knowing technology

Subject: knowing technology
From: "Cheverie, Paul [Cont]" <paul -dot- cheverie -at- CANADA -dot- CDEV -dot- COM>
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 1995 12:00:00 EDT

Paul,

Knowledge of the technologies that a tech writer is writing about is
PRETTY IMPORTANT.
But I think you asked the wrong question. The question you should be
asking is: "Is it necessary to have a technical background to document
highly technical information?"
It is CRITICAL that a technical writer have some technical background
to properly document sophisticated technologies. There is a logic common to
all technologies that a TW with a technical background will already have
intimite knowledge of that can be used as a basis for understanding a new
technology. (I'll exempt documenting software because I don't have the
experience or the knowledge base to take a position on it.) As an example -
if a technical writer has experience in hydraulics, that TW can use that
experience to understand electrics, which will lead to understanding
electronics, which can lead to understanding avionics, telecommunications,
computer hardware, etc.
I hope this helps.
Best Regards
Paul Cheverie
Email: paul -dot- cheverie -at- canada -dot- cdev -dot- com (work)
cheverip -at- cia -dot- com (home)


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