Tech Writer Today Magazine - TechWhirl
Technical writing and technical communications news, articles and resources for technical writers and technical communicators.
Spectrum 2013, the 54th annual conference of the Rochester Chapter of STC (Society for Technical Communication), is now accepting calls for proposals through January 4, 2013. "Why Not the Best?" is this year’s theme, focusing on expert creation and delivery of content, leaders, technology, and skills in the technical communication field. Continue reading ...
The hot July summer hasn't slowed down the technical communication industry from some really big announcements and releases. This week we have Pre-Conference Call for Proposals by STC Academic SIG, announcements from SmartBear, Vasont, and Parthenon Group. Continue reading ...
Back in October of 2011, debate raged on the TechWhirl email discussion list concerning the launch of the Society for Technical Communication's Certification Program. Al Martine and Connie Giordano sat down with Steve Jong, who chairs the STC Certification Commission to discuss the program history, application criteria, costs, and long-term plans. During the STC Summit, the first group of Certified Professional Technical Communicators (CPTC) were recognized. We thought it would be appropriate to publish the transcript of our original conversation. Continue reading ...
By now most STC Summit attendees are back at their desks ready to do battle with recalcitrant SMEs and unfocused management. TechWhirl returns to the homesteads today, with a new sense energy, lots of ideas, and a greatly enhanced network of colleagues, peers and friends who make up a large part of the technical communications community. Continue reading ...
The preparations for attending a technical communication event such as the STC Summit are always exciting—akin to the two-weeks-after-code-freeze-write-the-whole-user-manual exciting. TechWhirl will be there, as an exhibitor (stop by booth 115), as Lightning Talk participants (We’re scheduled on Wednesday), and providers of an STC Summit Pinterest Board and Storify wrapup (publishes next week). So while Twitter posts abound with notices about upcoming seminars, meetups, and departure announcements for those already heading to Chicago, Al and Connie are wrapping the normal week’s activities and just getting around to packing. Continue reading ...
During a talk with Alan Houser, the incoming President for the Society for Technical Communication (STC), we touched on his background, company, work in the STC, and his plans for the upcoming year. Alan talked about the Chinese proverb or the Chinese curse, which says “may you live in interesting times,” and how the current economic turmoil is impacting friends, colleagues and relatives. His vision for the STC in the coming year includes "working to assist our members while we leverage what I think is the most exciting time in the history of this profession." Continue reading ...
If you enjoyed last week's poll, or tend to indulge in the couch potato forms of recreation when not doing technical writing chores, then you should be ecstatic about this week's technical writing poll. We know that there were loads of great movies set in Chicago, now it's time for you to vote on the wonders of the small screen. Continue reading ...
We’ve begun to wonder if there’s a causal, or merely coincidental link, between prepping for one of the technical communications field’s biggest conferences and the rise in discussions around job hunting and career issues. Continue reading ...
Yes we admit it, this week's poll has more to do with looking forward to the STC Summit than with technical writing issues or trends... but it's tangentially related--honest. Movies are written, and there are some great ones set in that toddlin' town of Chicago. They have audiences, and great technical writers are supposed to know theirs. Movies rely on personas, so does a lot of technical writing. Great movies obviously make good use of visuals to demonstrate how do something important, or relevant or geeky or cool... you get the idea. Continue reading ...