I just spotted this message posted by one of my nieces to her FaceBook account the other day:
[name] finally has picture messaging on her Nokia N900 thanks to an awesome dude and his step by step youtube video!!
A seemingly simple message, but one that made me stop and think. I've written, and spoken a lot over the last year of so about the way that the digital generation access and assimilate information (a subject I'll be revisiting at this year's LavaCon), and also held forth on my view that as Technical Communicators we should be embracing and working with new media.
Here is a perfect example of that convergence. Rather than use the manufacturers, instructions, or look for an answer on their web-site, or on-line help, my niece turned to the internet and the wider online community.
Her answer came not from Nokia, but from some "awesome dude" on YouTube.
What are you doing to make sure that you as a technical communicator can be the next "awesome dude"?
3 comments:
I LOVE this post, guys. I've been beating the drum that technical writing will have to review, respond to and incorporate user content in order to remain relevant. (I called it "knowledge integration" which is more than just curation). Anyhow, this example is spot on. Great. GREAT. great.
That's downright inspiring. They may never erect statues of technical communicators....But being known as awesome dudes surely is the next best thing.
Post a Comment