Tech Writer Today Magazine - TechWhirl
Technical writing and technical communications news, articles and resources for technical writers and technical communicators.
Ideas and advice to help good Technical Communicators become great Technical Communicators.
Tech Writer Today’s Tech Writer Tips & Tricks column is sponsored by Adobe Systems, Inc. Download a 30-day free trial of Adobe FrameMaker 11 here.
In 2012, Techwhirl’s email discussion list was alive with opinion, facts, recommendations, suggestions, and ideas on technical writing, job hunting, planning and production of content intended to help users. As we close out the year, we thought it would be worthwhile to mine this vast expertise and provide you with some wide-ranging tips and tricks you can use in 2013 and beyond. Continue reading ...
We aim to produce documentation that is useful to users. That is, we want our users to find the right topics and use them to achieve their goals with the software. I use ten Documentation Usability heuristics, or rules of thumb, to design, evaluate, and course-correct technical content before the ship date. Using these heuristics can help content developers catch most structural errors, and provide insight into the actual user experience with the documentation. Continue reading ...
Users complain that they are only getting information they already know—and they’re not particularly interested in consuming this “obvious” content. Unfortunately, in the name of rapid production, much content that is written describes the obvious about features, and doesn't do justice to content that is truly valuable to those who want to consume it. Getting away from obvious content is at the heart of producing valuable technical content. Here are five tips to getting to valuable technical content. Continue reading ...
If there’s one thing that all technical writers can agree on, it’s that we never always agree on anything. Agreed? Moving from that logical quagmire into another one: I think we can also all agree that this rapid rate of technological change is having a large impact on our professional lives. What kinds of technological change am I talking about? Mobility, speed and bandwidth and connectedness from the use of social media. Time to develop good strategies for adapting to technology and workplace changes. Continue reading ...
Google is everywhere. Really. So it’s no wonder Google wants to help you migrate into the cloud, and they make it easy because their services work seamlessly and amazingly well with each other. If you have a Google Account, you have access to a plethora of programs and services, some of which you may not even be aware of, that can make your everyday life much more productive. These services can be a boon for technical communicators who want to break the chains of the old-fashioned desktop and move their digital lives onto personal, mobile, smart devices. Continue reading ...
It should come as a surprise to no one that we all hate to read technical documentation. Not just our end users, but us technical communicators too. So it should also come as no surprise that, over the last year or two, requests for video tutorials (standalone or as companions to written documentation) have been at an all-time high. The major leaders in this space (Google, Apple, Adobe, and Cisco) have already dedicated huge resources to video libraries. If you’re not making (or considering making) at least some video tutorials, then you’re about to be left behind. Continue reading ...
Over the years, many list members have posted their frustrations and their workarounds to the problems MS Office present to technical writers. At Techwhirl, we want to share some tips and tricks when it comes to MS Office application to hopefully make your life a little easier. Most of these you probably learned in your early days in technical writing…but in case you’ve forgotten or just missed them, here’s a summary of ten basic tips to make MS Office work for you. Continue reading ...
When technical communicators chat amongst themselves, vast quantities of really valuable information can be passed along, about tools, management techniques, trends, and lots of little ways to make the job go more smoothly. In 2011, Techwhirl’s email discussion list continued to provide a treasure trove of opinion, facts, recommendations, suggestions and ideas. As we close out the year, we thought it would be worthwhile to mine this vast expertise and provide you with some wide-ranging tips and tricks you can use in 2012 and beyond. Continue reading ...
A user interface can change as quickly as the sand that shifts under your feet when you’re on a beach close to the shoreline and a strong wave rolls in. The feeling can be quite similar, too. One moment you’re standing firmly on your own two feet. The next, you’re losing your balance and scrambling to find better footing. Continue reading ...