A proud papa moment: My daughter told me that she wants to follow in my footsteps and become a technical writer! She discussed the possibility with her manager at work and asked me for advice on how to get started.
The first thing I wanted to do was direct her to the premier organization for technical writers, the Society for Technical Communication (STC). I first went to the website of our local branch, and it was gone. Then I went to the main website, stc.org. It was gone too. Puzzled, I went to the Wikipedia page about the STC. There, I found that heartbreaking verb, “The Society for Technical Communication (STC) was a professional association dedicated to the advancement of the theory and practice of technical communication…” The STC had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and ceased operations on January 29, 2025.
I hadn’t been an STC member for a long time. Companies generally pay for STC memberships for their technical writers. The decision of my employer to stop paying for STC memberships wasn’t just a financial one. We were finding limited value from participating in the STC. Since the pandemic, the idea of gathering at local chapter meetings and regional and international conventions lost its appeal.
But at its prime, the STC was the core of the technical writing community.
I first got involved in STC when I started working at AST in 1986. STC chapter meetings were a must. We learned about the latest trends in the industry and met with others in our profession. And there were the annual conventions, usually in a different city in North America. To be chosen to go on one of those trips was a cherished perk. When the convention was in Minneapolis in 2007, I visited my brother Randy and went to a Twins game when they still played in the Metrodome.
What was even better than attending a conference was being asked to speak at one! I was a speaker at several regional conferences and the International conference in Anaheim in 1998.
Then there were the competitions. Winning awards was a matter of pride for many technical writing departments I worked in. It was a way to get recognition from executives who generally overlook user documentation. The highest award I won was an Award of Excellence (second place) in the International competition in 1997. It’s something I’ve put on my resume ever since, even though the plaque itself has gathered dust in my office.
STC is now gone, but what does that say about the profession of technical communication? Does losing our premier organization mean that technical writing is dead as a career? Of course not. If anything, the spread of technology into every aspect of our lives makes providing clear and useful instructions more important than ever. However, the ways of building community in a profession have changed. An example of this comes from my other vocation, novel writing.
Black Rose Writing, the publisher of my novels Amiga and The Remainders, has a dedicated Facebook group for its authors. There, we share ideas, swap reviews, and set up author interviews with each other. Several interviews that appeared on my website and newsletter came from those discussions. Mostly, we support each other through the challenges of publishing and promoting our books. One of our authors posted, “As a member of this group, I am occasionally reminded how special it is to have such a supportive cast of authors, some I call good friends.”
Today, we build community online on social media, professional sites like LinkedIn, message boards, and mailing lists. We can connect globally in the convenience and safety of our homes and offices. No more membership and meeting fees, and no costly travel. Still, I miss the camaraderie of gathering with others in our profession, meeting face-to-face, and showing off our skills by giving presentations and competing in contests. And I miss the pride of having our profession represented and promoted by a premier international organization.
