Where is this all going?

Recently, a perplexing discussion came up in one of my classes: for what, why, or whom, is technology created? Are our needs fulfilled by advancements in technology? Does technology shape our culture, or does our culture shape technology?

Steve Jobs said that "people don't know what they want until you show it to them." I find this true, because without showing someone the benefit of an invention, no one will use it. However, humans have needs and wants; to fulfill these needs and wants, we must find ways to fulfill them. Mathematics does not exist without some purpose; people do not count for the sake of counting.

Neither, then, does technology exist without purpose. As we are primates, we use tools. Yes, tools. Whether the tool is to fulfill a physical need or emotional need, they are all tools. Technology is a series of tools. Technology has existed since the ancient days of sharpened flint tied to the ends of stripped wood branches. As humans progress in their pursuit of advancing technology to fit needs and wants, the technology branches out in its scope, creating new needs and wants, new areas for improvement and fulfillment. Now we can communicate vast distances with each other, share opinions, become more connected. These are all emotional, social needs. They are fulfilled by communication technology. This is at the heart of technical communication. I say our culture shapes technology, but technology, as our culture shapes it, shapes culture just as much.

Oscar Nominations: Superfluous

Oscar season is in full swing, and I always, or typically, catch them when they're on. After all the nominations were announced, I was a bit surprised to find out that nine movies made the Best Picture category, which, in my opinion, isn't really all that necessary. Nine pictures is superfluous, much like how information in technical documents can be superfluous. I guess in the entertainment industry, they're a bit nominating happy to get nine of them in a single category.
When they describe the films for best picture, I like to see how short and sweet the synopses or premises are for them. Whomever has to do it presents a scant glimpse of the picture. It's a mental exercise in shortening language to optimize the language/meaning ratio.

Minnesota Weather: Wacky Seasons

I know this post isn't exactly about tech. comm., but I just wanted to give attention to the awfully strange weather round my hometown in Minnesota. Last week we had highs of fifty degrees, and for most of December we had nothing but somewhat chilly air and snow-less ground. For someone who has grown up here, this is incredibly strange, a first. Never has there been a completely green Christmas in all my life living here, let alone an entire December. Now that January has rolled around, it looks much more normal, but we have at least a foot of snow in my backyard you can't walk in except with boots. It's just thrown me off completely. Is this an indication of a polarized winter season, with unseasonably warm days until the new year and then unseasonably cold days right after?

Weekly Friday Fudging: Engrish Transrations

Hey, there, I was surfing a website about bad English translations in foreign countries, and came across this:

THE TEMPLE EXPLODES THE CHICKEN CUBE

Capslock on my part aside, this picture irritates me because of how terrible the translation truly is. It is a hilarious piece of imagery that deserves to be rewritten. If the rewrite is not out of pity, then it's from a sense that any decent, English speaking citizen of whatever country this sign appears in would correct the designers so that any tourist might not laugh at how ridiculous it is. I'm not even sure what dish they're advertising. It looks like corn and cranberries from a distance, or beans, but the name says there's chicken in it...

STCBOK: Ideas?

Since I have volunteered myself to contribute to the STCBOK, or the Society for Technical Communication Body of Knowledge, I have yet to decide what to contribute. I know I will be fleshing out pages I can do easily, but I would like some opinions on an original idea. You may comment anonymously if you like, or leave your name. Any good ideas will be appreciated.

How do You Find Time in the Day to Do Anything?

I've noticed recently that as I go through my junior year balancing work, homework, classes, volunteering, and this blog, I have less time to do anything. Like...at all! It seems like I wake up and I don't stop working on stuff until I go to bed at midnight. My typical day is also filled with the requirements of eating, taking care of my dog, tending to my mother and chores, and using the restroom. This doesn't include time with friends or leisure at all, of course, and since I barely had a social life before, it's not going to go anywhere pretty fast now.

How do you cope with a busy schedule? Coffee?

Technical Communication? What's that? Never heard of it.

As you may have experienced, when you tell people your college major, they get a puzzled look on their face and shrug their shoulders. Almost everyone I know whom I've informed pretty much did the same thing. Strangers tend to say "okay" without real acknowledgement or curiosity. I have to explain to them what the whole thing is about, using as few words as possible, so I at least know what I'm talking about and don't sound quite as stupid. I say "industry writing" or "technical documentation" to name a few "synonyms" (which are pretty much the only ways anyone will understand what I am studying). Otherwise, I try to avoid the topic altogether and focus more on something else. This lack of knowledge begs a few questions, then:

How many people actually major in this?
Is it because technology is so new that students are so scarce?

Are other majors too glamorous, popular, or economically rewarding for anyone to acknowledge an entire major that is important to an emerging technological world of information?

I suppose no one may know. Someone should do research. I feel like one of the Free Masons. They're as mysterious as the technical communication people. 

Weekly Friday Fudging: Bad Communication at its Best

This particular road sign, which I hope isn't real, is an example of technical communication gone awry. What is the stray arrow not connected to that Gordian Knot of road exits? I like how they printed "GOOD LUCK" underneath to say to drivers that you're pretty much screwed, and that the road planners won't have to take any responsibility for a possible 15-50 car pileup. At least drive 45mph, people!

First Post: Another Blog that I find very resourceful

Hey, all. This is my first post, so don't knock it until you try it. As a student in a Tech. Comm program, I don't see much discussion about the fears and anxieties students in the Humanities face everyday. The following blog addresses such difficult questions and receives positive and negative answers to them from professionals in the tech. writing industry and individuals like me, who are just as scared about being penniless as any college student near graduation.

I'd Rather Be Writing: a blog about the latest trends in technical communication
It's a very informative blog, which I hadn't considered reading. Four articles caught my eye, which are consistently popular. They are listed below.

Should You Get a Graduate Degree in Technical Writing?
This post is short, but the comments make up for it. Just scroll down. There's even mention of the Tech. Comm. program I'm part of in Mankato! Also, for any graduate students who happen to read it, don't get discouraged; the post discusses the merits of any graduate degree that isn't required for a medical license or bar exam. 

How to Get a Job in Technical Writing: A 7-Step Guide for Students
This post is very helpful for students trying to break into the field as a student.

Technical Writing Careers: The Raw, Unvarnished Truth
This post scares me a lot. It paints the industry as a woefully depressing world; there are conflicting answers and experiences in the comments. Enter at your own risk.

Technical Writing Careers: Answering 13 Questions about Technical Writing Jobs
This post is also somewhat succinct, since it interviews an actual technical writer. It highlights the good and bad of the tech. writing industry and answers a few questions students have about the potential career they may wish to pursue.

Blog Inception. Welcome!

I started this blog in the hopes that maybe someone would read it. I am a student studying Technical Communication, and I hope in the future I can be a technical writer or writer of similar discipline. This blog will be dedicated to the subject of technical communication, written from a student's perspective. As time goes on, I hope to transition from student to writer and improve the blog along the way using Blogger software updates (if they update) and HTML in the CSS feature.

For now, enjoy the Japanese Koi.