Technical writing for finance: one for the Friday files

[Gene Kim-Eng]

I would not argue with this being "technical communication," or
even "technical writing."  Finance and accounting procedures are
often as "technical" as any engineering project, and if you happen to
read journals in the field you will see positions posted for technical
writers with backgrounds and experience in accounting and
international finance, in much the same way that many positions
for technical writers in the semiconductor or biotech industries 
call for engineering or biology degrees.

I think the disconnect here is due to two factors:

1.  Confusing "technical" and "technology."

2.  Assuming that writing that requires specialized knowledge
     that is different from "technological" knowledge (and which 
     the average "technical writer" on this list is not qualified) must
     be some other kind of writing than "technical writing."

While I grumble about the idea that technical writiers can
somehow magically expand their "value" by doing the jobs 
of other people, such quality engineers, better than they do,
I think it would be a very good idea to try to draw people 
who do writing in any area that is complex and "technical" 
within any industry into the blanket definition of "technical 
writer."  We don't all have to write about the same kinds 
of "technical" subjects to be colleagues.

Gene Kim-Eng



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Beth Agnew" <Beth.Agnew at senecac.on.ca>
To: "'John Posada'" <jposada01 at yahoo.com>; <techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com>
Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 8:41 AM
Subject: RE: Technical writing for finance: one for the Friday files


> Yeah, I get that. I just wonder why this is not "technical communication"
> and if it's not, whose area of responsibility is it? Any old writer who
> happens along?
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Posada [mailto:jposada01 at yahoo.com] 
> Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 9:50 AM
> To: Beth Agnew; techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com
> Subject: RE: Technical writing for finance: one for the Friday files
> 
>> If 1 and 4 are not technical writing, what are they? Who does those
>> things, if not a technical writer trained to make the complex
>> understandable?
>> --Beth
> 
> Beth...I hate to say this, but we're not the only people in the world
> who know how to write.
> 
> 
> John Posada
> Senior Technical Writer
> 
> "They say everyone needs goals. Mine is to live forever.
> So far, so good."
> 
> 
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