Reading #5: Ch. 8

Chapter eight took a rather different approach to the topics of technical writing than most of the other chapters we have read so far, and introduced a few new ideas. The notion of wicked vs. tame problems was something that  I had never heard of before. As I understood it, a wicked problem is one that does not operate by a set of rules or within a stable/reliable environment whilst a tame problem, like chess or any other game, is reliable and predictable. This seems like a very important idea that will end up being central to any technical writing environment. Working with incomplete software or other designed products that are either still being tested or have not yet been tested is something that is discussed in the chapter and sounds like a common occurrence in the real world. "The information that technical communicators produce is as much formed by our technological contexts as it it forms our technological contexts." I found this to be the most interesting and important message of the chapter, and further emphasizes the idea that technical communicators need to be able to adapt and roll with changes quickly and effectively or they will be left behind. The section about the change in phone technology was fascinating as well, dealing with the change from "your calls" to "my calls." It really shows the massive shifts that technology has and will continue to undergo as we continue into the twenty first century.