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.
Yes, but research and writing is play! It's what many of us would do free if
we weren't getting paid for it!
This discussion seems to have taken on a life of it's own on my off day. My
original intent was to respond to a posting saying that the Ph.D. didn't add
much and may even detract from your marketability in Tech comm. My point was
that there are certain career choices in the field where it is necessary and
that one in particular, academia, was a valid choice in spite of the reduced
annual income.
Yes, I do research and yes I write, both for academic publication and as a
fiction writer. But I would do those things if I worked in industry too,
because I do them for fun (just as others would go fishing). Now, instead
of having that work relegated to nights and weekends, I have three days
during the week to do it. To me, that's worth the pay cut.
