Re: Looking for Advice

["Megan E. McMacken" <mcmackme -at- FRC -dot- COM>]

>CHRIS AND JOE CUNDIFF <jcundiff -at- BELLSOUTH -dot- NET> wrote:
>Hi. I'm a technical communications major in Georgia. I am just beginning
>my "major " classes. I have to eventually take at least one programming
>language. I was interested on any thoughts to which would be the most
>advantageous to take for technical writing?

I graduated from a tech comm program in June and to this day I wish I had
had the time to take a programming language.  The developers I'm working
closely with are using Visual Basic 5.0, and I wish I knew VB.  It would
make it so much easier to understand the jargon they toss around in meetings
and things.  I've been here for more than seven months and I still feel like
I'm banging my head against the learning curve.  At times I'm not even sure
what questions to ask because I still don't know enough to know what I don't
know.  :)

So, be glad that your program requires you to take a programming language.
Learn the process behind developing a product using a programming language.
Learn about writing functional specs, design specs, and content specs.
Learn how to program in a language.  Understand about object-oriented
programming.  Learn the processes for doing code reviews and testing.  A
general understanding of all aspects of programming will be of benefit to
you no matter what programming language you end up learning.  Getting the
basics will make it easier for you to learn other programming languages (or
at least enough about them to write good documentation) as you go.


Megan E. McMacken
Electronic Documentation
FANUC Robotics North America, Inc.
email: megan -dot- mcmacken -at- fanucrobotics -dot- com

Megan E. McMacken
Electronic Documentation
FANUC Robotics North America, Inc.
email: megan -dot- mcmacken -at- fanucrobotics -dot- com