Re: Challenges facing tech writers

[Scott Havens <SHavens -at- ELCOTEL -dot- COM>]

        I said:
>       <snip>
>               On the second  point, STC counts around 17,000 working
> technical
>       communicators among its members.  So how can anyone see it as
> something
>       _other than_ that "community"  that should be developing
> "criteria for
>       determining whether content is good or bad"?   IMO, STC is US,
> not a
>       group of "others."
>       </snip>
>
        Then John said:
>       How many of these 17,000 actually work in the technical writing
> community  OUTSIDE of academia?
>
>       I think that that the STC would become more useful and better
> known if their publications were more oriented to real world, working
> tech communicators rather than a publishing forum for grad students.
>
        I reply:

        Strange, in all my years in STC, most of the people I've met
_have not_ been academics.  They've been ordinary writers, editors,
illustrators... even <gasp> mid-level pubs and engineering managers.  I
agree that theoretical studies of the psychological impact of white
space and font selections sometimes DO seem like so much abstract
rubbish from the "publish or perish" crowd; however, I also recognize
that in order to have a credible and respected profession, SOMEONE has
to build a scientific basis on which it can stand and (hopefully)
improve itself.  I, too, favor practical articles that have immediate
applicability to the job I'm doing RIGHT NOW... but I'm glad those grad
students are out there, because my job skills sometime down the road may
depend on what they're thinking about today!

        SRH

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