Tech Writer This Week – March 28, 2013 – TechWhirl
TechWhirl’s Weekly Roundup of the best technical communication, content, user experience, and technical writing posts on the web.
Storified by TechWhirl.Com· Thu, Mar 28 2013 07:25:28
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We bid a not-so-fond farewell to March this week, and look forward to a busy and content-filled April, which we’ll happily bring to you in Tech Writer This Week. We start with Danielle Villegas (techcommgeekmom.com), who posted on SlideShare the presentation she gave at the STC-PMC conference, called “How Did You Get That Tech Comm Job.” This is an extension of an earlier blog post. Elsewhere in Technical Communications, Scott Abel (econtentmag.com), asserts that quality often diminishes when product documentation is outsourced to overseas content factories like India. And Angel Candelario (angelcandelario1.wordpress.com) provides some basic guidance in preparing an online professional technical communications portfolio.
If you sometimes think that Content Strategy is a complicated video game with confusing rules, you’re not alone. Wander into the CS castle with Kat French (socialmediaexplorer.com), and learn a few content strategy lessons culled from Tomb Raider and Lara Croft. Then, Kat Liendgens (spectate.com) shares five handy tips for content curation. I am already following Kat’s second tip, which involves subscribing to Topsy, a social search engine. Dale Lovell (outbrain.com) has some good advice on using brainstorming techniques to create a coherent content strategy.
In User Experience, Patrick Cox (tympanus.net) tells us why you don’t notice the best user interfaces. Kevin Goldberg (ux.walkme.com) lists the top UX resources for those wading into user experience for the first time. If you think the debates on what technical writers really do cause some heat, you’ll appreciate the stir Dan Eden is causing as he ponders what user experience designers do, and what role the design part actually should play.
Google may have dropped another bomb this week. I heard a nasty rumor that Google Alerts is the next handy-dandy service to be axed. I lean even more heavily on the alerts than I *did* on Google Reader, which I have since abandoned for Feedly. In Career and Life, Lauren Indvik (mashable.com) describes another service that could substitute for Google Alerts. Read her post to discover the pros and cons of the keyword-tracking service she recommends. And Dan Sherman (linkedinadvice.com) shares 10 tips on using LinkedIn to land that perfect job quickly.
Technical Communications
STC-PMC Presentation of "How Did You Get That Tech Comm Job?"Last week, I had the privilege of doing my first professional presentation as a fully-fledged technical communicator. The STC-Philly Metr…
The Problem With Outsourcing Product Documentation OverseasIndia is fast becoming a global content factory. Its affordable, educated, English-speaking population makes the country a magnet for cos…
Professional Portfolio for Technical Communicators; Part IApplying for a job can be a stressful experience for anyone, but applying for a job with little or no experience has the added stress and…
Content Strategy & Curation
What Tomb Raider Can Teach You About Content StrategyThis weekend, my family rented the latest game in the venerable franchise. My husband and I can still remember playing the original Tomb …
Five Tips for Content Curation | Spectate Content MarketingContent curation has become an integral part of inbound marketing. It’s a great way to deliver more quality content to your audience and …
Developing a Coherent Content Strategy | OutbrainDale March 20, 2013 Content marketing is all about the creation of good content that attracts and engages with a target group; it is abou…
User Experience
A Great UI is Invisible | CodropsA user interface that is invisible and that provides seamless interaction possibilities will help the user focus on their goals and direc…
Best UX Resources for NewbiesWhen stepping out into the world of user experience, newbies may want to make the first step of their journey research-driven in order to…
"User Experience" / Daniel EdenDigital goods have been around for some time now. Graphical user interfaces haven’t really evolved all that much since the first ones pop…
Career and Life
Looking for a Google Alerts Alternative? Try ThisGoogle Alerts isn’t working. Updates from Google’s service, which pledges to notify users every time new search results appear for any ke…
LinkedInAdvice.com: 10 Tips For Finding Your Perfect Job Fast With LinkedInBy Dan Sherman How To Find Your Perfect Job With LinkedIn So, here are my 10 best tips that I share with my LinkedIn coaching clients to …
