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> Someone mentioned to me offlist that tool-related STC meetings were
> the most popular.
Without a doubt.
> I have to agree. By far the biggest STC meeting attendance I've seen
> has been at tool-related, training-related meetings. I always thought
> this was because attendees expected 1) to come away with something
> immediately applicable to what they did 2) to be able to pad their
> resume and enhance their employment opportunities.
Without a doubt.
> But, I see a lot of folks on this list want less tool stuff.
Yup. That'd be me.
> Weird, because from my viewpoint, that would meen smaller STC
> meetings, less interest, and less activity ....
It's all about perspective. Right now no one knows WTF to think of our
profession or the techcomm industry, because no one's advocated the
core fundamentals of techcomm in ages.
The STC should not focus on tools. Tools are not static; they change
with the wind. 10 years ago people were gaga for RoboHelp; it was da
bomb of Help Authoring. Then came FrameMaker... oooooh almighty
FrameMaker! If only we could leverage you for online Help! And then
enter the conversion filters... Mif2Go, WWP, and woah, dood,
RoboHelp's back... oh, no, it's not... is it?
You see, tools are tools. When they get old or inappropriate or aren't
as shiny as the new tool your neighbor just got (Dremmel, anyone?)
they are discarded for something new.
Hey, how many people are gaga for XML? Show of hands... now, keep your
hands up if you were gaga for XML 2 years ago. Now 3 years ago. 5? And
10. Wow, it's like watching autumn in fast-forward.
Tools make up such a small aspect of what we do on a daily basis, yet
why so much weight on them? I mean, I can't speak for the rest of you
but on an average tech writing day I spend maybe 1 hour out of 8, if
that, actually writing something. The other 7 hours I'm talking with
developers and other project parties, gathering info, using the
product I'm documenting to figure things out, figuring out how to
craft the message to the audience, and other stuff.
So tools come in handy about an hour a day. Groovy. Now, all tools?
No, some tools, like WWP, I use for about 2 hours per project
requiring online help. 2 hours, in perhaps a project that takes 6
months to complete. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but I certainly
don't use it throughout the project. It's the last mile, to pump out
the delivered message.
So why the emphasis and draw to tools? Because they are godsends?
Because they're as effective on a resume as a classic Mustang
convertible is on the strip? Is it sex appeal? Or do we undervalue the
majority of our jobs? Or do the industries we work in care more about
throughput than quality? Or something else?
I dunno. I don't have those answers.
I don't think the STC should focus on tools. I think the STC needs to
focus on the core aspects of our profession... on technical
communication. Tools are to technical communication as a colon is to
the human body. Important, sure, but should it be a primary focus or
draw? Well, I don't think so.
The STC should focus on technical communication. On writing skills,
editing skills, etc. Focus on the message and how it's delivered! Let
someone else, with the STC's nod, focus on the means to delivery of
that message.
Am I off-base here? When did tools become more important than message?
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