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Are we there yet? An examination of where we've been and where we're headed as technical communicators

This paper looks at the changes three experienced technical communicators have seen in our field due to Web 2.0 social media venues and self-service technologies. It examines the challenges faced by technical information developers today, and looks at trends we see for the future. Addressing the need to adapt to these dramatic changes, we describe new and expanded roles writers can take on, suggest skills that will help new writers succeed, and identify areas where research is needed to support technical communication practitioners. We look at changes in these areas that affect technical communicators in the workplace: writer-customer interaction, customer troubleshooting and information sharing, globalization, accessibility, documentation methods and delivery, and faster product development.