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Subject:A Techwriter by any other name. . . From:Barry West <Barry_West -dot- S2K -at- S2KEXT -dot- S2K -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 28 Mar 1995 08:49:14 EDT
I still don't quite understand why anyone has a problem calling him or herself
a Techwriter. If that's what you do, that's what you do. What is the point in
trying to rename the profession something more than it actually is? It strikes
me that replacement terms haven't been all that successful in describing what a
Technical Writer does.
Communications Specialist to many people means a person skilled in some facet
of computer networking. Very often, it's a title assigned to someone who isn't
skilled in anything.
Professional Writer is too general and doesn't go very far in telling people
what you do. Robert Browning was a Professional Writer; so is the person who
writes for Hallmark. My degree is in Professional Writing, but that's only
because the Writing Department at Emerson offered a variety of concentrations
and needed an umbrella to house them under.
The one thing that separates Technical Writing from other kinds of writing is
its purpose, which is to convey facts about systems and processes. If that's
what you're doing, then that's what you are - a Techwriter. Naturally, if
you're doing other kinds of writing then you may need an umbrella such as
Professional Writer. But if you tell people you're a Professional Writer, don't
be surprised if they want to know when you next novel is coming out.
