In the past few years I've been hearing people in this field say that technical documentation in printed form is a dinosaur, a thing of the past. I've heard it said that one day everything will be on the Internet easily obtainable from computer, iPhone, etc. We live in a mobile world after all. It is in my humble opinion that we are moving away from the printed document and moving ever closer to the Internet which is so accessible and accommodating to content delivery. So does this mean that we throw away our page layout programs such as QuarkXpress, InDesign, FrameMaker and the like? Perhaps one day soon we will be using programs such as Dreamweaver and Flash to display all that wonderful technical content on the Internet. As we watch the trends and understand how people use our technical documentation, I believe that the Internet will be our content delivery system.
That said, those like me who provide technical documentation / technical publications (over 30 years now), remain indispensable. After all, where does all that content come from? People who specialize in writing, illustrating, photography, research, layout and so on will always be sought after. The question is how we will deliver that content in the near future. So don't get trapped. The world is changing and we need to be aware of the new technologies and trends that will not only keep us state-of-the-art but provide the most time savings, cost savings and convenience to those who buy and use our information.
Why always a puzzle, John?
There’s a lot of wisdom in a puzzle when you think about it. At first when all the pieces are disconnected and scattered across a table, there’s no clear image of what’s before you. If there were no box with the picture on its cover, you wouldn't have a clue regarding what the picture will be once all the pieces are connected properly. So where’s the wisdom in that, John?
Let’s break this puzzle scenario down to see what we can learn from it. Ever notice that a novice begins a puzzle at the corners, then connects the edges and works their way inward? In contrast, a seasoned puzzle builder looks at a puzzle more methodically. He or she will first study the colors and group like colors together. Once all like colors are grouped, each group is further scrutinized for content. For instance, sky and water can both be blue but have a different appearance. As he or she carefully sorts through the pieces and separates them into more defined groups, the picture starts coming together even though no pieces are yet connected. We know there is sky, water, trees, grass, gravel and some unknowns. We know a good portion of the elements that will make up the picture but the true picture isn't manifested at this point. The pieces of the first group are then methodically connected. This process is followed for the second group, third group and so on. Once this is complete, we can look at the groups and have a fairly good understanding of what the picture is; however, it’s still a fragmented picture. At this time the individual groups are studied and connected in their appropriate location. Finally, the last lone pieces are placed in the puzzle and there is now a complete picture; nothing missing and fully understood.
Why always a puzzle John? Because when we approach life whether it be relationships, work, business, religion, anything of true importance to us; we should approach it as we do a puzzle. For until we put forth the effort to study and understand each individual piece and its relationship to the whole picture, we can never expect to understand the picture and be successful.
So as you walk through life, remember the puzzle!