Mastering Communication Technically

Jennifer Daryl Slack addresses philosophies and theories concerning the roles of technical communicators. In this case she questions the role of a technical communicator by examining Michel Foucault's idea of what an author's task entails-that is to characterize the existence, circulation and operation of certain discourses within a society. According to Slack, a technical communicator, though he/she transmits messages or translate meanings, can begin to be established as an author. In looking at the three models of communication- transmission, translation and articulation-Slack suggests that the power of technical communicators should be held responsible just as they are recognized. Meanwhile, Steven B. Katz evaluates the ethical and power issues in technical communication, reasoning that most technical communication is deliberative. This, as Katz states, is based primarily on arguments of expediency rather than worth or goodness. Basically, what Slack and Katz are trying to convey is that it is important to understand technical discourses and its role in articulation, as well as the ethical standards in deliberative discourses.

Interfaces and Ideologies

In "The Politics of the Interface," Cynthia and Richard Selfe, Jr. examine the use of computers in Engilsh Composition classes. They began by primarily focusing on computer interfaces, which are described as cultural maps of computer systems that order the virtual world. According to the Selfes, what is mapped in computer interfaces are both ownership and opportunity. Furthermore, the reality of such interfaces are trapped in the perspective of modern capitalism. The role of interfaces in society places a a stigma on race, class and cultural priviledge. First of all, they serve to reproduce English as the language of choice, leaving little room for non-English cultures to explore. Also, students who want to use computers are continually confronted with these grand narratives which places a value on middle-class, corporate culture. While interfaces present an issue in every social facet, the Selfes recommend that English teachers prepare themselves and students to map out these virtual spaces for what they truly are by simply acknowledging the complications . Only then will their awareness guide their actions. In Ben and Marthalee Barton's "Ideology and the Map," they seem to suggest that the ideology of visuals sustain relations of domination. In such case, visual representations in general are seen as complicit with social-control mechanisims inextriably linked to power and authority. Overall, the ideas behind both readings reveal that interfaces and maps are intricately systemized to cater to a specific social group.