So what do I mean by technical writing and software development, since there is obviously a connection if you’re documenting software? Well, think of it as architecture. Most architects are both scientists and artists in that they understand the physics of building materials and construction techniques as well as needing to express themselves aesthetically within the context of their client’s needs and desires. So, in a sense, technical writing is like architecture in that the writer must have the ability to understand technology – possibly by being or having been a programmer or engineer him or herself – but also be a wordsmith who can carefully craft language and often create illustrations that describe and demonstrate the technology to an audience ranging anywhere from other programmers who need to implement programming languages or binary compression algorithms to end users who simply need to know how to make their iPhones work.
There are many technical writers out there who really have no background in technology but have the ability to intuit, either naturally or by experience, how things work and to describe them clearly. I, personally, am in the set of people who have backgrounds in technology, having implemented graphical user interfaces, programming language parsers and binary compressions algorithms, whom happen to be, at the same time, English majors from places like Stanford where I took my original computer science courses. So I really do have – and I think there is a need for this without meaning to disparage all of the many fine technical writers who have no formal background in technology – the equivalent of a kind of degree in “technical writing architecture”, having carefully documented and specified virtually every program I have written since beginning my career as a software engineer. To that end, I would really like the opportunity to work with you and will be making regular posts on this general subject without (always) hawking my own services.
Thanks for reading!
Andy Schaub's Blog 
April 23, 2009 at 9:41 pm |
I think it is better for technical writing to have background in technology. On the other hand, there are many technical writers who don´t have such background and write well.
April 23, 2009 at 10:01 pm |
Yes, I definitely agree with that. I have known many fine technical writers with no formal background in technology. On the other hand, there are certain advantages to having software development backgrounds, such as the ability to read source code and to quickly grasp certain types of concepts. So I think it can go both ways. Thanks for commenting!