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Re: Younger tech writers?

Subject: Re: Younger tech writers?
From: Su-Lyn <shirikit -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:26:42 -0500

As a new tech writer (with a degree in it and everything!), I decided to
join the field because I thought that a majority of manuals and
documentation that I'd read had. . . significant room to improve. I was one
of the people who looked at the manual--written in Chinese and then
'translated' by Babelfish--and said, "They PAY people to do that?"

-- Su-Lyn

On 1/23/07, Chris McQueen <chrism -at- docutechcorp -dot- com> wrote:


Nancy:

Yes, there are young tech writers, they just don't know it yet. I'm 26,
which I consider young for this industry. But, I don't think you should
look for people like me to be the upcoming generation. I think the new
generation is a more sophisticated group that needs a change and wants
more control over their schedule, environment, and income.

The problem seems to be that people look at deliverables (computers,
homes, stores, etc.) and say, "I want to do that." Which equates to
getting a degree in Computer Science, Construction Management, or
Business Management. Honestly, few look at the manual to their vacuum
or software and say, "Wow, that looks like fun."

Most of a tech writer's work is not accessible to the public. There's
no deliverable to enchant a young mind. People in college want an
exciting environment with an obvious deliverable. I still do. Many of
us fall into the profession because we like to write and we know
something. So, if we're interested in recruiting a new generation we
can market our deliverables such that they are interesting and
attractive to the public (don't ask me how you do that, sounds tough).
Or, we market our deliverables to the professionals that already 'know
something' and want to tell people what that 'something' is or make that
'something' easier to use.

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Follow-Ups:

References:
Younger tech writers?: From: Nancy Allison
RE: Younger tech writers?: From: Chris McQueen

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