TechWhirl: Technical Communication Recap for April 19, 2013

technical communication recapThis week’s extraordinary events-especially those in Boston and in Texas–seem to cry for pause in normal activities. It’s hard to concentrate on topic-based writing or CMS trends when carnage is literally occurring before our eyes.  But “normalcy” is often the thing that helps steady us and give us perspective. It’s important to get on with work, and play, and living in general, knowing that these events change us, shape us, in ways that demonstrate our common humanity. Thus we continue publishing content to help our technical communications community identify where the jobs are, to evaluate the Write The Docs event , and to ponder the curated commentary from thought leaders across our disciplines.

TechWhirlers on the email discussion list  stay remarkably on topic, answering mundane tool questions, searching for feedback on new approaches to thorny tech comm problems, and above all, demonstrating that a professional community is just one part, although an important one of the lives we lead.

Enjoy this communication recap and have a great weekend.

-Connie and the gang at TechWhirl

 Tech Writer This Week

Tech Writer This Week for April 19, 2013

Along with the cliché that “No one reads the manual,” it is also cliché that technical writers are often the last to possess knowledge that is critical to their projects. Tech Writer This Week aims to demolish the clichés, by providing some timely and trending information about stuff that matters to technical communicators. Technical writing as art, going beyond the words in communication, user experience and wearable computers, adding value to content curation, and so much more to explore.

 where the jobs are in technical writing

Where the Jobs Are in Technical Writing

While for some the choice to become a technical writer is obvious, the industry one chooses to work in is just as important as the initial decision to become a technical writer. If you are about to head out with newly minted degree in hand, or looking for a new opportunity, finding out where the jobs are in technical writing and other tech comm fields marks one of the biggest steps you can take.

 Write the Docs Conference

Conference Review: Inaugural Write the Docs Conference

I first heard about Write the Docs conference, held in Portland, OR, on April 8-9, on the TECHWR-L email discussion list. But when I first looked at the conference schedule, I thought, “Wait, not a single name involved sounds familiar. Who are these people?

 content management roles

Technical Communication Poll: Roles in Enterprise Content Management

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?

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