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.
> My point here is that is isn't enough to know how to write. It is also not
> enough to know how to take the computer apart. But both are necessary to do
> a good job. How can we tell people about technology if we don't understand
> that basics of using it ourselves? How can we know what is important to tell
> them about and what isn't when it is all a wonderful and exciting machine
> that we have no idea how to use effectively?
Ah, so you're assuming we *all* document computer hardware and software... many
of us don't write about computers at all, you know, and therefore don't need to
understand any more than how to use our own copy of Word or Frame or whatever
(though we're obviously much better off when we *do* know more) since we're not
explaining how to use this wonderful bit of technology to our readers. :-) So it
goes back to what Win said: we need to be able to learn fast (whether it's about
software or airplanes or viruses or whatever) and explain what we've learned.