transmission 023 - the matrix of technical writing
The 23rd transmission from Starship Commander Miquiel Banks.
Quote
I must get out of here. I must get free, and in this mind is the key, my key!
Agent Smith
What is Technical Writing?
Some argue that it is the innate ability to manipulate jargon and/or highly-technical information into manageable sentence structure.
Others argue that it is a skilled trade whereby an individual, gifted with the mental attenuation to understand and absorb the highest of technical information, situates this information into easy-to-understand language.
Do not let these definitions romanticize the real definition of Technical Writing.
Technical Writing is simply the translation of information.
Step 1 - Preparation (Enter The Matrix)
Like Neo from The Matrix, your life as a Technical Writer is a process, more a procedure, of acquiring the source code of the agents (software developers, engineers, code experts, executives, etc.) and returning that code back to Zion in documented form (i.e. manuals, online guides, reference guides, help systems, etc.).
At first, the world of the agents will appear as this superhuman computerized world of highly-acute languages, identical to a foreign language.
Despite what the world distinguishes as foreign languages, you must accept the reality that this is another world, the world of computers.
In this world, there are rules.
The agents hold all the information, but they are limited by their jargon and their complete trust in this world.
You as Neo, must engage and enter their world, assess their limitations, and elevate your mind until you reach understanding.
Every time you are given a project or manual to complete, you are embarking on a journey, a quest to properly acquire the ability to “see the code” of the Matrix.
Step 2 - Planning (Find Your Mentors)
Your first task is to find Morpheus, the person in charge of this project, possibly a manager or supervisor of Publications and/or software development.
He/She will give you the details of this project and armed with this knowledge, you can set your inner clock to tick away the time.
If you are not given a deadline, you must create one.
The key to finishing this project is not where, but when.
Your second task is to find Trinity, your guide in this maze of informational gateways and bridges.
Do not be intimidated, Trinity is the knowledge you already possess that will guide you along the path to understanding.
If you are an expert on Windows, Internet Explorer, MS Office, Adobe Framemaker or Acrobat, Trinity becomes your mastery of these software packages to “bridge” the gap between Zion and the Matrix.
Step 3 - Research (Interviewing and Finding Information)
When you engage one of the agents, be aware that they are titanium computerized silicon chips guised as human beings.
They will speak of classes, platforms, applets, C compilers, and scripts.
Your job is not to become seduced by their grandeur, but to seek understanding.
What is Understanding?
It is when you have reached enlightenment and you can “see the code” of The Matrix.
Step 4 - Translate the Information
Your next task is to find the bridges between the normal world and the world of computers.
You must become one with the agents, talk to them, go to lunch with them, and find the gateways.
As a Technical Writer, you are armed with a heightened ability to assess information, package it beneath the source code, and then distribute it to the ordinary world.
For example, when I worked as a Technical Writer for World Airways, the pilots had specific jargon and words they used.
They spoke of three people, OAT and COMRAD and SIM. I was baffled, who were these people and why were they so important to EVERY pilot?
After I spent more time in the Matrix, I discovered that OAT was Outside Air Temperature, COMRAD was really a navigation program for takeoff and landing, and that SIM meant their time spent in the simulator.
From that point on, I became enlightened because I could read the “source code.”
This is the point of highest elevation (Understanding), which is the most important skill of Technical Writing.
Step 5 - Review, Edit, and Proofread
When you return to the ordinary world, you must actively listen to those around you.
Situate what you hear and climatize it with the information from the agents until it is user-friendly in the ordinary world, not in The Matrix.
Always remember, never forget your audience.
From this initial document, you will fortify your skills by reviewing and testing the information until it is fully adaptable and accessible by everyone in Zion.
Step 6 - Proof and Format
When you finish all of the required content, then you will format and graphically enhance its design and overall appearance until it is ready for distribution.
Step 7 - Distribution
Now armed with experience (by surviving The Matrix), your skills of translation will guide you to deeper and deeper recesses within the world of computers and in time, you will reach a level of mastery where you can engage agents from all industries and live to tell about it.
Now good luck on your journey Neo.
Remember, no one can tell you what the Matrix is.
You must see it for yourself.
