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Subject:Re: TW's in Massachussetts... From:Thom Randolph <thom -at- HALCYON -dot- COM> Date:Sat, 14 Aug 1999 00:09:55 -0700
Caution: Flame-retardant notice
These are my opinions. If someone decides they have
different opinions, they are probably correct, and
I am probably wrong. I immediately apologize for all
my statements that you do not agree with, and waive
any claim to all ideas you thought of first. There
is no need to reply in haste or anger, because you
are right. And, I apologize for wasting bandwidth
with this disclaimer.
Deborah:
At 02:11 AM 8/14/99 -0400, Deborah Crossman wrote:
>
>What would you say are the areas/industries most arduously seeking
Technical
>Writers right now? Please be as specific as possible, especially within
the
>computer/software industries.
>
For software:
I'd have to say "anything Internet". That especially
includes server products: Web servers, Application
servers, streaming media, e-commerce products and
services, and all those nifty directory services.
End-user documentation and developer documentation
writers are all needed, since most of those server
products are intended to be programmed.
Also prevalent and upcoming in the software world
are development tools for alternative (non-PC)
platforms, such as WindowsCE, PalmOS, Embedded Java,
Embedded Windows NT, Set-top-boxes, Cellular phones,
etc. Those include SDKs, huge books on arcane subjects,
and smaller projects with the software tool / utility /
component vendors.
The users of those alternative-platform development
tools are programmers, who will eventually need writers
to document their next great application. Right now
those companies are often small start-ups, but in
about two years, there will be more activity in end-
user documentation for alternative-platform applications.
Those are the high profile ones. As we all know, there
is that 9/10's of the iceberg that is below the water's
surface: internal corporate documentation. The Web,
Intranet, e-commerce, and virtual-private-network
technologies that were announced three months to a year
ago are now finding homes. The companies that bought
them are in the middle of their designs for the internal
business applications that will use those shiny new
technologies. That translates to documentation of custom
applications in supply chain management, data center
operations, and Internal user documentation for workflow
and business process automation applications.
In hardware:
Okay, I have to say it again: "anything Internet". That
means all the routers and switches and DSL and telecomm
gear. There has been a flurry of activity in the home
automation and home networking world of late, with a
lot of product announcements. That's an area that will
likely grow slowly at first and then get going well in
about 3-5 years. And, there is always a shortage or
people to write application notes for those new chips
they keep designing. But, that is one TINY niche.
Well, enough of the enumeration. The best place to find
these things is to check out the products announced
at the industry trade shows. The best place to find
information about the shows is to go to the Web sites
of the companies that put them on and promote them:
Of course, that's by no means exhaustive; just the
ones that came to mind.
Each of those companies publish several to many industry
trade journals, in which vendors advertise and announce
their new products. Product announcements in those are
fertile ground indeed. In general, look more toward the
industry trade press rather than the retail magazines.
The products in the retail magazines are nearly ready for
delivery, and so will likely be very far along. The trade
press, however, tends to dig up the early research, the
interesting rumors, the early looks at upcoming technology
between strident competitors.
The industry standards organizations also typically
put on shows with exhibitors and product announcements.
The IEEE, the ACM, and many others can give you more
information.
Actually, Deborah, here's the reward for reading this
far: almost everybody is looking for writers that are
familiar with whatever technology the company has
invented. I can't think of a single company that's
advertised "we have enough writers; please do not
send your resume". Well, except maybe for Iridium
(cf today's Chapter-11 bankruptcy filing).
You know what they say: "If you give someone a fish,
they'll have food for a day; if you teach someone to
fish, they'll be able to feed themselves." So, now
you can fish. Best of luck in your searches.
