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Re: Most Impt. Skill to Learn in Tech Comm Program
Subject:Re: Most Impt. Skill to Learn in Tech Comm Program From:CHRISTINE ANAMEIER <CANAMEIE -at- email -dot- usps -dot- gov> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 17 Oct 2001 16:08:19 -0400
> If you plan to write for the IT industry, I recommend
> learning as much as you can about technical subjects
> such as programming, networking, and databases.
I don't want to rekindle the "how techie? is ignorance an asset?"
debate here, but I want to point out that these topics (and
certifications like the MCSE) are NOT necessarily useful if you're
writing end-user software documentation. I don't know what proportion
of overall TW jobs are in this niche, but it's what I've spent my
4-ish years of TW doing, and I waaaaaaaaay did not need a Comp Sci
degree for this. In fact, a lot of the folks I've met who come from a
highly technical background haven't so much as coughed on a real end
user in ten years and have forgotten just how little the average end
user knows (or worse, they've developed a simmering contempt for Joe
User's lack of technical know-how).
My English-major-and-hobbyist-geek background has been more than
sufficient for my purposes. *IF* I were writing for a highly technical
audience, of course, a more technical background would be useful.
Anyone have any helpful stats on what proportion of TWs write for
techies?
Christine
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