One of the most important lessons for us to learn in life is that change is inevitable. We cannot prevent change from happening. Why is this? It is because change is always at work, always. No two moments are alike and no two experiences are alike. Let us imagine you take a trip with a friend to a beautiful place and you have a great time there. Then, say, ten years later, you take the same trip with the same friend to the same place. Is the experience the same? Indeed not. Why? Because change has caused alot of elements of the previous experience to be replaced with other ones.

As a Technical Writer, the way that I deal with change is by being able to divide common and fundamental software elements from those that change. Perhaps the basic logic or flow of a software system remains the same, but the interface has changed due to new operating systems or platforms that the users have now (for example, everybody upgrades from Windows 2000 to Windows XP).

Many Technical Writers like to use the Appendix of a User Guide to deal with changes to a system. I disagree with this. A good Technical Writer is always able to incorporate new and old elements of a system in the same written manual. Perhaps there will be new notes or comments throughout the manual, but it is better to actively notice and recognize new and different things, so that you help the user transition into the new release.

My advice to all working professionals and students is the same here. Get used to change, because this is the essence of life and commerce. It is impossible to recreate the same thing twice, no matter how hard you try. So, if there is a writing style or programming style you enjoy, that is great. But at the same time be open to change. The possibility of change will enable you to replace outdated techniques and ways with new ones.

Change always happens for the best, I believe.