RE: Famous Technical Writers?

[John Garison <jgarison -at- ide -dot- com>]

I can tell you who the FIRST software technical writer was (is): Joe
Chapline.

Joe worked for Eckert and Mauchley back in the 40s, and he was the first
person ever employed just to document the way a software operating system
worked. I had the pleasure of inviting him to speak at an InterChange
conference in the Boston area a few years ago, and he was fascinating. I
even held his copy of that first manual - and it could pass muster today!

One other possible candidate (with a stretch):
Julius Caesar - some of his military treatises are very technical



John Garison
Documentation Manager
Integrated Development Enterprise, Inc.
150 Baker Avenue Extension
Concord  MA  01742-2174

978.402.2907 Voice (new!)
978.318.9376  Fax

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Hartzer [mailto:BHartzer -at- cha-systems -dot- com]
Sent: Monday, November 15, 1999 12:59 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Famous Technical Writers?


Hi all,

A recent discussion among technical writers at my company brought up the
following topic:

Are there any famous technical writers?
Has anyone ever become famous by being a technical writer?

Right now, the only "famous" technical writer I can think of would be 
Joanne Hackos, who, in my book, has become "famous" by writing great
technical writing books.  But that's only my opinion.

The technical writing industry has been around for a while, but is still
considered
by some to be "new."  I know there are famous scientists, famous
pediatricians,
and famous football players, but is the technical writing industry 'big"
enough yet
so that we've created famous technical writers? Has our industry created any
famous people?

If you're subscribed to this list, and you ARE a famous technical writer,
has anyone
ever asked you for your autograph?

Cordially, 
Bill Hartzer