We introduce another new guest blogger today, Paula Robertson. Paula’s blog will explore the topic of editing—technical editing, editing as a skill, practical tips, personal stories, and whatever tangent that might lead to. She hopes to engage you in discussion Read more
As technical writers, we do not drive user acceptance, but we can influence it by writing about a system’s new features and functions, provide training, and answer users’ questions. I believe we can do a little more to help win Read more
The BBC has reported a man using the British Library’s wi-fi network was denied access to an online version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet because the text contained “violent content.” This news item was especially newsworthy in the UK, because David Cameron, our Read more
Now that it’s Back-to-School time at many universities and colleges, it’s time to think about tech comm academics. Not the studies of technical communications topics themselves, but rather the people who are learning these skills—the students. Students are an untapped resource, Read more
Guest post by Jose Sermeno, Product Evangelist, MadCap Software Here at MadCap Software we’ve seen a sharp increase in the number of tech comm professionals creating user groups to discuss tips, tricks, and best practices, learn to use new tools, Read more
One of the many advantages of getting older is that I’ve survived several U.S. recessions (1973-75, 1980-1982, 1990-1991, 2001-2003, 2007–2011). I even launched my business during a recession after experiencing two layoffs in the first seven months of 1990. I Read more
Over the last year, my company has had the good fortune to publish books on two popular trends: DITA and content strategy. I originally thought that developing publications related to new, interesting concepts would be easier than developing publications in Read more
One of the best ways to improve as a technical communicator is to attend technical communication conferences. They provide you with the opportunity to learn new skills, find out about new trends, pose questions to experts in the technical communications Read more
Studies have shown that people learn more effectively by “doing” in hands-on exercises and workshops than they do by “hearing” information in lectures and presentations. With that in mind, the Doc-To-Help team put together a series of three free, fun, Read more
One of the highlights of technical communication is that you hear a variety of viewpoints. Granted, technical communication contains a wide berth of overlapping topics, and debates on particular issues are going to happen. It’s what keeps our field innovative and progressive. Read more