Definition of Tech Writer, was STC is broken

[Michael West]

Ned Bedinger wrote:

> Bill Swallow wrote:

> > I disagree. Software of any kind has one purpose, and that is to
> > communicate information to the user. Whether the coding goes into the
> > UI or the back end, it's all serving communication of information.
> > 
> 
> ...and is fair game as a documentation assignment, for a qualified 
> technical writer.

As subject matter, yes, of course. But I thought Bill meant to suggest 
that technical communicators should have influence in the design and 
construction of the non-visible components.

> Funny how generalizing about us as communicators seems like static to 
> me, but generalizing the function of a system as communication is like 
> music to my ears.

Machine-to-human communications is one of a system's functions, certainly. 
But not the only one.