The August 2006 Technicalities Newsletter is now online! Thanks Michelle for all your hard work on the newsletter.

You can view it here.

Chad Beery
STC Four Lakes webmaster

On Kathy Sierra's Creating Passionate Users Blog, she wonders why it is that big budgets are spent on marketing to the customer up front, but not much is spent on marketing to existing customers via user manuals. It's a very valid question, and one technical writers have wondered for years.

However, the comments lead me to believe that some of the blame is being placed on technical writers, who just plain don't have the skill to design, write, and edit at the same time. But as I mentioned in my comments there, there certainly are a lot of assumptions flying around about what technical writers can do. It certainly seems like those in marketing communications professions somehow fancy themselves as more professional, and just plain better than a "technical writer with FrameMaker." But let's face facts. Techical Writers should be:

1. Advocates for the user

2. Skilled enough to add useful design elements

3. Able to convey complex user information in an easy to read way

If they're not doing this, you don't have the correct Technical Writer in place.
My educational background is in tech writing, and I currently work in marketing communications. These jobs aren't as different as some are trying to make them.

And check out Darren Barefoot's opposing view on his blog.

Technical Writer makes list of ten surprising six-figure jobs

So, I had a friend of mine email me today asking how it is that I make six figures as a technical writer. I laughed, then went to read the link he sent me. You can see for yourself on forbes.com. After laughing, I then went to check out last year's STC Salary Survey. There was a smattering of six figure salaries there, but most were based on several years of experience, or have a PhD. So, can anyone tell me where Forbes is getting their information? Am I the only technical writer not making six figures?

Keith Hoffman
President - STC Four Lakes

The Future of Technical Communication. Sounds like a pretty heady topic doesn't it? The most recent issue of Technical Communication dives head first into trends that will shape the profession, and what the academic community is doing to rethink how they prepare the next generation of technical communicators.

In my personal experience, one thing is becoming very clear. The traditional idea of a "Technical Writer" is quickly being abandoned. What I've seen first hand in my current work is that more value is placed on versatility and creativity, than just being able to write well.

At my company, Technical Writers no longer exist, and haven't for a long time. Don't get me wrong, that was my job title when I was hired, but it became apparent within the first few months on the job that it was really more than that. I was asked to switch from technical documentation, to marketing copywriting, to web writing. Every day was something new, and my job responsibilities grew exponentially.

So what does this mean to your average technical writer? Well, be prepared, and get educated. As employers put more value on versatility and creativity, you don't want to be left behind. That means keeping up with the latest trends, and figuring out how you can leverage new tools and processes to take your communication projects to the next level.

Keith Hoffman
President - STC Four Lakes

Welcome to the STC Four Lakes Blog. I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome you all back to another year of excitement.

The Four Lakes Board has been actively discussing program ideas for the 2006-2007 program year, and we're always open to hear your suggestions for topics. If you have any ideas, please email me at keith.hoffman@berbee.com, as I'd love to discuss them with you.

Along with this blog, we've also added an STC Four Lakes discussion list that connects Four Lakes members who are spread throughout Wisconsin. This is a very good resource for communications discussion, and I hope you will all take a moment to visit http://www.stc.ims.net/discussion/index.php to sign up for the list.

The board is meeting this week to nail down topics and dates, so please check out http://www.stc.ims.net/meetings/index.php?category_id=2087 in the next few weeks so you don't miss any meeting announcements.

In addition, Michelle Desnoyer is actively writing and editing the newest edition of the 4 Lakes Technicalities Newsletter. Our goal is to make this an informative, useful tool for our members. If you are interested in contributing, or would like to relay an article idea, please contact Michelle at midesnoyer@uwalumni.com.

Overall, we are very excited about the upcoming year. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. I look forward to speaking with you all soon.

Keith Hoffman
President - STC Four Lakes