Intercom: April 2008

Intercom, the magazine of the Society for Technical Communication, is published to provide examples and applications of technical communication that will promote its readers' professional development.

The April 2008 issue focuses on DITA.

Feature Articles

DITA Tools from A to Z: Doyle introduces readers to the major DITA tools for editing, content and translation management, and publishing.
DITA and the Technical Communicator: How will DITA conversion affect your work? Sigman shares what she's learned from her own survey of technical communicators.
Building a DITA-wiki Hybrid [ FREE! ]: At first glance, DITA and wikis are so different that attempting to combine them seems foolish. But many innovators are experimenting with projects that cross the DITA-wiki borderline.
Tailor-made DITA: DITA is known for the rigidity of its structure, but technical communicators have opportunities to adapt it to their content through specialization, a term that refers to the customization of DITA structures.
DITA in Business: The Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) has formed a new committee for encouraging the use of DITA in all areas of business. Readers can learn how to work with their organization to make the sharing of DITA content possible.

Departments

Cut & Paste
Cut & Paste: This month's topics include the operations manual for a laboratory on the international space station, DITA support for Adobe FrameMaker 8, and a tour of mural art in Philadelphia—site of the 2008 Technical Communication Summit.
F.Y.I.
F.Y.I.: Check this listing for upcoming events of interest to technical communicators.
Witful Thinking
Eschatalogical Prognostications for the 2028 Technical Writing Industry: A frequent Intercom contributor makes some bold predictions for the near-future of technical writing.

Society Pages

Outdoor Activities in Philadelphia [ FREE! ]: William Penn's 1682 plan for Philadelphia allowed for generous amounts of outdoor space. When visiting Philly for the STC Technical Communication Summit, take advantage of these suggestions for outdoor fun.
Howard Rheingold Selected as Keynote Speaker [ FREE! ]: Author and technology consultant Howard Rheingold will deliver the keynote address at the opening session of the 2008 Technical Communication Summit in Philadelphia, PA, June 1–4.
Exhibitor Directory [ FREE! ]: View a list of the companies that will be in the Exhibit Hall at the Summit.
Stay on Top of Your Career at the STC Summit [ FREE! ]: The certificate programs and institutes offered at the Summit allow in-depth exploration of hot topics in technical communication.

Columns

Ethics Case
The Engineered Résumé [ FREE! ]: A proposal specialist must decide whether to pursue more information about a new coworker whom she has reason to suspect was dishonest during the hiring process.
The XML Strategist
The Hidden Cost of DITA: Many people see DITA architecture as a shortcut to avoiding content modeling. O'Keefe warns readers against this mistake.
Beyond the Bleeding Edge
Converging Silos and Paradigm Shifts: The high-tech industry has always had silos, or areas of specialization that complement each other but are separate—often so much so that many practitioners don't even know the other silos exist. When these silos converge, they often have far-reaching consequences.