Friend or foe? Web 2.0 in technical communication
The rise of Web 2.0 technology provides a platform for user-generated content. Publishing is no longer restricted to a few technical writers—any user can now contribute information. But the information coming from users tends to be highly specific, whereas technical documentation is comprehensive but less specific. The two types of information can coexist and improve the overall user experience. User-generated content also offers an opportunity for technical writers to participate as “curators“—by evaluating and organizing the information provided by end users.
Technical writers are accustomed to being the gatekeepers for product information. They carefully organize product documentation, online help, and other user assistance for their readers. Compare this to the chaos of the Web, where content is splattered across blogs, forums, wikis, and the like with little or no organizational scheme.
And yet, readers are turning to the chaos of the Web for information rather than reading the online help. They begin with a Google search and work through the results until they find something relevant.
User-generated content and technical documentation can be complementary rather than competitive. In this white paper, we explore the implications of user-generated content and discuss how technical writers can integrate this content into their overall strategy.
| NOTE: | The idea for this white paper was sparked by Andy Oram’s blog post, “What comes after the information age” on O’Reilly Radar (http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2007/09/what-comes-after-the-informati.html). Tim O’Reilly comments on that post and raises the issue of content “curation.” Scriptorium’s initial response to the article is found in a Palimpsest blog post, “The Age of…Expertise?” (http://www.scriptorium.com/palimpsest/2007/09/age-of-expertise.html). |
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