I liked it better when they asked about serial commas

[wshaffer]

I really ought to have a better answer to the question, "Why did you become a technical writer when you could have become something useful to society like a doctor or a scientist?" but thankfully I don't get asked it all that often.

I do fervently wish that everyone who says this to me gets an impenetrably cryptic manual with every significant software and hardware purchase they make in the next year.

Comments

[inflectionpoint.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry. What an amazingly rude thing for someone to say to you.

[wshaffer.livejournal.com]

The thing I find faintly hilarious about it (or did after the initial WTF?! wore off) is that this was said to me by someone who fairly frequently comes to me for help when he doesn't know how to do something. So, complete failure to connect the dots between the value I provide to him as a colleague and my wider value.