Re: Definition of Tech Writer, was STC is broken

[Ned Bedinger <doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com>]

Gene Kim-Eng wrote:
> For someone who believes that anyone with the title of
> "technical writer" can write about anything, maybe.  That's 
> why it's a bad idea to do anything to make the job title 
> any more generic than it already is.

The title carries the baggage pretty well. Some
of the extensions, like 'programmer-writer'
reflect an immediate need to distinguish a
species of tech writer who was in short supply and
high demand at a particular time, but it is also
an ongoing distinction where certain qualifications
are needed, so it has stuck.

Employers append the specific domain to the title
for recruiting purposes: "Avionics technical writer"
or ".NET technical writer." It is a versatile naming
system. I don't think we can be self-describing, though.
A dozen domains before "Tech Writer" on the business
card... I think that might be a source of unease for
the HR person accustomed to thinking just technical
writer.:-)

Ned Bedinger
doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com
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