Re: Post on Technical Writing vs. Technical Communication

Subject: Re: Post on Technical Writing vs. Technical Communication
From: "Peter Neilson" <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net>
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:34:49 -0400

<curmudgeon-mode>
I see the job listings referring to "skills," a term I used to associate with "how to use a circular saw without removing your fingers."

Technical writers are supposed to do something very much like newswriters, which is to produce written material that people actually want read and understand. The profession of writing is intellectual, and as such often pays poorly. I know a sports writer who tends bar so he can afford to write news stories.

"Technical communicator" to my mind suggests an attempt to inflate the title in the hopes of getting around the HR person who has defined technical writer as, "Typist, pay grade 3.2."

My lack of the "skill" of using proprietary "communications" software that I can ill afford to buy has kept me out of shops that require it for interviews. Perhaps the requirement is good for filtering out those who have not recently graduated from a Tech Comm course. They'll instead get younger people who cannot write but are cheaper, and often adequate if nobody's going to read the stuff anyway. Or if it's videos they're making, the viewer can safely sleep through the presentation. I've watched required HR video courses at various jobs. Not a one of them was useful in any way. Not one. Some Camtasia how-to videos and sales videos are good. Only some.
</curmudgeon-mode>

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Follow-Ups:

References:
Post on Technical Writing vs. Technical Communication: From: Cardimon, Craig
RE: Post on Technical Writing vs. Technical Communication: From: Dan Goldstein
RE: Post on Technical Writing vs. Technical Communication: From: Cardimon, Craig
Re: Post on Technical Writing vs. Technical Communication: From: Gene Kim-Eng
RE: Post on Technical Writing vs. Technical Communication: From: Cardimon, Craig
Re: Post on Technical Writing vs. Technical Communication: From: Richard L Hamilton

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