I knew various combinations of ink and paper for around a few millennia with the discovery of the dead sea scrolls, but as Fischer wrote, 5,000 years (Fischer, 2011) was unimagined. Pen and paper persist for contemporary technical communicators, but new writing technologies have developed dramatically over the last two decades. Now, the latest tools always connect us to a network of spies, capturing our every move. Such as touch screen devices and smartphones that only rotate to the best camera position. What is next now we have widely available eye-tracking systems for usability research, marketing, inexpensive and expansive digital storage. I wonder if Technical Communication will replace crime fighters with a few digital Police. This 2015 publication in Technical Communication Quarterly inspires me to wonder if our prison population is steadily declining.
My research topic is Zipline Braking Accidents-M. Troy Richardson
ReplyDeleteThere are approximately 6-7 accidents per 100,000 riders on zip lines; over half of those accidents are caused by braking problems. An operator error and the absence of an emergency brake in the landing area contributed to the incidents. I am a zip line designer, builder, retailer, and expert witness in 2002, designed and built the primary and secondary braking system at the Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR), one of few accident-free zip lines. As an expert witness in zipline accident cases, I developed a handheld passive braking zipline trolley and barrel-shaped spring dampening system, with patents pending in 2019 and 2020. In 2021, I began wholesaling my barrel-shaped spring system in 2021. I'm well-known among zipline companies, inspectors, and builders. I will write an article using mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) and literature reviews to encourage better zip line braking systems.