Re: Techwriting after the boom

["Michael West" <mbwest -at- removebigpond -dot- net -dot- au>]

> The 90s  .... saw the rise of the SME (Subject Matter Expert)
> as a concept.


O jeez, here we go again.

No doubt you will counter with your own novel
explanation of what you mean by "the rise of" --
but the specialization of the SME role and the editorial
role in the creation of instructional material, procedure
guides, and related matter goes back a hell of a lot farther
 than 1990. How far would you care to go? 1890? 1790?
1690?

Writing/editing/publication design/teaching have all been
occupational specialties for centuries. Why? Because it takes
a lifetime to learn to do them well. And because people
who spend their lives mastering a technical field are not
likely to be masters of writing/editing/publication design/
teaching at the same time -- though we can all think of
notable exceptions.

And -- please tell us, we've been dying to know --
WHO told technical writers "that they didn't need to possess
good tech skills"? Can you cite ONE reputable source for
that assertion? Or is it another case of those voices one
hears in one's head -- the voices that say "ignorance is an
asset", "the sky is falling", and "Luke, come over to the
dark side"?
--
Michael West
Melbourne, Australia






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