---
title: "Blogging: A New Role for Technical Communicators"
date: 2009-04-08
description: "$( document ).ready(function() { // Handler for .ready() called. $("
canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/2009/04/08/blogging-a-new-role-for-technical-communicators/
---
# Blogging: A New Role for Technical Communicators
Although it may be early to tell, surely some keeping up with web trends is in order. As such, technical writers have somewhat of a new role to play (or at least to reconcile) in the realm of web 2.0. Of the various new media technologies writers could enter, perhaps none fits so well as the blog, since it consists mainly of writing.

A blog is merely journal-like content that readers can comment on and subscribe to through RSS. Whether marketed as a "blog" or not, the format of the blog is fairly pervasive. At least six types of blogs can be found online: 

- **Personal blogs **often detail thoughts and stories from regular people about their lives. Example: [Whataboutmomblog.com](http://whataboutmomblog.com/).

- **Professional blogs** are the same as personal blogs but focus**
**on a professional niche. Example: [Gryphon-mountain.net](http://gryphonmountain.net/).

- **Internal blogs** provide a focal point for teams to discuss and share ideas without worrying about public scrutiny or exposure. Example: SharePoint blogs.

- **Group blogs** provide a platform for a group of individuals to share their thoughts. Usually contributors take turns posting. Example: [Sciptorium.com/palimpsest](http://scriptorium.com/palimpsest).

- **Corporate blogs** present a single voice to a company, often commenting on news, issues, and products related to the company. Corporate blogs can also be group blogs. Example: [Author-it.com/blog](http://author-it.com/blog)

- **Product blogs** provide information about releases, enhancements, development, and other news related to a specific product or set of products. Example: [VisualLounge.techsmith.com](http://visuallounge.techsmith.com/)

The purpose of each blog may be different, but the overall goal is roughly the same: to connect and interact with readers on a more personal level.

## Who should blog?

Many times companies designate their marketing departments as the gatekeepers of the blog and relegate technical writers to the realm of procedural, how-to information only. This practice, however, devalues the knowledge and writing abilities of technical communicators.

In the first place, many technical communicators have strong writing backgrounds and often aspire to write novels and pursue other literary endeavors. They usually turn to technical writing as a means of financial sustenance only. For these individuals, the blog format can provide a paradise for their creative side. It can be a format that provides a needed break from procedural writing and gives them the variety they need for a more creatively fulfilling career.