The July/August 2016 issue of Intercom, sponsored by Adobe, provides an assortment of articles on topics including writing and editing, simplified technical English, content marketing, mobile change, and teaching practice with theory. In the lead article, Ferry Vermeulen offers a technique he calls the “thumbs-up” approach to writing clearer documentation. By applying the ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English Specification in three steps, he explains how technical writers can improve the quality of translated content, decreasing costs and creating a better user experience.
In “Changing the Rules in an Old, Established Game: Editing in Engineering-Based Government Agencies,” Sarah Buttram analyzes the challenges editors face when they are embedded within engineering agencies, and she offers editors’ advice and acceptable approaches for working with engineers, such as using templates and styles, using the proper tone with scientific authors, and explaining the editing process.
Have you been asked to write email copy for your job? Many technical communicators are working in content marketing for products and services, and this often means writing mass emails to reach a target audience. In her article “The Subject Line: Are You Doing It Wrong?” Danielle Karr provides advice on how to improve and perfect an email subject line.
STC Fellow Neil Perlin has written an overview on how he thinks mobile will change technical communication, including what technical communicators need to do today to prepare and what they need to start thinking about for the future. He advises us to rethink business models and what “mobile” means, focusing on a mobile-first mentality. He also suggests that technologies such as “true” apps, new interfaces, adaptive content, content customization, and cross-device state preservation will lead the way with tomorrow’s technical communicator.
And related to what tech comm professionals need, Tiffany Price calls on professors in technical and professional communication classrooms to stress and balance the importance of theory and practice, so new technical communicators in the workforce are prepared for the global economy.
This issue also includes contributions by two guest columnists for the Standard Deviation and the Ethics columns. And in the Society Pages, two students award winners share their experiences creating infographics for the Student Infographic Competition awarded at the Summit in Anaheim, CA, in May.
Deadlines have been posted for STC’s academic awards—Sigma Tau Chi and Alpha Sigma Honor Societies, the Jay R. Gould Award, and the Ken Rainey Award. And it’s time to start working on your Associate Fellow and Fellow applications. Deadlines and instructions are included in this issue. I hope many of you will read the qualifications and nominate someone for these prestigious awards.
