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RE: The Origins of Techwriting (WAS:Re: Techwr-1 polls)
Subject:RE: The Origins of Techwriting (WAS:Re: Techwr-1 polls) From:"Gilger.John" <JGilger -at- acresgaming -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 13 Nov 2000 11:42:43 -0800
Eric Dunn reminds us:
Again the collective prejudice of so many on the list rears it's ugly head.
Technical Writing = Computer software documentation
Mechanical and electrical systems have been around for ages. While many
industries relied on apprenticeship to relay repair and operation knowledge,
many technical operations and repair documents have been produced in the
years
pre-computer.
Remember the days when "cut and paste" actually involved getting your
fingers
sticky or when drafting tables were actually used for drafting? (If you do
you're older than I am ;), I think I read about it in a book somewhere....)
Eric L. Dunn
Unfortunately, remembering the old days makes me feel like an OLD codger. I
started documenting electrical and mechanical systems in the old days before
C/C++ and other "modern" software languages were invented. If you worked
with and IBM, it was a Selectric II, if you were lucky.
If the truth be told, documenting software is boring when compared to
documenting hardware or complex electro-mechanical equipment like that used
in a refinery, electrical generation plant, or manufacturing facility.
However, software companies seem to pay more, so those of us having a
mercenary streak in our souls go for the money rather than the interesting
work.
John
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