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.
Dick Dimock observed that since degree programs are available, we tech
communicators don't need certification.
I won't argue that we NEED certification, cause that's an entirely different
matter, but if we DO, a degree program won't cut it for me.
In an earlier life, I earned a Ph.D. in textual (NOT technical) editing and
Southern literature. Don't ask me WHY I slogged through 5 years of graduate
school at slave wages in a field where there are maybe two job openings a
year. Maybe I have a small masochistic streak. But I did it, and I learned a
lot about how to learn (which has served me quite well in everything I've
undertaken since), and I was really interested in the subject.
In the meantime, I've logged 7 years as a full-time teacher of technical,
business, and expository writing, and another 11 years as a full-time
technical communication practitioner.
The last thing I want--or need--to do is earn another degree. If we in this
field decide that certification is a desirable thing, I want an alternative
to a degree in technical communication. A certification program would provide
that alternative.
