For some reason, I just started thinking of the age-old debate of using Technical Writer or Technical Communicator (or variations thereof). My preference is neither: it’s Tech Writer. Short & crisp. Snappy. Other reasons are listed below.
1. I don’t want to be known as a Communicator, or have to introduce myself as such. I’m a Writer. And proud of it, thank you very much. To me, Communicator implies spoken conversations, not written. Sure, I understand that we now communicate through written, visual, and verbal means, and that Writer is not all-encompassing. Even with all that, even with a degree in Technical Communications (not Writing), my preference still remains Writer.
2. Communicator is too long a word. For a field that focuses on clear, succinct wording, Communicator is a whopper of a word. A bit difficult to roll off the tongue too, don’t you think? Is that not a usability issue? Five syllables vs. two?
3. I think that people in general understand Writer more so than Communicator.
4. Writer is more Twitter-friendly. Face it. Microblogging, social media, and small screens are here to stay. I think it’s time to consider cutting the title more. How about TW in tweets and Facebook statuses, or TechWtr? Yes, there are existing hashtags for Twitter for tech writing, #techcomm being one of them. Let’s start cutting them down. We need to start using shorter hashtags so we can get more content in those tweets. Who’s reading the #techcomm and #techwriting tweets anyway? If it’s mainly tech writers, then by all means, let’s use something shorter.
So for me, in my blog posts, tweets, and statuses, I’m going to stay with tech writer, TechWtr, TW, or something similar. But that’s me. What do you think?
Update 4/7/10: David Farbey had a post about this very subject several months back. Please review that as well as the comments below. He discusses a study that was completed, and there are more comments on his post.
Tech writer. “Communicator” sounds amorphous and unnatural. It’s not something you can hang your hat on, so it seems to me less professional. Kind of like a “consultant” that can’t really tell you what they do for a living.
Disagree: it puts limits on what you can do.
My job title is “Technical Writer,” but I do a lot more than that. I’m very proud to be a writer; I was a creative writing major before a tech writing major, I love to write, but I need to market myself and my capabilities. The term “Tech Writer” does not do me, or my skills, justice.
In reality, it all depends on the context, as does everything in life. At social gatherings, I’m simply a Tech Writer, and then I elaborate, because no one ever knows what that is. At STC meetings I’m a Technical Writer, it’s my job title. But at job fairs, interviews, or chance encounters with people of power, I’m a Technical Communicator. It works for me.
John
We’ve been having this debate literally for decades. STC changed its name from “Technical Writers and Publishers” to “Technical Communication” in the early 1970s, I believe. (That’s a little before my time.)
The primary case for “communicator” is that “writer” is too narrow. It leaves out graphic artists, help designers, information architects, and others who are very much part of this profession but who don’t think of themselves as writers first and foremost.
I AM a writer first and foremost, but I also do many other things besides write. I find the case for “communicator” to be persuasive. In fact, for me technical writing is just one part of the field of technical communication. There are lots of other parts as well.
I sympathize with the need for a shorter, more Tweetable word than “communicator.” Maybe we can make one up. I believe “TechCmmr” is available. Oh, but wait. If we started using that bit of gibberish, we wouldn’t be doing a very good job of communicating, would we?
Thanks, guys. Good points all. I just hate that term Communicator. I understand all the reasons for it; I also know it’s a can of worms. However, I truly believe that we need to turn everything upside down, empty the box that is our old-style methodologies, and embrace the New World. Like it or not, we’re going to have to start abbreviating more. Short & cryptic may be the new way. Who knows? I love vowels just as much as the next guy, but fear they may go the way of the dinosaur in some instances.
When I worked for a previous employer, my title was Senior Information Engineer, or Senior IE for short. I thought that was much more descriptive than my current Technical Writer title, because it encompassed other means of technical communications, including print docs, PDFs, online help, computer-based training, wikis, and interactive Flash movies, all of which I still do today.
A few months back I wrote on my blog, quite passionately, that my preferred job title was “technical writer” (see http://www.farbey.co.uk/index.php/2009/08/technical-writer-and-proud-of-it). I argued that of all the possible titles it was the one that needed least explanation. Then I got hired by a US-based software company, and, oh the irony, my formal title is now “Technical Communicator”!
Interestingly, as a self-employed technical writer most of my work was creating manuals in Microsoft Word, but now I’m a corporate Technical Communicator I get to use FrameMaker and RoboHelp. That must mean something, but I don’t know what!
Disagree: it puts limits on what you can do.
My job title is “Technical Writer,” but I do a lot more than that. I’m very proud to be a writer; I was a creative writing major before a tech writing major, I love to write, but I need to market myself and my capabilities. The term “Tech Writer” does not do me, or my skills, justice.
In reality, it all depends on the context, as does everything in life. At social gatherings, I’m simply a Tech Writer, and then I elaborate, because no one ever knows what that is. At STC meetings I’m a Technical Writer, it’s my job title. But at job fairs, interviews, or chance encounters with people of power, I’m a Technical Communicator. It works for me.
John
For what it’s worth… recently, I did a contract as a technical writer and all went much as you’d expect. My boss was moderately impressed with my smarts, extended my contract and changed my title to Business Analyst. Interestingly, I got a lot more respect and support as a BA, even though I was doing a similar task.
Maybe it comes back to the DLS definition: Technical writers develop scientific or technical materials, such as scientific and medical reports, equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. They also may assist in layout work.
Sells our skills awfully short! Anyway, I’m not one to flog a dead horse – I’ve changed my CV over and happily gone out to take over the world (and to accept a 100% increase in salary) as a BA…