This post has also appeared in the July edition of TechCraft, one of the leading ezines in India, on technical writing – http://groups.yahoo.com/group/technical_writers_india/files/TechCraft/
My laptop has taken over nearly every waking moment of my life, and words, words and more words have invaded each nook and cranny of my existence. As a full-time technical writer/editor, I spend nine working hours (and sometimes more) poring over technical and design documents and then churning out reams of user documentation, in its varied forms. After I am done with the professional part, the remaining wits and time is directed towards maintaining my presence on the myriad social media that I subscribe to.
Social media demands that I share information on numerous matters of global as and group interest and maintain updated profiles on networked sites. As a netizen, it is also my duty to read and comment on the inputs that my networked “friends” are constantly updating, usually round-the-clock. In the world of social media, the rule is simple – “You scratch my back, and I scratch yours!”
Sometimes, I am overcome by fatigue. As a technical writer, my first love is writing, and words are the cornerstone of my being, but there are days when the barrage of information and learning, and even extended demands on my time and efforts is mind-boggling. Then I usually take a break and let my tired mind rest, but not for long, because I realize that I am becoming uninformed, particularly, from the professional perspective. Social media has become a part and parcel of our existence, more so for the technical writer, and in this article, I, humbly, attempt to discuss the why and how of this phenomenon.
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Social media is a powerhouse of ever flowing information, tinged with experiences and opinions of many users, across diverse stages of learning, maturity and understanding. A decade ago, when technical writing was struggling to find a stronghold in the Indian IT industry, the greatest impetus came from the use of online groups and mailing lists. Islands of information and individual aspirants conjoined at an online abode, where they shared details of jobs, tools, technical trainings, and challenges. In the absence of established courses and training institutes, most technical writers were learning the intricacies of the usage of authoring tools through chats, forums, and blogs. The online availability of industry-wide authoring standards and trends has helped technical writers to think and write from the perspective of global users, and also come of age, in terms of international competition.
Collaboration is the key concept in all social media; and collaboration is a must-have skill for a successful technical writer. It is no wonder then, that technical writers have adapted to (and adopted) social media, as fish take to water. Technical writers across the globe are communing as affinity groups, which are usually “thin-sliced” by virtue of the professional collaboration that has transcended geographical boundaries.
Creative freedom is another important aspect of social media; and creative freedom is usually the fleeting fantasy of most technical writers. Bound by style and rule-based writing standards, and user-friendly concise procedural documentation, their time devoted to troubleshooting tools, talking XML and DITA over lunches and AJAX and Strut in trainings, many inspired technical writers have found the perfect creative let-out through the art of blogging. From writing about experiments with technology, to invoking a call for change, from future-gazing on evolving trends to just writing to satiate the creative streak, technical writers have a vast presence in the blogosphere.
Trainings have become simpler because of social media; and trainings have been a sore-spot for many technical writers, especially in India. But now we have webinars, webcasts, study groups, Q&A and discussion forums, courses through streaming media, portals for learning and sharing, interactive course materials, free snippets of information, codes, and online certifications. Global training and certifications are now available at the click of a mouse, and what is most important is that information regarding upcoming trainings and certifications is widely published, and archived data is available.
Broadcast abilities are the inherent baseline for social media; and broadcast is significant for technical writer both for personal growth, as well as for organizational growth. Social media gives technical writers ample opportunity to showcase their skills, advertise their potential, explore free-lance or newer job opportunities, and maintain competitiveness. Companies are also becoming increasingly aware of the need to leverage the broadcast benefits of social media, and in this context the role of technical writers will expand to envelope corporate blogging, online publications, professional writing for social media campaigns, building learning communities, and redefining user experience.
Information, and loads of it, is available at your finger tips; and information is fodder for technical writers. It is evident that social media scores over traditional media in terms of its reach, amongst other things. By virtue of free accessibility, and also pronounced recency of information, social media has become the first choice of all technical writers to seek information. Google search inadvertently leads the searcher to twits, and blogs, forums and wikis, and technical writers are becoming highly informed with each passing mouse-click.
Social media, however, is transient, controversial and highly transparent. Information can be edited, and changed almost instantaneously. There are chances of information overload, and hence the need to intelligently sieve the relevant from the irrelevant, the biased or personal from the impartial and globally relevant. Inductive and deductive reasoning and controlled rhetoric are the two factors that can help technical writers to determine the social media and profiles that they should follow and contribute to.
While social media can help technical writers to “sharpen their claws”, overindulgence can also lead to reduced quality of thought and writing. As technical writers it is our personal responsibility to know when and where to draw the line. When associated with organizations, we have to remain conscious of intellectual property, confidentially and expected decorum in all our communication. Social media has transformed technical writers and information gatherers into publishers. As our written word reaches out to billions across time and geographies, we have to appreciate and accept our increasing responsibilities as mature and informed writers.
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