According to
Wikipedia,
"Technical writers are professional writers who design, create,
maintain and update many types of technical documentation, online
help, user guides, white papers, design specifications, and other
documents." Technical writers put technical information into
easily understandable language. They prepare operating and
maintenance manuals, catalogs, parts lists, assembly instructions,
sales promotion materials, and project proposals. Many technical
writers work with engineers on technical subject matters to
prepare written interpretations of engineering and design
specifications and other information for a general readership.
Technical writers also may serve as part of a team conducting
usability studies to help improve the design of a product that
still is in the prototype stage. They plan and edit technical
materials and oversee the preparation of illustrations,
photographs, diagrams, and charts." From our own experience we can
expand that to include
security policy,
security awareness posters,
press
releases, blog posts, blog post comments and refutations,
memos to management on technical issues, executive summaries of
reports, technical analysis of news stories, courseware, help
files, how-to's, and presentations.
Often, a technical writer must first research the topic they are
writing about so strong research skills are also important. This
ranges from
power
searching on Google, to knowing how to leverage expert sites
such as the writers write. There are more online resources than
ever before, here are a few worth trying:
- Onelook has a reverse
dictionary feature, if you can't think of a word, simply enter
its definition and Onelook gives you a list.
- Wordspy tries to track
the new words being used in publications. Such things should be
used sparingly, but when you are trying to establish a
perception of being "with it" or when targeting a younger crowd,
this can be helpful.
- SANS Reading Room,
contains the largest collection of security research papers on
the Internet
- Argumentative
Essays, a primer on argumentation (a persuasive research
paper)
- Most colleges and universities provide students with a large
number of research tools. As a writer, it may be worth
considering taking courses to maintain access, or potentially
working part time for an educational institution. For instance,
here are the tools available to University of
Washington students.
- Wise Old Sayings
is a source for opening statements.
If you are trying to hire a technical writer, expect to see people
that want to be paid as much as, or more than system administrators
or even software programmers. If you are trying to hire a technical
writer, make sure there is an escape clause if things do not work
out. Also, the interview process is very important.
Job-Interview.net
lists the following as a few questions to ask a potential technical
writer:
- How would you style a document to address a technical
audience?
- Describe your experience with network infrastructures.
- Have you ever created any online help?
In general, organizations will favor readability and clarity over
perfect grammar. In fact, the more technical the material is, the
less important the grammar is while the ability to convey the
thought to the reader accurately becomes very important.
Nevertheless, correct spelling, avoiding the common errors of
writing in English and compliance with the organization's style
guide is crucial. Some useful web resources:
How do you learn to be a technical writer? There are many programs,
but the short answer is that you have to write, a lot, and your work
needs to be reviewed by someone qualified to review technical
security material. I have written several technical books, but the
first book was the most important. I was blessed with a great
developmental editor. Later in life, I worked with bad editors it
wasn't that much of an issue since I was seasoned by that time, but
it really helped me understand how important good review is to the
writing process. Before you put your money down to learn to improve
your technical writing, be certain that you understand the quality
and quantity of review you can expect from the program.
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