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.
> Maybe it's a profession that has grown so quickly,
> that to fill positions, we took less than qualified people with hopes that
> we could train then.
If so, that could explain why you've seen more bad writers than good. If
you take people who are not writers and try to make them writers (Ren &
Stimpy watchers: picture Stimpy slamming the Happy Helmet onto Ren's
head and saying "I will *make* him happy!") it can be very successful or
a total failure, depending on your commitment and ability to actually
*train* them instead of sitting them in front of a computer and saying
"OK, be a writer now." If these *potential* writers weren't adequately
prepared, it's not fair to point at them and say "See, I told you...
tech writers are useless."
Happy happy joy joy
Tracy
--
===========================================================
Tracy Boyington mailto:tracy_boyington -at- okvotech -dot- org
Oklahoma Dept. of Vocational & Technical Education
Curriculum & Instructional Materials Center
Stillwater, Oklahoma http://www.okvotech.org/cimc/
===========================================================