I recently had a conversation with someone about how the profession of technical writing, which was practically unheard of 20+ years ago, has grown and blossomed in recent years and will only continue to grow. Why? Because years ago, everyone knew how to use a telephone - just plug into the jack and dial. There were hardly any consumer electronic devices that were not self explanatory. Remember your first microwave? Here is a picture of the one I grew up with:

(Hey, I just realized the keypad looks remarkably similar to the touch screen on my new Samsung Galaxy phone!)

Your old microwave probably had a start button and a dial or selection option to set the time. If it was really advanced, you might have had the option to select your power as well. But it definitely did not have a popcorn button, frozen entrée button, or delayed start and auto-cook options. My first microwave’s instructions could have easily been written by the temp answering the phones. But documentation for today’s and tomorrow's consumer products and enterprise technologies require an understanding and knowledge not only of “how stuff works” but also why.  Here's Corning's idea of what your future will look like: 

If you “know” something to be true, why on earth would you question it? Because sometimes the things we know to be tried and true turn out not to be. Here’s a really good example:  you “know” that kids need a summer vacation so they can take a breather and – of course – go to camp! But historically, kids were given a break to do neither of these things, but rather because they were needed around the farm to help out with the summer harvest. This was fine when the majority of the world was working the land, but in the 21st century, we need a new paradigm. Today, more and more charter schools are reporting success with year-round schooling that includes shorter breaks throughout the year. The key to success here is to constantly be questioning, reevaluating and throwing out old assumptions. 

The same applies to technical writing. Why are we still producing PDFs and even 1600 page printed manuals in volumes when we know that today’s users learn best from online help, wikis, videos and graphics? We need to present information in the way that people will use it, absorb it and remember it. This Jay Leno video illustrates perfectly what happens when you present material the wrong way to your target audience: