Trends in Technical Communication: Improvement or Impediment?

Faxes, e-mails, virtual meetings, work at home, face time and other technical advances have reduced in-person contacts among engineers and scientists working in the same or related fields. A technologist might assume that rapid-fire on-line communications improves technical development, while a gregarious individual might believe that the lack of in-person gatherings impedes progress. Both are probably correct, depending on the circumstances. However, studies have shown that in-person discussions provide valuable contributions to investigations and scientific studies. The engineering and scientific communities must determine whether the current trend toward minimizing in-person gatherings is an improvement or an impediment to progress.