TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Best conference if you get only one? From:Andrew Plato <intrepid_es -at- YAHOO -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 18 Dec 1998 10:08:06 -0800
---Lani Hardage <Lani -at- MDLI -dot- COM> wrote:
>
> If can go to only one a year, and you're doing mainly online help,
which
> conference do you recommend?
Ideally, you should go to a conference regarding the technologies you
are documenting.
For example, if you are writing about a database application that uses
Oracle System 8 and Designer 2000 (now Designer 2.1), you should go to
an Oracle conference.
Regardless of how many zillions of hours you take to learn a tool or
technique, all that training is utterly useless if you do not
understand the technology you are documenting. Content is ALWAYS more
important than technique.
A plumber with the best tools in the world is a complete failure if he
cannot fix a toilet. Hence, a writer with excellent tools and
training is a complete failure if he/she cannot write intelligent
documents.
So, before you sign up for "Help Writers 99" or "Franz
Nubbiesplacker's Annual TechComm GladHandle" - why not take a class in
Java, SQL, C++, or something pertaining to the technologies you are
required to document.
...................................
Andrew Plato
President / Principal Consultant
Anitian Consulting, Inc.
www.anitian.com
...................................
_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com