Keynote Presentation TCUK16 - Ray Gallon

Recording of Ray Gallon's keynote presentation at Technical Communications UK Conference 2016.

Technological change advances at a dizzying rate, we are all inundated with a host of names and acronyms that we can barely manage. We’re urged to “be creative” at the same time that we must follow orders. Information changes in the time it takes to verify it. Welcome to chaos!

You can fight against the tide, trying to make order, or you can accept that we will never know it all, will never master it all, but we can deal with it all.

One of the major currents in the maelstrom is called Industry 4.0, and its combination of Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things promises to totally change the way we live. Technical communicators will not be exempt. We’ll still need technical information, but we aren’t going to be producing it “the way we’ve always done it.”

We’re going to glimpse ahead to how our industry is changing, even now, and how we need to adapt ourselves and our skills – for survival, for sanity, and for success in a world without documents.

http://technicalcommunicationuk.com/

The Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators is the largest UK body representing information development professionals. Its members create or manage information that has an impact on people. This includes creating user guides, manuals, installation instructions, operating and safety procedures, business processes, training materials and software user assistance. We encourage professional development, training courses in technical communication, standards, research resources and networking opportunities for our members and industry affiliates. The ISTC also promotes the value of technical communication and the profession.