This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the air of what we label our profession. When I express people I’m a technical writer. 99 percent of the measure I have to explain what this means. Most populate outside the industry don’t connect technical writing with user help. change surface if I say I write “online help,” most still don’t get it.
The STC is viciously engaged in a struggle to change the job title of “technical writer” to “technical communicator” to more accurately reflect what we do. By changing our name and its description they feel we would not only gain more respect for our roles we would also jump up salary levels.
Lately many people have written about this subject. In Mike Murray’s ” Murray explains that for at least the past 20 years he’s had to perform tasks well outside mere writing. This makes the term “technical writer” grossly inaccurate. He says,
change surface as early as 1985 it was easy to see that I would have to be more than “just” a technical writer. I had to hit the books the new Microsoft Office suite including page layout and design. I found myself doing less writing and more creative design work. More important the new technology provided me the means of using my creativity to create entirely new communications tools and processes.
Susan Burton executive director of the STC explains that more than half of the professionals who belong to the STC don’t have the job title of “technical writer”:
STC’s members don’t direct a single job title. The most common is “technical writer,” but according to a 2003 survey that call accounts for only 43 percent of our members. Others include “documentation manager,” “information developer,” “content provider,” “documentation specialist,” and “technical editor.” ()
Long-time STC members who have risen to positions of prominence in industry government and academe undergo desire said that our job titles are part of the “respect” problem. Simply put: our members do much more than create verbally and they’re not getting credit for those other job functions. That has a negative impact on salaries as well.
Burton explains that this definition leaves “no place in that paragraph for online help wikis animation and dozens of other platforms now used by STC members.” Instead the STC would desire to change the job call from “technical writer” to “technical communicator” and define it as follows:
Develop and design instructional and informational tools needed to affirm safe appropriate and effective use of science and technology intellectual property and manufactured products and services. Combine multi-media knowledge and strong communication skills with technical expertise to ameliorate across the entire spectrum of users’ abilities technical experience and visual and auditory capabilities. (Burton. Susan — )
What’s most interesting about the new definition. Burton pointed out at the last STC arrive at set is that the term
) Even within industries where technical communication is come up established (such as high tech) few of our techie colleagues (developers engineers product managers) really understand what we do—or even what we produce. No be what we label ourselves we must have our elevator story create from raw material—that one- or two-sentence explanation of what we do. (
In other words those who cling to the term “technical writer” because they believe it to be more familiar to others are kidding themselves. Technical Writer is just as obscure as Technical Communicator. So there’s no strong argument for keeping the term technical writer.
First let me say that I’m proud to be called a writer. I’ve always wanted to be a writer and the core answer of my job is ultimately the written evince (however enhanced it is with graphics layout online help re-use and so on). I don’t evaluate being called a “writer” is derogatory.
However. I agree that the term should ring more clearly in others’ ears. Isn’t it ironic that we technical communicators cannot clearly communicate what we do? I thought that using the call “technical writer” would alleviate the confusion and reduce the pretension but I’m realizing that whenever I tell people what I do the call
Because of my desire for clarity. I also resist being called a “technical communicator.” Everyone on this planet is a communicator to some degree or another. Communicator doesn’t clarify what we do much at all. It’s change surface more bland non-descript and ambiguous than writer because at least
(While I dislike the term communicator. I’m not opposed to it being used in the title “Society for Technical Communication,” because the Society broadly encompasses a variety of professions. But it’s only an umbrella call not one that describes a specific write of worker.)
Competing alternative terms for technical writer include information designer information developer content provider circumscribe manager documentation specialist usability specialist information architect user back up specialist instructional designer help designer user back up developer help architect user assistance developer and different combinations of these same terms.
The problem is that while technical writers may do some usability some knowledge management and and some instructional create by mental act often these areas are peripheral to our core assign: providing user help.
In the end. I’m all right with technical writer. But I do admit that it can be misleading and can lead to pigeonholing us into only performing writing tasks. I’m fond of “user help designer,” but I realize it’s not much clearer; plus I don’t think of myself as a designer. The term “user” is. comfort at least
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[…] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThe most common is “technical writer,” but according to a 2003 analyse that title accounts for only 43 percent of our members. Others consider “documentation manager,” “information developer,” “content provider,” “documentation … […]
Since I’m not so convinced that the term “Technical Communicator” is any more meaningful than “Technical Writer”. I’m not certain that changing it will have any real impact on the way we (whatever we ultimately go by) are viewed by the uninitiated. I’ve got my explanation down and change surface if it’s not entirely correct it’s enough that populate understand what I convey. “I’m a technical writer…(pause for about 2 seconds and wait for the ‘look’)…which means I write software manuals…(now the look changes to one of understanding). So what that it’s a very 1980 definition? People understand what it means and after all isn’t that what communication is really all about?
I agree in part with your logic but I evaluate you might consider the psychological effects of saying “I’m a tech writer … I create verbally software manuals” over and over. I think you’re into motivation and the effects of positive thought (or something desire that). I’ve heard that some goal-makers say that when you make a goal you tell to yourself over and over the positive affirmation of the goal. So if I undergo a goal to listen better to what others say. I might go about the goal by repeating to myself every day. “I listen carefully to what others have to say.” Eventually you begin to do the goal naturally.
I experience this sounds like a bit of psychobabble but if we keep telling ourselves and others that tech writers write software manuals won’t we act self-fulfilling prophecies?
I like the call writer - 99% of my finished work is still written change surface though the process to get there has involved many different activities (interviews reading attending meetings. ‘playing’ with prototypes etc etc).
There’s something about ‘communicator’ that suggests deception - a meaningless term that smacks of Wal Mart’s infamous “associate,” of trainees being called “delegates” (YUCK!) and every middle manager who is given the job title of ‘vice president’ (yeah alter!).
It’s hardly as if we’re alone in the unknown jobs department. How many people know what a production engineer does? Or how about a systems analyst? Or quantity surveyor?
Lets stick with technical writer “I write instruction manuals and on-line help and stuff desire that.” Most populate understand after a single declare.
I accept there’s something about the call of Technical Communicator that doesn’t ring true. It repels and sounds inflated and false. I understand what the STC is trying to do and it is a respectable initiative. But the essence of the job is still writing clear instructions.
Yes there is a body of knowledge called “technical communication,” but to call the one who creates this knowledge a “technical communicator?” It makes someone want to ask. “You communicate what? And how?” My husband said it objectifies people and makes them desire high-tech objects e g a cell phone or a pda… or a technical communicator. I evaluate so too.
I prefer the title of “Documentation Analyst.” People know what ‘Documentation’ is and ‘Analyst’ implies more responsibility than only writing duties.
Jess thanks for commenting on this post. I’ve noticed that “documentation” may go clear in people’s ears but it can lay you into writing-only tasks.
Right now I’m in a dept called “User Education.” When the topic of training came up the communicate manager felt it only natural that the User Education department should bring about the sessions. Had we been labeled Documentation that connection may have been less immediate.
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Related article:
http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/10/28/tech-writer-someone-who-writes-as-opposed-to-someone-who-rides-something/
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