The tactical dialectic: reframing tactical technical communication through the writing practices of activists and technical experts

This dissertation explores the evolving role of Technical and Professional Communication (TPC) within digital platforms. While traditional TPC focused on institutional writing and technical documentation, the rise of user-generated content and algorithm-driven communication has expanded the field’s boundaries. Tactical Technical Communication (TTC), introduced by Miles Kimball, emphasizes every day, user-created content that resists institutional norms. However, based on Michel de Certeau’s The Practice of Everyday Life., TTC often relies on a binary framework that positions individual tactics in opposition to institutional strategies, This project proposes the Tactical Dialectic (TD) to better capture how technical communicators operate within and alongside institutional systems, especially in online environments. Rather than purely resisting structures, users navigate and adapt them to meet community and personal goals. Case studies include the activist group Emojination, which works within the Unicode Consortium to advocate for more inclusive emojis, and AI/ML researchers who publish in public forums to democratize access to technical knowledge. These examples reveal how technical writers use platform tools strategically while maintaining user agency. The Tactical Dialectic reframes TTC for the digital age, offering a model that accounts for collaboration, adaptation, and resistance within complex, networked systems of communication and control.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

English

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Avgoustopoulos, Rebecca E.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Gallagher, John R.
• Gallagher, John R
• Littlefield, Melissa M
• McNulty, Tess D
• Weber, Ryan P.

• Technical And Professional Communication
• Tactical Technical Communication
• Tactical Dialectic
• Michel De Certeau
• Digital Platforms
• Ai/ml Communication
• Online Technical Writing
• Case Study Methodology
• Networked Communication

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Rebecca Avgoustopoulos

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129811

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F129811