RE: "Surviving the Dying Career of Technical Writing"

[Erika Yanovich <ERIKA_y -at- rad -dot- com>]

Fascinating thread. 

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Sears & Roebuck used to sell, at least as far back as the 1920s, houses in kit form. Your deliverable was a truckload of components, all stamped with numbers, and a bound leather manual describing how to build the house.  What job title would you give to the person who composed that manual? I think "Technical Writer" fits the bill.  
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I think we all agree that technical writing was done, but it wasn't called technical writing and it was not done by people who were called technical writers at the time. Usually, definitions come some time after the "thing" exists. 


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On the other hand, I suppose that if one truly believes that tech writing began with Champline, then one believes that tech writing is -only- about software and technology systems. In that case, I suppose, the reason why it looks like the profession is dying is because...sorry to say this...for you, it probably is.   
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C'mon Rick, I don't know a single soul who believes that tech writing is -only- about software and technology systems. Do you?

Erika
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