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Subject:Re: What do you think? From:Jennifer Jelinek <jlkraus -at- AMETEKWATER -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 18 Jul 1997 09:45:18 -0500
... the majority of technical
communication in the workplace is still paper-based and that many
students will be entering companies where they could certainly get by
with little more than basic word processing skills. Second, these
instructors argue that their courses are intended to teach technical
communication, not computer literacy
Are these people from the University of Mars? I understand their underlying concern...that computer proficiency cannot take the place of a solid foundation of technical communication skills...but it shows how long these people have been out of the trenches to think most tech communicators can get buy with word processing skills. I don't work in the computer industry, and I STILL generate everything via computer, using a variety of programs. I have web publishing, document design, rudimentary graphics and "traditional" tech writing skills, and I feel under-qualified as a tech writer because I don't have any online help experience or programming knowledge.
"Computers and networks are, as Dale Spender (1995) notes, an
environment of privilege-created by privileged white men and used
mostly by them-and those environments are quite often forbidding to
women and people from disadvantaged groups."
No more forbidding than any other business-related profession, I would think...in fact, I would think less forbidding, since those truly knowledgeable about computers/networks are in such demand. But beyond that...what a terrible thing to say in a college textbook! Universities aren't supposed to enforce status-quo boundaries, they're supposed to encourage them to be broken.
Sounds like these author/professors need a good dose of reality...and maybe a revocation of tenure. I don't think this is indicative of most tech writing programs today (at least undergrad). My program, while under the English department umbrella, required at least 2 computer science/MIS courses, as well as offering electronic doc design courses and HTML/web publishing courses. While not as technical as some BS Tech Writing programs, I thought it did a great job of emphasizing traditional tech writing skills while incorporating computers and new media. I can't imagine our tech writing department supervisor giving this book a second glance after reading the intro.
Jennifer Jelinek
jlkraus -at- ametekwater -dot- com
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