TechWhirl: Technical Communications Recap for January 27, 2012

Written by on January 27, 2012
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We’re approaching the end of our January focus on back to basics, and this past week as been chock full of all sorts of related topics on the technical writer discussion list and in the magazine. Deadlines, juggling, determining how much or if any documentation all factor into how you view quality and how your organization manages it. That seemed like a good segue to this week’s Technical Writer Poll on quality. And everything segues to our latest contest and the chance to Meet us in Memphis @WritersUA in March.

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Tech Writer This Week: January 26, 2012

Written by on January 26, 2012 · 1 Comment

Eye-catching posts, industry news and anything that we like from technical communications (and beyond). This week includes commentary on technical communication, content strategy, content curation, usability testing, user experience, and a grab bag of items for career and life. Read more of this technical writing article »

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Technical Communications Juggler: Balancing Work, Life and Writing Books

Written by on January 25, 2012 · Start the Discussion

It's a hard slog writing technical books, especially when juggling a full-time technical communications job and the usual set of family responsibilities. Structure and discipline are the keys to success. Here are some guidelines based on hard-won experience, to balancing the technical communications work, the personal life and the book writing dream. Read more of this technical writing article »

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Meet Us in Memphis @WritersUA Contest

Meet us in Memphis @WritersUA

Written by on January 24, 2012 · 1 Comment

TechWhirl is hitting the road again. We’re a small crew and need a couple of reporters to cover everything that's happening at Writers UA 2012 - the Conference for Software User Assistance. Here's your chance to be one of two (2) guest bloggers to help us report all the technical communications learning, user assistance, and UX happenings from the home of the blues. In fact we want you to meet us in Memphis @ WritersUA, March 11-14, 2012. Follow @WritersUA and @TechWriterToday, and tweet why we should select you to be a blogger. Read more of this technical writing article »

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Technical Writer Poll: Quality Control on Technical Communications Content

Written by on January 24, 2012 · 1 Comment

Most of the technical writers and technical communicators we know take pride in their work, and want quality to be a basic work ethic. But most of these same technical writers have significant pressure just to get the stuff out the door by set, too-short deadlines. So that begs the question, and thus this poll, about the kinds of quality control performed on technical communications content. Read more of this technical writing article »

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Technical Writing Basic Conundrum: Can Less Really Be More?

Written by on January 24, 2012 · 1 Comment

Technical writers should provide as much documentation as is required for a user to use a product to its fullest potential; and that documentation should be delivered in way that is usable and easily accessible to the user. This seems pretty straightforward, but why is it that so many companies still fail to do this; still fail to take their documentation seriously; still fail to adequately resource technical writing staff? Read more of this technical writing article »

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Technical Writing Skills Testing: Writing, Edits, and Editorials

Written by on January 23, 2012 · Start the Discussion

The responsibilities for a technical writing job can range from format meister to quasi-programmer, so employers are desperate to hang their hats on anything that’s a technical writing must-have. What if the technical writing test could test more than just editing? What if people were asked not just to edit, but to editorialize? Now that just might be really useful. Read more of this technical writing article »

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Technical Writing Tips & Tricks: Taming MS Office

Written by on January 23, 2012 · 2 Comments

Over the years, many list members have posted their frustrations and their workarounds to the problems MS Office present to technical writers. At Techwhirl, we want to share some tips and tricks when it comes to MS Office application to hopefully make your life a little easier. Most of these you probably learned in your early days in technical writing…but in case you’ve forgotten or just missed them, here’s a summary of ten basic tips to make MS Office work for you. Read more of this technical writing article »

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TechWhirl: Technical Communications Recap for January 20, 2012

Written by on January 20, 2012 · Start the Discussion

We hear the phrase “technical communications is at a crossroads,” or something similar, in a flurry of activity about once or twice a year. Perhaps it’s the nature of the technical communications profession to always be at some sort of crossroads, since we are the stewards of efforts to socialize and embed the always-changing technology within our cultures. If that’s true, we may need to start thinking of “change agent” as one of our many monikers. Read more of this technical writing article »

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