Cars, Culture, and Tactical Technical Communication

Abstract

Abstract This article examines two cases of technical documentation occurring outside of institutions. Using a framework derived from de Certeau's (1984) distinction between strategies and tactics and Johnson's (1998) concept of the user-as-producer, I analyze communities surrounding Muir's (1969) How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive! A Manual of Step by Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot and Champion's (2000) Build Your Own Sports Car for as Little as £250. These communities engage in tactical technical communication, especially in the form of technological narratives that participate in broader cultural narratives about technology.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
2006-01-01
DOI
10.1207/s15427625tcq1501_6
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
Closed
Topics
Export

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (63)

  1. Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. Technical Communication Quarterly
Show all 63 →
  1. Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Communication Design Quarterly
  4. Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Technical Communication Quarterly
  6. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  7. Rhetoric Society Quarterly
  8. Communication Design Quarterly
  9. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  10. Communication Design Quarterly
  11. Technical Communication Quarterly
  12. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  13. Technical Communication Quarterly
  14. Technical Communication Quarterly
  15. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  16. Technical Communication Quarterly
  17. Technical Communication Quarterly
  18. Reflections: A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric
  19. Technical Communication Quarterly
  20. Technical Communication Quarterly
  21. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  22. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  23. Technical Communication Quarterly
  24. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  25. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  26. Technical Communication Quarterly
  27. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  28. Technical Communication Quarterly
  29. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  30. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  31. Communication Design Quarterly
  32. Technical Communication Quarterly
  33. Technical Communication Quarterly
  34. Technical Communication Quarterly
  35. Technical Communication Quarterly
  36. Communication Design Quarterly
  37. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  38. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  39. Technical Communication Quarterly
  40. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  41. Technical Communication Quarterly
  42. Technical Communication Quarterly
  43. Technical Communication Quarterly
  44. Technical Communication Quarterly
  45. Technical Communication Quarterly
  46. Technical Communication Quarterly
  47. Communication Design Quarterly
  48. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  49. Technical Communication Quarterly
  50. Technical Communication Quarterly
  51. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  52. Technical Communication Quarterly
  53. Technical Communication Quarterly
  54. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  55. Technical Communication Quarterly
  56. Technical Communication Quarterly
  57. Technical Communication Quarterly
  58. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication

References (47) · 6 in this index

  1. Amazon.com. (n.d.). Customer reviews. Retrieved October 11, 2005, from http://www.amazon.com/ gp/product/cust…
  2. An analysis of car chassis. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2005, from http://locost7.info/files/ chassis/kitca…
  3. Avalon Travel Publishing. (n.d.). How to keep your Volkswagen alive. Retrieved October 11, 2005, from http://…
  4. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  5. Blyler, N. & Perkins, J. M. (1999). Narrative and professional communication. Stamford, CT: Ablex.
Show all 47 →
  1. Bolter, J. D. (2003). Theory and practice in new media studies. In G. Liestol, A. Morrison, & T. Rasmussen (E…
  2. Bura, P. (2003, May 2 ). Pete's rotary Locost. Retrieved October 11, 2005, from http://www.geocities. com/phb…
  3. Bura, P. (n.d.). Designing a double wishbone suspension: A 3-position graphical approach. Retrieved October 1…
  4. Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Carpenter, H. & Dombrowski, P. (1997). Ethics in technical communication. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
  6. Champion, R. (2000). Build your own sports car for as little as f250 (2nd ed.). Somerset, England: Haynes.
  7. de Certeau, M. (1984). The practice of everyday life (S. Rendall, Trans.). Berkeley: University of California…
  8. Doug's Locost. (2004). Retrieved April 15, 2005, from http://www.geocities.com/doug1399
  9. Dubinsky, J. (Ed.). (2004). Civic engagement [Special issue]. Technical Communication Quarterly, 13(3).
  10. Feenberg, A. (1999). Questioning technology. New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
  11. Computers and Composition
  12. Grossmith, D. (1999, May 26). Locost build manual. Retrieved October 11, 2005, from http://finance.groups.yah…
  13. Harrison, T., Zappen, J. & Prell, C. (2002). Transforming new communication technologies into community media…
  14. Harrison, T. M. & Katz, S. M. (1997). On taking organizations seriously: Organizations as social contexts for…
  15. Henry, J. (2000). Writing workplace cultures: An archaeology of professional writing. Carbondale: Southern Il…
  16. Houp, K. W., Pearson, T. E., Tebeaux, E. & Dragga, S. (2002). Reporting technical information (10th ed.). New…
  17. Johnson, R. R. (1998). User-centered technology: A rhetorical theory for computers and other mundane artifact…
  18. Johnson-Eilola, J. (2004). Relocating the value of work: Technical communication in a post-industrial age. In…
  19. Johnson-Eilola, J. (2005). Datacloud: Toward a new theory of online work. Retrieved October 11, 2005, from ht…
  20. 10.2307/378062
  21. Technical Communication Quarterly
  22. Longo, B. (2000). Spurious coin: A history of science, management, and technical writing. Albany: State Unive…
  23. Make: Technology on Your Time. (2005, March). 1.
  24. Markel, M. (2004). Technical communication (7th ed.). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's.
  25. Markstein, M. & Tomblin, D. (Writers), & Chaffey, D. (Director). (1967). Arrival [Television series episode].…
  26. McSorley, J. (n.d.). CAD drawings. Retrieved October 11, 2005, from http://www.mcsorley.net/locost
  27. Meyer, P. R. & Bernhardt, S. A. (1997). Workplace realities and the technical communication curriculum: A cal…
  28. Muir, J. (1969). How to keep your Volkswagen alive! A manual of step by step procedures for the compleat idio…
  29. Muir, J. (1973). The velvet monkey wrench. Santa Fe, NM: John Muir Publications.
  30. Nelson, W. H. (1965). Small wonder: The amazing story of the Volkswagen. Boston: Little, Brown.
  31. Ogden, P. (2003). Locost construction diary. Retrieved October 11, 2005, from http://locost7.info/diary/diary1.php
  32. Technical Communication Quarterly
  33. Osborne, D. (n.d.). Inspiration. Locost build diary. Retrieved October 11 2005, from http://www .groovy42.fre…
  34. Polan, M. (2004, July 21). Using a CAD program to analyze your suspension. Retrieved October 11, 2005, from h…
  35. Rosen, M. J. (Ed.). (1999). My bug. New York: Artisan.
  36. Rude, C. (Ed.). (2000). The discourse of public policy [Special issue]. Technical Communication Quarterly, 9(1).
  37. Written Communication
  38. Strategies for Professional Status (Vol.
  39. Technical Communication Quarterly
  40. Subbiah, M. (1997). Social construction theory and technical communication. In K. Staples & C. Ornatowski (Ed…
  41. Walton, K. (2000a, 17 October). Donor [202]. Retrieved October 11, 2005. Message posted to http:// autos.grou…
  42. Walton, K. (2000b, 9 October). Stuff [149]. Retrieved October 11, 2005. Message posted to http:// autos.group…