Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jul 2017

The Golden Age of Technical Communication

Miles A. Kimball Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Abstract

This article uses a historical perspective to describe the development of the profession of technical communication through three ages: Brass, Beige, and Glass. I compare this development to the growth of the academic discipline and both to the explosion of noninstitutional technical communication—the growing body of tactical technical communication that happens outside of organizations and institutions. This leads me to describe today as the Golden Age of technical communication. I conclude that we should broaden the scope of technical communication and spread it as a set of skills valuable for everyone to learn.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2017-07-01
DOI
10.1177/0047281616641927
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Topics
technical communication
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