User:StaceyHamilton/BlogEntry: 2009 August 28 14:35:33 EDT

From sasCommunity

It's who you know (and a little of what you know)

by Shelley Sessoms

I'll let you all in on a little secret. I am not the least bit technical. Sure, I can set a clock, hook up a DVD player, use my BlackBerry. But that's where the technical skills end. When something happens to my computer at work I try the good 'ole standby method of turning it off, waiting 10 seconds, and turning it back on. If that doesn't fix the problem, then I know the numbers to Pubs Help by heart.

This lack of technical knowledge did not deter me from editing the SAS Tech Report for nearly five years. I didn't know how to answer the questions that came into my inbox, but I made a lot of friends in Tech Support who I could forward those questions to. They were always more than happy to help out. And those same friends still help me to this day. When I receive a book proposal, I forward the material to my buddies in Tech Support, Education, R&D, etc., so they can help me decide if the material constitutes a viable book. They make suggestions, reorder chapters, suggest examples, and more to help make the book the best it can be.

Through my association with these intelligent minds at SAS, I've gotten better with technical information. But I still don't consider myself a technical person. So, I've decided I want just a tiny bit more of the knowledge these SAS folks have. I recently decided to sign up for an Intro to Programming course, taught by SAS Education. I'm hopeful that it will give me enough information to tell a good program from a bad one. And allow me to help our SAS Press authors create the strongest proposal possible ... something that will wow the rest of the SAS folks into saying, "Yes, we need that book now."

Wish me luck!