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.
I have been a member of STC on and off for the past 12 years.
What have I gotten from that experience? A little information here and
there. Some networking opportunities.
What have I expected from the experience? Very little. A newsletter
and a professional publication are OK, but not exceptionally useful.
Why do I keep my membership? Because I think the STC is very good at
getting young writers involved in the profession and provided with basic
information about tech writing. I leave my copies of Intercom and TC
around the office for light reading. I will pay for any of my staff to
join STC if they wish (only 1 out of 8 has picked me up on the offer).
There was little in the way of resources for tech writing 20 years ago
when I started my career. Now most anything I want is online and can
be had for free or for the pain and suffering of asking dumb questions
on lists. (techwr-l is a great example) STC did not play a big part in
making these resources happen, but they played a (small) role in getting
the tech writing profession more professional.
If I could run the STC, would I make it do anything other than it is
doing? Yes, I would open up its membership by making it less corporate.
That includes lowering the cost of conventions, etc. I would try and
make a better space for contractors, which make up a large percentage of
the writer population.
On the other hand, I would not pursue certification.
I don't think that STC is so much better than the AMA or IEEE or any
other professional guild organization. However, I also believe that the
STC has a much harder constituency that other orgs. Herding cats comes
to mind. The variety of writing we undertake and the processes we use
make certification and its counterparts (adjudication and censuring)
somewhat impossible.
STC should be a communication forum for professionals. On the whole it
is. It is juried and if you have issues with the jury, then that seems
like a fine gripe.
Just my 02
w
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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.
