This too is technical communication

[Beth Agnew]

I've always had a very broad and generous view of what can be technical
communication. Taking my cue from the venerable Geoff Hart, I venture to say
that writing for government, in all its guises, is also best done by
technical communicators. 

Any time you have to provide information that helps a user answer a
question, solve a problem, or perform a task, I think that it technical
communication.

Wouldn't life be better if those putting out such information actually used
technical communicators to produce it? This is where I think the STC needs
to start outreach -- publicizing what we do and how we can improve all sorts
of communication, including marketing, financial, and institutional.

--Beth

Beth Agnew
Professor, Technical Communication
Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology
416-491-5050 x3133

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+beth.agnew=senecac.on.ca at lists.techwr-l.com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+beth.agnew=senecac.on.ca at lists.techwr-l.com] On
Behalf Of Geoff Hart
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 10:44 AM

In any event, I'm afraid I must dispute your point. "Technical" has  
its roots in the Greek word "techne", which means an "art"; more  
recently (i.e., since the 20th century?), "technical" has taken on  
the meaning of writing in any discipline that has its own  
standardized jargon. So yes, financial marketing prose is technical  
communication... just not necessarily a form we're all familiar with  
or would approve of.