Tech Writer Today Magazine - TechWhirl
Technical writing and technical communications news, articles and resources for technical writers and technical communicators.
It's trendy, it's controversial. And it appears to be "the next big thing" that will impact the field of technical communication. Content management at the enterprise level, in some ways, is a no-brainer. Reduce the time and effort it takes to create and maintain content for all the various stakeholders of any organization, and the benefits are tremendous. And technical communicators are best suited to this enterprise content management stuff, right? Continue reading ...
TechWhirl celebrates 20 years of conversation, debate, and knowledge sharing in March, having started as the first email discussion list for technical writers back in March of 1993. Our technical communication recap, including this week’s technical communication poll shows how some questions, and the ensuing debate, seem to be eternal. Like the “Purpose of Tech Comms Today” thread, started by Steve Janoff, which asks whether technical communication has a chance in the face of instantaneous searches, user forums, and such. Continue reading ...
Maybe it’s just March, we all seem to be dealing with a bit of madness (go Rams!) so it seems an appropriate subject for this week’s technical communication recap. Whether you’re fitting your regular work in around checking your NCAA brackets, or being admirable professionals who prioritize the tech comm work first, you had a lot to keep your eyes on this week. Continue reading ...
Having survived International Pi Day without a cataclysm of calories, it’s now time to beware the Ides of March. Over here at TechWhirl it means the end to another week of interesting content, features and reviews, and a little history for our weekly technical communication recap. Continue reading ...
TGIF—it’s been a busy week here at TechWhirl, and we’re ready for a little winding down time, with our technical communication recap. Product reviews, a Fast Five Interview with the folks at MadCap Software, a new technical communication poll, and a curation of the best of the web in technical communication and content management. Continue reading ...
Perhaps in the past, the only folks in technical communication who had to worry about translation were those working for the very largest of companies, or in academia. These days, multiple language web sites, help systems, and a variety of materials printed in at least a few languages are the norm rather than the exception. We want to gauge how professionals are currently handling translation and localization work. Continue reading ...
Our technical communication recap this week looks at the controversial as well as the informative, coming at the end of a big week in the news. It’s actually a bit refreshing to see the current debate raging about something other than style, formatting, or tool issues. Telecommuting is front and center in technical communication this week as are processes and technology for content management systems. Continue reading ...
Today may only be the fifth day, but we feel somewhat inclined to take a rest (Friday just has that effect, no matter how the rest of the week worked out). If you’re slowing down at the office, ready to drift into the weekend, it’s probably a good opportunity to at least look like you’re working. Enjoy the entire week's worth of humor, how-to and hullaboo about tech comm, just as it happened on TechWhirl. Continue reading ...
As much as we would all like to have perfect relationships with all of our colleagues, superiors, and clients, the real world just never seems to work that way. Sometimes they just don't agree with, or like the work you're producing... which can cause a collision between worlds that makes last week's meteor strike look like a light show. What tactics do you use to respond when someone has a problem with your work? Continue reading ...