Intercom: November 2009

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.

No theme this issue.

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The Complete November 2009 Issue

Feature Articles

When Statecraft Fails: Tips on Surviving the Great Game

By: Geoffrey J. S. Hart, Fellow

Following up on his article in the September/October issue, Hart explores how to avoid “rats” in office politics and offers advice on combating coworkers who might not have your best interests in mind.

Putting Ourselves in Someone Else’s Shoes

By: Julie Henning, Member

“Know your audience” is a standard rule of writing, and Hennig shows how that applies to technical communicators. By looking at your project from the point of view of the end user, Hennig illustrates, you can provide a better document and improve your company’s bottom line as well.

Style Manuals: The Politics of Selection

By: Elizabeth G. (Bette) Frick, Associate Fellow, and Elizabeth A. (Betsy) Frick, Associate Fellow

Bette Frick and Betsy Frick discuss how a style manual can save time and money, how to select the proper style manual and get buy-in, and how to create a style guide to use in conjunction with a style manual.

Editors and Designers: 6 Ideas for Better Collaboration [ FREE! ]

By: Erin Hallmark, Member, and Marla Sowards

Hallmark and Sowards demonstrate how collaboration between all involved in a project can improve the final product, improve the bottom line, and improve your own knowledge base. By understanding the point of view of your collaborators, you can present information better and be sure they understand your point of view better as well.

Single Sourcing Help Content for Software Manuals

By: Robert P. Mohr, Senior Member

Mohr details a method by which you can single-source content from an online help system to produce a manual for the same software application.

Intern Orientation 101

By: By Roger Munger, Member, Lori Pennington, and Sara Brooks

Munger, Pennington, and Brooks offer suggestions and advice on how to best acclimate a new intern to your organization for best results for both the company and the intern.

Departments

F.Y.I.

F.Y.I.

Check here for upcoming events of interest to technical communicators.

Off Hours

Romancing the Reader

By: Tara Ebrahimi

Diane Wylie is not only a technical writer but also a writer of historical romance novels. Read how the two types of writing compare and how they differ.

Society Pages

Society Pages [ FREE! ]

Read a letter from STC President Cynthia C. Currie on STC’s 2010 dues structure and membership benefits, information on STC’s 2010 international competitions, a look at things to do in Dallas (site of the 2010 Summit), and tips about SIGs.

Columns

Media Matters

So What’s Up with Screen Captures?

By: Marc Lee, Member

In this first column on media matters, Lee discusses screen captures, including quality, manipulation, file type, file size, and more.

All Access

Accessibility—Good Business, Best Practice [ FREE! ]

By: Linda Roberts, Senior Member, and Lisa Pappas, Associate Fellow

Roberts and Pappas introduce their new column on accessibility by showcasing how accessibility can be a good business practice and increase a company’s bottom line.