FW: How can I be a technical writer?

["Anderson, Ben" <BAnderson -at- GFBANK -dot- COM>]

Gee, I miss him already...

>----------
>From:  Randal Brown[SMTP:contract5 -at- ARCTICMAIL -dot- COM]
>Sent:  Wednesday, April 29, 1998 9:43 AM
>To:    TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>Subject:       How can I be a technical writer?
>
>Want-to-beees:
>
>How can I be a technical writer?  I have no knowledge base.  I have my
>English degree but I don't really know a thing about anything technical.  I
>couldn't tell you the diff between a Dynamic Link Library and the Publick
>Library.  I am just like a lot of you out there in that respect.  With
>low-pay service work staring at me, I really desire to jump on the tech write
>bandwagon.
>
>I think that this concept of becoming a technical writer without a knowledge
>base is an invention of the 90s and a very tight job market for "decent"
>jobs.  Just look at some of the ads for technical writers in some of the old
>technical pubs from the 50s.  You will find that most ask for engineers and
>phycisists who can write, NOT writers who want to pretend that they know
>something technical.
>
>This deception makes me sick to my stomach.  I'm out of here, and on to what
>I hope will be a more honest form of earning a living.  Will the owner of
>this list please do whatever is necessary to cancel my account.  I don't know
>how!
>
>Randal
>
>
>
>