Chapter 6 discusses “work tools” in the context of
technical communication. By using tools
such as text and HTML editors, CSS (cascading style sheet) templates, and other
forms of technology, technical communicators are better able to serve the needs
of their audience or company. The
chapter discusses “activity theory” as one means of understanding how work
tools can play a role in a group or organization, taking into account cultural
and social context. The chapter also
highlighted that technology can also be a crutch in certain situations, and the
specific example given was a medical practice that encountered unexpected
issues when it transferred to electronic record keeping.
Chapter 8 makes some predictions about the future of
technical communication. Practitioners
within the field, the author posits, will be faced with a variety of issues
that include “audiences with limited attention,” “doing several things at once,”
and dealing with “too much incoming information across too many media devices.” Further, in contrast to traditional technical
writing, new forms of technical communication will involve working in groups
and writing about advanced software that the writer will likely not fully
understand. Further, the field has
increasingly become “wicked” as opposed to “tame.” In this use, the author considers a “wicked”
problem to be one without a clearly defined problem or solution and a “tame”
problem as a fairly understandable issue with predictable results (like a game
of chess). I agree with the author’s
predictions, particularly as they relate to an increase in technological
specialization, and I am excited for the future of the profession.
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