Re: Economist magazine points to decline of tech writing

Subject: Re: Economist magazine points to decline of tech writing
From: Daniel Friedman <daniel -dot- friedman42 -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: Robert Lauriston <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 2 Jan 2015 13:34:10 -0500

Seems like the main issue is it glosses over the more active roles of a
technical writer. Yes we "Maintain records and files of work and
revisions," but more in the sense that we recommend and implement the
systems (Subversion, for example) that automate these processes. It also
misses things like project management an analysis, which are both critical
skills for a technical writer to have in my opinion.

After a second read, I see what you're saying that the list is simplifying
the profession to the point where one could think you could automate the
whole process or make it redundant by passing the work to non-specialists
(engineers or developers).

On Fri, Jan 2, 2015 at 1:19 PM, Robert Lauriston <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com>
wrote:

> Ah, if you click the Details tab, you see where the academics got
> their garbage numbers:
>
> http://www.onetonline.org/link/details/27-3042.00
>
> The second-most-important item on the task list is "Maintain records
> and files of work and revisions," which at least for me was automated
> years ago.
>
> It reads like a job that's mostly editing other people's work with a
> lot of computerizable clerical activities. There were jobs like that
> during the dot-com boom but I think most of those people have been
> shaken out of the profession.
>
> On Fri, Jan 2, 2015 at 8:55 AM, Robert Lauriston <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com>
> wrote:
> > Here's the entry for technical writers from O*NET, which provided the
> > bulk of the data for the study's algorithm:
> >
> > http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/27-3042.00
> >
> > The Tasks section includes mostly things I never do ("arrange for
> > typing"?) and is missing the core tasks I spend most of my time on.
> >
> > Garbage in, garbage out.
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*Daniel Friedman*
*friedmantechpublications.com* <http://friedmantechpublications.com>
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References:
Economist magazine points to decline of tech writing: From: Lois Patterson
Re: Economist magazine points to decline of tech writing: From: Robert Lauriston
Re: Economist magazine points to decline of tech writing: From: Robert Lauriston

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