Lesson 8: The Tools of the Trade
The Great Tool Search
Just because something is the most popular tool used by technical writers doesn't mean it's the best tool for you to use. Look around and see what the options are. Try a few out, if possible, then choose the one that's right for you.
There's more to life than just writing - from time to time almost all technical writers need to create technical diagrams, take screen shots, edit HTML files, and do other tasks beyond strictly putting words on the page. Each of these tasks will involve using other tools and sometimes finding simple, easy-to-use tools for these secondary tasks can save an enormous amount of time.
Part of being a technical writer is keeping up with trends and with the tools of the trade. The tools discussed in this lesson will provide a nice starting point, but ultimately you'll need to form your own collection of applications needed to get your job done.
