RE: What do you guys think of STCs new definition for technicalwriter?

["Bonnie Granat" <bgranat -at- granatedit -dot- com>]

What I meant was looking at how the BLS or other federal government agencies
handles occupation descriptions.  That's what the definition is for.

If I agreed with the premise of this endeavor, I'd help you, but my brain
does not recognize "technical communicator" as a meaningful job title.

----------
<begin highly offensive and outlandish "rant">
"It's very nice to meet you, Ben. Tell me, what line of work are you in?"

"I'm a technical communicator, Joe. And you?"

"I'm a financial advisor... now what did you say you did, again?"

"I'm a technical communicator."

"I see. So, what is it exactly that you do?"

"I work as a technical communicator -- I communicate technical things."

"You are a courier for an engineering company? You communicate technical
messages from person to person? <laughs> Is that like 'sanitary engineer'?
Please forgive me, Ben -- I'm really sorry....."

"Not exactly... it's more like what they used to call 'technical writer' a
while back."

"Hah! A 'technical writer'? Why didn't you say so?"

"Well, a bunch of people who snookered a bunch of other people snookered the
government into changing the name of the occupation, and I can't work unless
I use their ! -at- #$%^& lingo."

</end rant>
Bonnie Granat
http://www.GranatEdit.com
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mike Starr [mailto:mikestarr-techwr-l -at- writestarr -dot- com] 
> Sent: Saturday, May 24, 2008 11:07 AM
> To: Bonnie Granat
> Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Re: What do you guys think of STCs new definition 
> for technicalwriter?
> 
> Responses inline below...
> 
> Mike
> -- 
> Mike Starr                            WriteStarr Information Services
> Technical Writer  -  Online Help Developer  -   Technical Illustrator
> Graphic Designer    -    Desktop Publisher   -       MS Office Expert
> (262)  694-1028  -  mike -at- writestarr -dot- com  -  http://www.writestarr.com
> 
> Bonnie Granat wrote:
> > Mike,
> > 
> > You are right. Sorry about that. Here are some quick (very 
> quick) reactions:
> > 
> > I still don't like the "that are clear..." The definition should 
> > describe what is done, not the ideal quality of the result.
> 
> While I agree in theory with your point here, this is 
> ultimately a marketing piece as well and including "that are 
> clear..." points to a value that a professional communicator adds.
> > 
> > I don't like "deliverables" -- the reader of this may not 
> be familiar 
> > with the word and "documents" is better, I think.
> 
> I wrestled with this one as well. However I deliberately used 
> "deliverables" even though it's not a fully mainstream term 
> for two reasons:
> 
> 1. much of what we create are not what's typically thought of 
> a document. The general public (the audience for this 
> definition) would tend to think of documents as something 
> that is printed/printable. Deliverables encompasses non-print 
> "documents" as well.
> 
> 2. Even though "deliverables" isn't fully mainstream, most 
> readers should be able to grasp the concept because the term 
> points in the direction of what it means.
> 
> > 
> > How about "...work in business, industry, and government..."
> > 
> > No need for "around the world," which these days goes 
> without saying.
> 
> Another thing I wrestled with but as this definition is 
> targeted at being promoted by STC, I included "around the 
> world" as a nod to the many STC members who are not in the US 
> but who have felt slighted by what they see as a US-centric 
> focus of STC.
> 
> > 
> > Comma is mandatory before "including."
> 
> You're right... my mistake.
> 
> > 
> > I don't like "...a variety of methods, tools, and technologies 
> > including writing, illustration, graphic design, 
> photography, video, 
> > and sound" for some reason, and it may be the "methods, tools, and 
> > technologies" that bothers me. Perhaps it's that at least 
> one method, 
> > tool, and technology should be used in the list that 
> follows "including." I don't think that "
> > "...a variety of methods, tools, and technologies" adds anything 
> > helpful to the sentence. Is writing a method or a tool or a 
> > technology? I don't think it's either! Same for all the others; one 
> > could ask the question about tool, too. Is video a tool? A method?
> 
> I'd welcome suggestions for an improvement on the sentence 
> but that was the best I could come up with; writing may not 
> necessarily be a method, tool or technology but one of the 
> things that got me started on this was that the original 
> definition proposed by STC *did not* include any reference at 
> all to writing. As far as strict, literalist interpretations 
> of the terminology goes, you're right... they're not exact 
> fits but it was the best I could come up with to include some 
> reference to the ways we go about doing what we do.
> 
> > 
> > I think that the definition needs to include something about the 
> > purpose of the work that such a person does. I've seen excellent 
> > definitions of technical communication online and elsewhere that 
> > address this. If I tried to come up with my own statement, I know I 
> > would consult those first. ; )
> 
> Don't know if I agree... I think the first two sentences, 
> read together, express that concept. However, if you can 
> suggest an improvement, I'd certainly welcome it.
> 
> > 
> > Your version is definitely an improvement, Mike, but you know me -- 
> > picky, picky, picky.
> > 
> > If I were seriously involved in drafting a definition, I 
> would study 
> > existing definitions of other occupations that are used by the 
> > publication or entity in question and approach the task after 
> > analyzing other definitions for their elements, content, 
> and so forth.
> 
> I think the original definition as proposed by STC did a 
> little too much studying of existing definitions and as a 
> result ended up sounding like corporate-speak gobbledy gook. 
> My objective was to come up with something that explains as 
> well as possible what we do without lapsing into buzzword 
> bingo. I regret using the term "deliverables" because of that 
> but didn't feel "documents" completely captured the concept 
> of what sort of things we create.
> 
> > 
> > Bonnie Granat
> > http://www.GranatEdit.com
> >  
> > 
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Mike Starr [mailto:mikestarr-techwr-l -at- writestarr -dot- com]
> >> Sent: Saturday, May 24, 2008 9:31 AM
> >> To: Bonnie Granat
> >> Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> >> Subject: Re: What do you guys think of STCs new definition for 
> >> technicalwriter?
> >>
> >> Ah, you replied to my message but didn't comment on my rewrite of 
> >> what Sean started. You commented on Sean's original. I think my 
> >> rewrite handles most of your concerns.
> >> My rewrite was:
> >>
> >> Technical communicators create a variety of print and online 
> >> documents that are clear, concise, comprehensive, 
> accurate, correct, 
> >> accessible, and professional. Typical deliverables include 
> manuals, 
> >> online documentation, proposals, policies and procedures, and 
> >> websites. Technical communicators work in all types of 
> businesses and 
> >> industries around the world and use a variety of methods, 
> tools, and 
> >> technologies including writing, illustration, graphic design, 
> >> photography, video, and sound.
> 


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