getting technical
And life takes another turn. Two weeks ago I started a new job, which is once again taking up time otherwise available for posting.
The firm makes software for financial institutions running mutual funds, pension funds and the like. Clients use it to model investment portfolios and to create strategies for neutralizing various forms of market risk. I can't describe anything in detail here -- and your eyes would glaze over if I did -- but the architecture of this strange vessel in which I work is a flowchart: databases, engines, modular bits and other thingummies behind a shiny graphic interface.
New components are being added all the time: position-loading is being transformed into XML; yield curves are described; scenarios (or sudden market shifts) modeled. Then another computation engine handles the analytical processes: comparing portfolios to benchmarks, calculating the effect of assorted changes users wish to make to their positions.
I'm just responsible for the docs: the user manuals, support and help screens and other technical materials. Translating engineer-speak and (some) financialese into something less arcane. It means using language that is
- precise
- unambiguous
- terse
- affectless
...and of course user-friendly. All while trying not to skip any vital information. It's quite a challenge, getting into (and staying in) that systematic a mindset. Thinking in templates, wondering how a design decision made now will affect one's options in six months.
In the evenings i'm not much good for more than a little browsing and lurking. But my hope is that the daily discipline of writing the technical material will get me back in the habit of producing other stuff. Anyone have a copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance around?
Technical writing is hard. I say this because I see so much bad technical writing. But translating two varieties of jargon into concise prose is even more of a challenge. Best of luck with your new gig.
Are you the Bruno P who attended St Albans School in UK a million or so years ago? If so, greetings. I ended up as HM Ambassador in Poland...
Charles Crawford
|
And life takes another turn. Two weeks ago I started a new job, which is once again taking up time otherwise available for posting.
The firm makes software for financial institutions running mutual funds, pension funds and the like. Clients use it to model investment portfolios and to create strategies for neutralizing various forms of market risk. I can't describe anything in detail here -- and your eyes would glaze over if I did -- but the architecture of this strange vessel in which I work is a flowchart: databases, engines, modular bits and other thingummies behind a shiny graphic interface.
New components are being added all the time: position-loading is being transformed into XML; yield curves are described; scenarios (or sudden market shifts) modeled. Then another computation engine handles the analytical processes: comparing portfolios to benchmarks, calculating the effect of assorted changes users wish to make to their positions.
I'm just responsible for the docs: the user manuals, support and help screens and other technical materials. Translating engineer-speak and (some) financialese into something less arcane. It means using language that is
- precise
- unambiguous
- terse
- affectless
...and of course user-friendly. All while trying not to skip any vital information. It's quite a challenge, getting into (and staying in) that systematic a mindset. Thinking in templates, wondering how a design decision made now will affect one's options in six months.In the evenings i'm not much good for more than a little browsing and lurking. But my hope is that the daily discipline of writing the technical material will get me back in the habit of producing other stuff. Anyone have a copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance around?
- bruno 10-27-2003 5:44 am
Technical writing is hard. I say this because I see so much bad technical writing. But translating two varieties of jargon into concise prose is even more of a challenge. Best of luck with your new gig.
- mark 10-28-2003 10:59 pm
Are you the Bruno P who attended St Albans School in UK a million or so years ago? If so, greetings. I ended up as HM Ambassador in Poland...
Charles Crawford
- Charles Crawford (guest) 8-11-2009 5:19 pm