Comments on: Evolving as a Content Strategist

By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:59:06 +0000

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This post was mentioned on Twitter by soslab: Evolving as a Content Strategist | Mashstream http://bit.ly/4z2fpY...

By: Competing in the Information Age | Mashstream

Competing in the Information Age | Mashstream — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:13:38 +0000

[...] Note: I talked about the evolution of a new breed of technical communicator and content strategist in earlier postings, as well as [...]

By: Adapting to the Information Age | Mashstream

Adapting to the Information Age | Mashstream — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:09:35 +0000

[...] some of the major changes and opportunities in the ecosystem for the technical communicator. See Evolving as a Content Strategist. Your criticism, reality checks, pushback, and all-around input is [...]

By: mhiatt

mhiatt — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:14:41 +0000

I have been thinking about Paul Sholer’s comments and I like his reasoning. Here’s a few comments:
PS: “I think the trend toward decreasing the amount of proprietary product information that product developers/creators publish is very key and is gaining in momentum and significance. This may be the true driver of the destruction of the roles of many technical writers.”

MH: Yes, I agree that the amount of information is decreasing, but I also see customers in dire need from my anecdotal experience. The customers are just used to not having information or finding it themselves.

PS: “an increasing share of the logic found in today’s (web-based) apps resides in layers built from open-source software”

MH: Developers are relying on functionality from the web and can wash their hands of deep dive information. One point: then why can’t writers do the same? Why can’t writers take from open source content and publish as the programmers are doing? Another point: Are developers providing best practices from the customer’s perspective? Or just documenting their top layer of functionality? Feature-based doc is pretty worthless at that level.

PS: “users have their own tools and systems for self-organizing to find and share relevant product deployment and “real world” usage information.”

MH: I know users are put in the position to write their own doc, but most I talk to really hate it and don’t have the time. They have other duties to attend to. If a writer isn’t doing it, then the developer, IT, or managers has to do it, leaving other duties unattended. And they probably do it badly.

PS: “there will be a massive blowback from technology users at the costliness of dealing with the fragmented web app landscape and the necessity to navigate among waves of consultants to achieve satisfaction from product/service deployment.”

MH: Amen.

By: mhiatt

mhiatt — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:56:02 +0000

@Corda: I hear what you are saying. I am in the same position. I just don’t see those jobs coming back. That is also a reality check. So now what? I am going to try to answer some of these questions for myself the next few months. I would like to share our situations if you want to contact me at michael@mashstream.com and try to see if there is an answer.

By: Corda Patterson

Corda Patterson — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:51:34 +0000

Reality check: I don’t have time to “evolve” as a Content Strategist, take advantage of the “change in the air,” or hope something happens “in the near future.” The company employing me for ten years found that my services no longer served their purpose and liberated me to prosper on my own. I need a source of steady income (and medical benefits) immediately, and there are many writers and information developers out there just like me. It’s a wonderful thing to discuss the future of our profession and the ways it must adapt to survive in this world. I totally agree. But many are simply trying to survive with current marketable skills, talents, creativity, and innovation we own now.

By: Paul K. Sholar

Paul K. Sholar — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:16:38 +0000

My comments:

1. I think the trend toward decreasing the amount of proprietary product information that product developers/creators publish is very key and is gaining in momentum and significance. This may be the true driver of the destruction of the roles of many technical writers.

2. Product developers are moving in this direction because an increasing share of the logic found in today’s (web-based) apps resides in layers built from open-source software, thus allowing developers to outsource/defer/ignore documentation of those parts of their products.

3. Product developers also know, and know expect, that today users have their own tools and systems for self-organizing to find and share relevant product deployment and “real world” usage information.

4. At some point I predict there will be a massive blowback from technology users at the costliness of dealing with the fragmented web app landscape and the necessity to navigate among waves of consultants to achieve satisfaction from product/service deployment.

By: Tweets that mention Evolving as a Content Strategist | Mashstream -- Topsy.com

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:59:10 +0000

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By: Tweets that mention Evolving as a Content Strategist | Mashstream -- Topsy.com

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 06:10:51 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by open source. open source said: Evolving as a Content Strategist | Mashstream: Interest in open cloud computing ascends as the world gets flatter and th http://url4.eu/rGOF [...]