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.
> To do it well there is a specific body of knowledge, complemented
> by a huge variety of areas of expertise:
True, but that body of knowledge is the body of knowledge that should be
common to every educated person. And none of those complementary areas of
expertise are common to all technical writers.
> Audience analysis
Know who you are talking to -- a skill proper to every educated person.
> Oral Communication skills
Every educated person
> Written Communications skills
Every educated person
> Design and visual arts
Not all technical writers
> Persuasion
Every educated person
> Training and User Support
Not all technical writers
> EPPS
Don't know what that is, so I suspect not all technical writers
> Negotiation for Information
Every educated person
> Information Analysis
Every educated person
Look, an occupation is not inherently inferior to a profession. The
distinction is a practical one, not one of degree. Most of us work in
occupations, some of them challenging, some of them less so. People who work
in professions require a specific body of knowledge that applies only to
their profession. This changes how they are trained and qualified. It does
not change their worth as human beings, nor does it necessarily confer
greater social status or financial reward. It is simply a characteristic of
the type of work they do.
It is ridiculous to try to promote an ordinary occupation to a profession
simply in an attempt to increase your own status. Either there is a
substantial body of specialized knowledge or there isn't. If there is, you
have a profession. If not, you don't. And in the case of technical
communication, we don't.
---
Mark Baker
Senior Technical Writer
Stilo Corporation
1900 City Park Drive, Suite 504 , Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1J 1A3
Phone: 613-745-4242, Fax: 613-745-5560
Email mbaker -at- ca -dot- stilo -dot- com
Web: http://www.stilo.com
This message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the
intended recipient and may contain confidential and privileged
information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, copying, or
distribution is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended
recipient please contact the sender by reply email and destroy
all copies of the original message and any attachments.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Purchase RoboHelp X3 in April and receive a $100 mail-in
rebate, plus FREE RoboScreenCapture and WebHelp Merge Module.
Order here: http://www.ehelp.com/products/robohelp/
Help celebrate TECHWR-L's 10th Anniversary starting this month!
Check out the contests at http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/special/contests/
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday TECHWR-L....
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
