I love hearing Joe Welinske speak because he always gives me ideas that are so original, so commonsense, and so well expressed that they soon become part of the fabric of what I believe.

Joe, the president of WritersUA, was in town last weekend to speak to the STC Carolina chapter. Here's what he said this time: UA [User Assistance] will become most effective when we spend twice as much time writing half as many words.

Joe told us that technical writers and UA developers are most effective when they focus their efforts on writing that's precise and economical. In other words, there's value to be had in good writing.

But wait a minute. I've been saying for a long time that writing is becoming a commodity. That technical communicators who are writers exclusively, without developing new skills, will soon become a dying breed.

Now, I think I might need to qualify those statements. Here's why.

You can buy a wristwatch at Walmart for $25 (US). But there's still a market for Rolex watches.

You can buy a suit of clothes for $100. But Brooks Brothers is still in business.

In short, people are still willing to pay for craftsmanship. Not everyone, but enough people to keep those high-end brands profitable.

It's undeniable that many technical writing jobs have moved offshore or gone away entirely. I still think that technical writers should seriously consider broadening their skill sets.

But might there be "high-end brands" in tech comm? Are some companies and institutions willing to pay for really, really well written content? Even if they're scarce (just as you don't a see Rolex on everyone's wrist) are they out there?

What do you think? Is there still a viable career path for really good technical writers who are writers exclusively? What companies and institutions are succeeding while paying for craftsmanship in technical writing?

_{Image: Wikimedia Commons (Michael de Silva)}