Welcome again to the SIG Spotlight, with our subject SIG this week, the Technical Editing SIG. Answers were provided by the SIG leadership in collaboration. The Spotlight is a weekly feature that gives a closer look at one of STC's communities, with a series of questions that range from the informative to the entertaining.
How many members do you currently have?
As of 11 November 2009, we have 2,070. We have SIG members from all over the world.
Who makes up the leadership of the SIG?
We just completed our SIG elections. SIG leaders for 2010 are:
- Jeffrey Japp and Vanessa Wilburn, Co-Managers
- Meredith Kinder, Past Co-Manager
- Charles Crawley, Treasurer
- Lori Meyer, Secretary
- Donna McManus, Membership Manager
Can you give me a one-sentence purpose of the SIG?
The Technical Editing SIG is a Special Interest Group of the Society for Technical Communication that focuses on issues related to technical editing. Read more at http://www.stc-techedit.org/About+the+SIG.
Who should join your SIG?
Anyone who wants to learn more about technical editing and its important contributions to our profession.
Who’s your best-dressed member and why?
We are a virtual community, so we do not see each other on a regular basis. For all we know, we are all in our underwear. 🙂
Brag a little bit, about anything you want.
We are very proud of our SIG website. Our SIG uses mashups, wikis, blenders, feeds, and more, to transform our website into a valuable information hub for members.
Additionally, we are proud to offer quarterly membership meetings to our members free of charge. At these meetings, we first discuss SIG business, and then we offer a presentation on a topic related to technical editing. Members listen live via telephone or download a recording from the archives.
Anything else?
We are also proud of the effortless ways we have set up to generate revenue, in addition to holding webinars for which we charge an attendance fee. We generate revenue for STC in the following ways:
- The Amazon.com widget on the website is tied to STC's merchant ID. All purchases made through this portal benefit STC.
- The GoodSearch.com widget on the website is tied to STC's account. All searches and purchases made through this portal benefit STC.
- The Buy Now links on each book on the Essential Reading page are linked to STC's Amazon.com account. All purchases made by using these links benefit STC.
- The SIG Toolbar includes a GoodSearch.com portal. All searches made by using the toolbar benefit STC.
How do you raise money for the SIG?
The SIG is a member of the PowWeb affiliate program. (PowWeb is the web host for the SIG's website.) There is a small PowWeb button/link at the footer of each page, and a brief description/link on the About the SIG page. The SIG earns a credit against our hosting fees for each referral made through either link.
Broadway makes a musical about your SIG. What would the title of the musical and the hit song be and why?
The title would be Stet with a hit song of, “My Little Red Pen.” [Ed note: Feel free to write lyrics and put them in the comments section.]
Say there’s a Summit ’10 Official Karaoke Contest, where you’re judged both by talent and significance of the song to your SIG. What song would you choose?
“Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles. This was the first video played on MTV. It ushered in a new era of popular culture. In the same way, the TE SIG is working to move STC into a new era.
What do you think your SIG would bring to an STC Potluck?
A hearty appetite! With over 2,000 members, we'll be quite hungry.
Hey there everyone,
I was looking forward to great information and gaining a lot of knowledge from the STC’s Wednesday seminars (webinars?). But now I see there is a fee of $80! I understand that STC had to cut back drastically, but this charge is way over the top.
I re-joined STC to continue to grow in our field and now fees like this just about makes this association useless. Have I wasted $250? There’s no way I can afford to attend the annual conference after calculating it would cost me over $1000, plus vacation time. Am I alone in my feelings?
How about leadership reconsidering.
Thanks for listening.