Re: Term "tech writing"

[Bev Parks <bparks -at- HUACHUCA-EMH1 -dot- ARMY -dot- MIL>]

 Matthew Schenker <Mattschenk -at- AOL -dot- COM> wrote--
   I hate the term "technical writing."  I always use the term "professional
   writing," not because it really matters to me, but because people hear the
   term "technical writing" and they think it's all about:

   Put screw (1) into hole (2).
   Place bracket (12) over holes (2) and tighten screw (2 and 3)

   When it's much more creative than that.
==============
So does this make you a "professional writer" instead of a
"technical writer"?

It's an interesting idea, but the problem with it that I see is
that you've taken yourself out of a specialized group and put
yourself into a more generalized group. For example, I would
consider all bestselling authors to be professional writers. But
few of them can call themselves technical writers.

Here's a spur-of-the-moment opinion: I can understand the
potential identity problem between the words "professional" and
"technical." Professional sounds white collar and technical
sounds blue collar.

I propose "technical communications specialist." How's that? ;-)

Or, to be more specific:
   Technical Communications Specialist (Writing)

(This format for job titles will look familiar to anyone who has
worked in the federal service.)

=*= Beverly Parks =*= bparks -at- huachuca-emh1 -dot- army -dot- mil =*=
 =*= "These opinions are mine, not my employer's." =*=
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