What is technical writing?

"Technical" is derived from the Greek word techne. Looking back to its origin, this means "skill." By breaking down the word into its simplest form, you can still manage to get a general understanding of the word without even consulting a dictionary for further reference. Just by looking at the word, one can infer that "technical" is in some way in, of, or demonstrating some kind of technique. Based on our knowledge, this makes perfect sense. Technicians, regardless of specialization, all share one common characteristic. All technicians have familiarized themselves with their specific line of work. In other words, they know what they are doing and how to address situations individually. I think this same principle can be applied to technical writing. William Shakespeare once said, "know thy audience." Every profession has to associate with different kinds of audiences. Lawyers, police officers, doctors, business managers, counselors, politicians etc., all have to at some time or another compose some kind of specialized writing to their respective audiences/clients. Like technicians, technical writers have to be knowledgeable and familiar with their audiences. This is what separates technical writers from regular writers. Technical writers have the edge. To me a technical writer can identify with their audience whereas a regular writer can't; at least to the same degree of effectiveness.