Orlando Chapter STC - 45th STC Conference

Professional Development

Notes from 45th International STC Conference
Anaheim, California, May 17-20, 1998

Barker is an internationally acclaimed futurist and inventor of the "Paradigm Shift".

Principle #1: The biggest breakthroughs in a field occur long before their need is perceived.

Internet: When DarpaNet started, nobody realized where it would lead
Cure for ulcers: Discovery of the causative agent, a bacterium, was actually made back in 1984 in Australia... it took a long time to take hold; there was much profit to be had in treating the symptoms.
Xerography: IBM was approached by Xerox and said, "Don't you understand we have carbon paper?"

Principle #2: The inventor of great breakthroughs rarely understands the significance at the time of the discovery.

Tennis racquet
Ulcer cure: The researcher who discovered the bacterium that causes ulcers and developed the cure (bismuth and cyclosporin) was not even a doctor, just an intern. And his first test was on himself.

Principle #3: The first problems solved with the new discoveries will be the problems that were "impossible" under the old technology.

Both groups and individuals seek balance in their lives...they don't want to "rock the boat." Innovation threatens that, which means that those who break boundaries will be criticized, even attacked. The degree of resistance will depend on the PERCEIVED level of change rather than the ACTUAL level of change.
In times of crisis, people will seek innovation, rather than resist it. (In essence, the boat is already rocking, so people are willing to take risk in order to restabilize it.)
The only point of view that counts on an innovation is the user's point of view, not the innovator's point of view.
Ten parameters governing whether a new idea will be accepted

#1. Upside, yes. Does the new idea have advantages over what the users are doing presently? Why should they make the change if it offers no advantage?

Edison's electric light... flexibility, precision, easy on eyes (vs gas). Safety actually wasn't a primary concern; people were already sed to the risk.
Airbags...will save your life.
Word processors... obvious usability advantage.

Edison... the light goes out (vs. a gas explosion)... no big downside
Airbags...they can kill children... major downside; forced adjustment. The speaker pointed out that the reason airbags were designed to open so explosively was that "some ass in Washington" decided to protect people even if they weren't using their seatbelts. If airbags were designed, instead, on the assumption that the only effective use would be with the seatbelts fastened, then they wouldn't have to open so explosively to save a belted person's life. In essence, then, we traded the lives of children for the lives of stupid people who won't buckle their seatbelts. "And that really pisses me off," Barker said.

#3. Simplicity. Does it look simple to the user? (It doesn't have to be simple, just look simple.)

Edison... simple for user (change bulb, change fuse, wait for power to come back on)
Salad in a sack... very simple for user, actually fairly complicated in production
Macintosh computer... simplified the arcane labyrinth of DOS to accommodate the average user.

Edison... users could try initially with just one light bulb in their house (risk control!)
Energy conservation in the home... one step at a time
Computers in cars... started with pollution control equipment, went to fuel injection, then on to the rest of the system (rather than introducing all at once), including a global positioning system (GPS). Anecdote: For a woman, the GPS computer voice chides: "You made a wrong turn." For men, it coos: "Would you like to try another way?"

#5. Familiar language. Can you use familiar words to describe the new idea? Avoid inventing a new vocabulary...jargon creates 2 opportunities for the user to be wrong (mispronunciation and not knowing the meaning)

Edison stole every word he could from the gas lexicon and applied it to the electrical system (gas burner became electric burner, gas socket became electric socket, gas main became main electrical line)
Introduction of the airplane... Billy Mitchell buried the generals in aerodynamic language; he got court-martialed. Moffett used terms like "very high altitude observation platform," "flying torpedo tubes," "flying-deck cruiser"; he was viewed as a genius.
Computer-ese... it wasn't really necessary

#6. Credibility. Does your reputation support your right to introduce this idea? If not, get somebody who does have the requisite credibility to introduce it.

#8. Reliable performance. Does the product perform dependably? How much down time is there? What is the tradeoff between the benefit of performance and the frustration of nonavailability?

Edison's first light bulbs lasted only 15 to 20 hours, but people still wanted them.
Timex... "It takes a licking..."
Federal Express... "When it absolutely, positively..."

#9. Easy in. Compared to present costs, what is the cost of instituting the new idea?

#10. Easy out. Can the user easily get out of the idea after starting to use it?

In summary, parameters #1 and #2 are mandatory. Get as many of the other 8 as possible. It only takes one excuse for a potential user to resist the idea.
Some parting advice for technical communicators:

It is critical to help people understand the technical aspects of the world.
This skill is only going to increase in importance.
Technical communicators must illuminate the options we have as we enter the 21st century; they must strive not to mislead people, but rather to make sure they can make decisions through the light of clear communication, not the fog of confusion.
Specific tips

Read outside your field
Look for anything different, anyone breaking the rules... and then figure out how it can be applied to solve problems in your area.
Establish certain areas of stability in your life...button-down shirts, return to religion, types of recreation. Not everything can be "rocking and rolling" constantly. Since technology will continue to rock the boat, it can be very important to stabilize other areas of our lives, ranging from the simple to the profound.

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