TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
If you're referring to printed matter intended to provide
instructions for end users, has been for some time, superseded by
printed matter intended to provide legal CYA for product liability.
Consumer products that contain tech have largely moved to embedded
help.
Behind the scenes and "under the hood," tech writing is alive and
well. My current computer came with a single glossy "Getting Started"
card and a pile of safety notices, but when I went looking on the
manufacturer's website I was able to download the 70+ page service
manual, an old-fashioned "book" PDF complete with a cover and a TOC.
I'm presently working on a Preventive Maintenance manual for a
semiconductor fab tool. 600+ pages. The Operator Manual for the same
tool is 280+ pages.
One thing that does seem to be dead and buried everywhere I've been
for years now is indexing. With most docs going to PDF or web only
delivery, Acrobat search seems to have taken the place of an index for
a lot of documentation. I wonder how long it will be before the
bookmarks pane kills the TOC.
Gene Kim-Eng
On Mon, Oct 22, 2018 at 5:28 AM Peter Neilson <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net> wrote:
>
> Traditional tech writing is now fully obsolete
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Visit TechWhirl for the latest on content technology, content strategy and content development | https://techwhirl.com
