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Scroll down the page and you will see a chart about the probability that
computerization will lead to job losses in the next two decades for
specific professions, including accounting, telemarketing, retail sales,
and technical writing. For telemarketing, this probability is 99%, and for
technical writing, 89%. I'm sure this doesn't say anything we don't already
know. The main question will be if new jobs open up that use traditional
tech writing skills. I appreciated that the Economist including technical
writing in its list, although I should point out that no specific
definition is given, so I can't be sure it fits the definition that "we"
have for the profession.
This coincides with a podcast on Tom Johnson's site which discusses
employment for technical writers, which basically suggests that outside of
programming documentation, and documentation for governmental agencies, the
outlook is rather bleak:
Lois
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