libraries and currently am a volunteer and board member for our local library.

My main vocation was years spent as a technical writer for information technology. I got tired of listening to people whine about how hard it was to read a user manual. If you think it is hard to read one, try writing it... from scratch... dealing with systems engineers who don't want to tell all their secrets and managers who don't want you to say what the product DOESN'T do. It is not pretty.

I've also sold real estate and still manage rental properties.

One of my coolest jobs was one summer I worked as the night clerk at the Top of the World Hotel in Barrow Alaska.

eoe, It's nice that you have a dream to visit Paris some day. I would only suggest that you don't build up too much expectation, because you'll be disappointed if you do. That's what happened to me on my very first trip to Paris over forty years ago. Another suggestion if I may: Read up on Paris, and use the web sites for what attractions not to miss, how to use the Metro, the different districts, the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, other museums, and other places outside of Paris you can visit on a day tour. c.i.

Thanks for the warning c.i. but between fantasy and the movies, I imagine Paris to be glorious. The same for Italy. The visuals alone, the ruins of Rome, the art, it must be magnificent.

It is "magnificent." I always visit the Musee d'Orsay, one of my favorite museums in Paris, because they have paintings by all the impressionist masters, and the museum was at one time a train station. The last time I visited the Musee d'Orsay, there was a line more than a block long waiting to go in, but I waited too! I took some photos of van Gogh and Renoir's paintings. If you send me your email address to <<[email protected]>>, I'll be happy to send them to you. I'll even include a photo of the Eiffel Tower. c.i.

Last four years: Proofreader of fiction for a New York publisher (but don't judge my ability by my postings).

Prior four years: A nontraditional student, major English, minor anthropology.

Intern: Main Street Program, public relations.

Customer Service: Dunn & Bradstreet.

Campaign Manager: County Commissioner's race.

Outside Sales: Telecommunications.

Banking.

Now that I work from home, I do feel somewhat retired. We are remodeling a 100-year-old house, and that takes up a lot of time, but even if it takes five years, well, most people take thirty years to pay for their homes, so I figure we'll still come out ahead of the game. When the house is done and the yard is finished, I hope to enjoy the large library I've accumulated: about five thousand books on literature, anthropology, science, philosophy, language, linguistics, history, landscaping . . . I hope to be real smart someday. . . . I'm still working on it.

The problem facing technical writers is not new, Pifka. Like the instructions for the 'some assembly required' childrens toys and the like - the writer is not dealing with the sharpest mind from the developement team. What you are getting is the individual deemed most expendable.

I have written several adaptations of software manuels for accounting programs, and discovered the secret to producing useful instructions. When they are complete, so far as you know, follow your own instructions. Do everything you have written, and nothing you haven't. Do they still seem complete?

Thanks for the offer c.i.

dupre, You should take a Fast Reading Course. The idea that you have five thousand books to read, gives me a restless feeling. c.i.

roger: Technical manuals have to be the most difficult writing there is.

I still remember the story about the floods of confused calls Del Monte got when they took off the cooking instructions from a can of corn. Something like 1) empty contents in pan, 2) heat to boiling, 3) serve.

Whew! And these consumers were/are your readers? It had to be tough.