TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
> I've come to the conclusion that understanding the material on an
intellectual
> level is paramount, and I know what happens when writers don't. It can
> be a big black eye on technical writing. I think our reputation is
> pretty well shot because of it.
"Understanding the material" is _part_ of the technical communication
process, not a prerequisite to it. But even more "paramount" than that is
understanding the specific information need of the audience, and how it can
best be met. Because nobody's paying you just to learn things that your
audience doesn't need to know.
When I pick up a manual to look up how to do what I need to do, I care not
one whit how much the author of that manual knows. It is a matter of supreme
indifference to me.
ALL I care about is whether the one bit of information I need RIGHT NOW is
in there, and easy to find, and, once found, easy to follow. The last thing
I want is a manual written by a technical expert who wants me to know how
clever he is.
To whatever extent "our reputation is shot" (as Ned puts it), it isn't
because we aren't subject matter experts. It's because we haven't learned
how, after gathering the right information from subject matter experts, to
put it into a structure that our users find easy to access and easy to
understand. We haven't learned to speak the users' language and address
their specific information needs.
Recently I was introduced to my firm's managing director by the CFO, who
said, "This is the guy I was telling you about. He's a translator from techo
to Human."
THAT is where we can make a difference. The engineering schools are full of
experts. What the business world wants is someone who can bridge the
information gap between those experts and people who have other fish to fry.
Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-
