Discussion Provoker: Defining the Boundaries of Technical Writing

[Richard Feldman <rfeldman -at- CFSLC -dot- COM>]

Hi TECHWR-Lers,

    Today I sent Deborah R. a message, which is excerpted below.

<EXCERPT>

>Hi Deborah,
>
>    In contemplating writing my "How I got started in tech writing" story
[to add to the collection at the Website], I realized that I don't remember
seeing any citation or discussion of what defines the boundaries of
technical writing, either on TECHWR-L or on the Website.  The answer to
this question probably affects just how far back my roots as a technical
writer go.  I did a quick archive search but came up with a bunch of
irrelevant hits.  So, I have three questions: 1) Do you remember this topic
being discussed on TECHWR-L?  2) If so, did the discussion(s) have enough
form to make a reasonable addition to the Web site topics?  3) If so, would
you consider adding this topic to the Web site topics?

</EXCERPT>

     Deborah responded by encouraging me to post the question on the list,
summarize the responses, and forward the summary to her to add to the
topics section of the TECHWR-L Website.  So, I'm following up.

     I know of some types of writing that I would include and a bunch that
I wouldn't, but I know that there are a lot of gray areas.  The textbook
used by my wife the last time she taught tech writing at our local
community college gives the following definition:

"Technical writing is the communication of specific information to an
identified reader so that the reader's understanding matches the writer's
intention.  The writer's responsibility is to make the communication
accurate, clear, complete, conscise, well organized, and correct."

(from Lois Johnson Rew, _Introduction Technical Writing: Process &
Practice_.  New York, St. Martin's Press, 1993).

     Now, while I have no quarrel with the elements of this definition, it
seems so vague as to make our universe problematically huge; if we follow
the author and include (for example) the business letter entirely within
the technical writing realm, the particular occupations and preoccupations
of members of this list get completely lost in the resulting writing
forest.  If the members of the list were able to come up with a consensus
definition, I'm sure that it would be more restrictive than the definition
cited above.

     So, do any of you care to throw in any opinions of this for posterity?
 Can anyone point toward a past TECHWR-L discussion which cogently
developed this topic?

Richard


Richard Feldman, Technical Writer
Camber Flight Simulation LC
5550 Midway Park Place, Albuquerque, NM 87109  e-mail: rfeldman -at- cfslc -dot- com
PH: (505) 342-5369 FX: (505) 343-0766

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