Re: Tech-writing

[James Mathewson <math0038 -at- GOLD -dot- TC -dot- UMN -dot- EDU>]

Renee Cornelisen wrote:

> > The digest of July 26, 1995 included a post regarding a job for a senior
> > tech-writer at Novell, in Utah.  It required knowledge of C and the ability
> > to read and understand source code.  Is that something tech-writers do?

In my new job, I must learn C in order to explain the software to OEMs.
Typically, Those who write for firms that produce board-level products
have to translate code.  These firms design and produce their own boards
and write the software.  This ensures that the products are easy to
suppport. (BTW: any time one of your bosses asks you how much you think
you're worth, cite the decrease in customer support since you were hired.)

More and more tech writing is taking place at firms that don't see the
customer as an end user but, rather, as an OEM. This is because of the
growth of the PC market in industrial settings.  We're finding that OEMs
know less and less about PC architecture and source code, so we have to
bring our explanations down to their level.


This represents a shift in tech writing towards more technical background.

If I were writing a B.S. curriculum in Technical Communication,
I would include knowledge of C, or some similar language, a lot of physics,
some design work and the standard writing curriculum.  This way, new
graduate would have the experience they need to do more high-tech work.

Just my $0.06 worth.

james {:>l3

P.S I hope I didn't mend the following thread: "Whose a better tech
writer, an engineer who learns to write (rare but it's been known to
happen) or a writer who learns technical concepts?"

The answer is "That depends!" That is to say the question is
senseless -- it has no distinct answer or set of answers. It depends on
what you mean by 'better' and that depends on an indefinable variety of
factors.

Upshot: leave it alone.

another $0.02