"content" vs "tools" - help!

["Jim Lowry" <lowry_j -at- hotmail -dot- com>]

Hello there,

I was hoping that I might persuade you techwhirler types to further weigh in 
on the ?content? vs. ?tools? discussion, in regards to what makes for the 
best kind of value-adding technical writer.

After years of being a slacker on the professional development front, I?ve 
decided I want to go the ?format education? route and am going to take an 
intensive, 3-month ?certificate? program at one of the big universities in 
New York. My wife and I have been thinking about relocating to the country 
(even before last week!) and I want to be as employable as possible, even 
entertaining the possibility of doing some telecommuting. My current ?skill 
set:? Frame, WORD, Visio, HTML, WebWorks, UNIX shell. (I?m more of a ?tools? 
sort, vs. a ?content? kind a guy, a la Andrew Plato.)

Specifically, I wanted to find out from you folks which of the two 
certificate programs I describe below would make the most sense for a 
technical writer who?s heading off to a less industry-saturated area and who 
entertains ?high hopes? about telecommuting:

1.)	A hands-on Windows 2000 systems administration course, in which one 
learns the ins and outs of installing the OS, and also how to configure and 
troubleshoot aspects such as Active Directory, DNS, IP Routing, RAS, etc.

(Considerations: I know it?s just one particular technology, but I?ve 
noticed that at least in the New York area, a number of companies are asking 
for this kind of expertise in their tech writer job advertisements. Win2000 
obviously is not the only OS animal out there nor by any means is system 
admin. the only game in town for tech. writers, but I?m wondering if this 
kind of solid, if not terribly exciting, expertise might put me in good 
stead out in the ?sticks.?)

2.)	A course on creating dynamic web sites, the content of which is 
database-driven. Technologies used: ASP, XML, SQL, Perl, and javascript.

(Considerations: Seems as if these technologies are definitely ?in? 
nowadays. But are they just ?tools? and thus not really that germane to what 
makes for a good, value-adding tech. writer?)

Looking for advice and thanking you in advance.

Jim Lowry
Queens, NY


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