We here at TechWhirl (read Connie, me and about 20 volunteers) are always looking for better ways to collaborate since none of us live in the same city. Sure, there are plenty of tools for sharing information like, well the telephone or email; or if we go all web 2.0, the awesomeness that is Dropbox. But in our experiences, there are few, if any, really great collaborative work management tools out there that allow teams across time and space to effectively do work together in anything close to real-time. We had the opportunity to road test MindManager 2012 and MindJet Connect for our coverage of the LavaCon Conference and here's the report on how they performed. Read more of this technical writing article »
Book Review: Learning Author-it Version 5
I could save you a bit of time by just saying: If you want to learn how to use the Author-it authoring tool, then get this book. It's really just that simple, but if you want the back story.... Read more of this technical writing article »
Minute Bytes: How to Do Amazing Things with Adobe Acrobat
Adding bookmarks to PDF documents is key for improving the user experience with your documentation and your product. Minute Bytes' Julie Clarke demonstrates some surprisingly easy shortcuts that technical writers can use to add bookmarks to PDF documents in this 3.5 minutes how-to video. Read more of this technical writing article »
Book Review: The Secret Life of Word by Robert Delwood
While I was trying to keep Word’s new ribbons from getting tangled in my hair, Robert Delwood was unlocking and enabling the powerful automation available to all of us in Word 2003, 2007 and 2010. Written with the challenges of the technical writer in mind in an easy, accessible voice, The Secret Life of Word is a great resource ... Read more of this technical writing article »
Technical Writing on a Shoestring: Open Source Tools That Can Save Your Technical Writing Department Money
The current economic decline has decimated many technical writing department budgets. But, the demand for quality documentation and training material has not abated. As more companies compete for a smaller customer base, the ability to create software that is easy to use and that also provides the customer with a wide variety of options for help is critical. How can you, as a technical writer offer top-notch documentation and help materials on a tight budget? While there are several facets to this question, selection of tools is paramount. One of the most obvious ways to save money is to use open source, low cost, or free software. Read more of this technical writing article »
Let’s Chat About Instant Messaging
Sometimes the reasons for and against instant messaging in the workplace are less than clear and seemingly arbitrary. Strong and sensible policies regarding electronic collaboration can alleviate the concerns and set the right tone. Take the case of Greg and Laura. Greg’s a project manager wanting to make sure his far flung team can hit [...] Read more of this technical writing article »
Digital Asset Management (DAM) Systems and the Single Tech Writer
While being the sole technical writer on a team or in an organization can be exhilarating, it is not for the faint of heart. It requires flexibility, patience, a thick skin, and the ability to quickly transition from one task to another. For years, writers saddled with a shoestring budget and a plethora of data [...] Read more of this technical writing article »
Introduction to Content Management Systems
In this information age and with the advent of DITA’s topic-based writing practices, it’s not uncommon for companies to get completely overloaded by their own technical content: thousands or millions of files (maps, topics, and graphics, oh my!), versions, backups, resulting in terabytes of storage. And no one knows exactly what exists and where it [...] Read more of this technical writing article »
Replacing FrameMaker with OpenOffice.org Writer
Replace Adobe FrameMaker with OpenOffice.org Writer? Most people’s first reaction is amused disbelief. “FrameMaker is a hugely capable publishing product,” my editor at Newsforge admonished me. “OOo is a marginally competent word processor.” However, a functional comparison of several important desktop publishing features in both products shows that the products are more comparable than you [...] Read more of this technical writing article »