Communication Is Crucial

by Jean Fudge

Shortly after I entered the field of technical communication, the Challenger shuttle blew up during launch. I was working at an engineering firm that was also associated with aeronautics, including space travel. A team mate was working through lunch and listening to the shuttle launch on the radio. All of a sudden, from over the partition, I heard “Oh my God. The shuttle blew up!”

People throughout the company gathered around the few television sets that we had on site. They shook their heads and marveled at the horror.

I had just come from the field of journalism, and found myself defending the camera crew that captured the shock of Christa McAuliffe’s family as they saw the shuttle explode. A team mate glared at me, demanding to know why reporters did such heartless things. I tried to explain that it is an important way to capture history. Also, there’s a hurtful way to go about it, and a kind way. However, someone needs to capture the news. Society, especially American society, would be far poorer without news gatherers.

Flash forward a few years. I’ve now been at this company for a while. I’ve had a huge role in documenting the latest product – which will be used to test the space shuttle. Our signal analyzer will be built into an Airstream trailer. After each flight, dozens of sensors will be attached to the shuttle skin. Our analyzer will perform a series of tests to make sure none of the skin’s plates have come loose. The sensors will then be removed and the trailer wheeled away. All within an eight-hour shift.

I am extremely proud to be part of this effort. Because our company is small, I and my team wear many hats in support of the shuttle project. From documenting the software commands … to gathering the blueprints for the hardware manual … to proofreading the sales documents … to physically putting all the components into binders. And don’t forget typing labels on a typewriter, and inserting them neatly into the binder’s spine.

Sometimes, tech writers are indispensable because we can wear so many hats. Many of us are generalists. We may not understand the nuances, but we can recognize when sentences make no sense to anyone – no matter what their IQ. Much of our value is that we are somewhat detached – we can see the forest for the trees. And we are not so educated that we have lost our common sense. A great example of this was Sandy Fields, my coworker and fellow tech writer at the engineering company. Our product was Macintosh based, and it had a limited number of slots for processor boards. Sandy, being an average mathematician, quickly figured that there were not enough slots for the currently discussed plan. She spoke up and was quickly shot down, being told to leave those matters for the engineers. Well, imagine her satisfaction a bit later, when the “experts” reached her same conclusions – and they only had to use one hand!

After the Challenger disaster, I had more than a passing interest when I watched the shuttle launches. I was now part of the team responsible for its safety. I kind of bit my lip, hoping that all would be fine. I would start to worry a bit, but then I’d stop. I knew that I had done my absolute best to ensure success. I had double checked the sources. I had written clear sentences. I had included all the drawings. And, most importantly, I and my team mates had used our common sense to produce the best possible product. I could breathe a proud sigh of relief, and relax.