Anti-Tech Writer, huh? People have asked, "Are you really anti-tech writer?" And the answer is yes, but ...
... only because the role of the traditional tech writer has become so altered that it's hardly recognizible. In the new millenium the whole idea of technical writing has not only changed, but it continues to morph as we navigate through the constant and rapidly changing world of technology we inhabit. That doesn't mean we can throw out our old tech writer skiils. As a matter of fact this site relies on tech writing skills that were hard won over many years in the software wars. On the contrary, those very skills are a necessary platform on which to build a newer, more flexible set of skills. It used to be that the greatest skills a technical communicator could have were a mastery of the language and the ability to convey complex ideas in a simple way. Now, those skills are just the price of entry. The greatest skill a techincal communicator can have these days is the ability to learn new user assistance strategies and delivery methods as they continue to emerge.
The truth is, someone with good tech writing skills and experience can take the most obscure topic and render it completely simple and transparent. In our modern forms of corporate communication across the internet and through the use of things like Customer Support forums, YouTube videos, Facebook and MySpace accounts, Twitter updates, and so on, tech writer skills can quickly be adapted to new and different media.
It just takes a little imagination on the part of employers to see new horizons for their technical communicators and for tech writers to meet the challege of communicating in ways they may not have thought of before.
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