TechWhirl: Technical Communication Recap for January 4, 2013

This week’s update on technical communication and the TechWhirl community is supported by Platinum sponsor ComponentOne & their Doc-To-Help Help Authoring Tool | http://bit.ly/doc-to-help

Happy New Year! How many times have you typed the wrong year in the last four days? Generally it takes the gang at TechWhirl about a month to get used to typing the correct year, but there’s always at least one or two obsessive proofreaders among the vocal technical communication community, so we’re not too worried that 2012 will show up in the wrong place.

Four days into the new year, how many resolutions have you broken thus far? Or did you make any? Wander over to this week’s technical communication poll and let us know what kinds of professional resolutions you’re making (and we hope keeping.)

So many traditions to uphold… Looks back at the previous year, looks ahead to what might happen in the year before us… At TechWhirl we do our part to uphold them all. Before we rang in the new year, Mike McCallister gave us a great summary of the top articles of 2012, and Craig Cardimon treated us to a recap of the top poll questions of the year. Then Connie Giordano programmed her virtual GPS to see what trends are shaping up for technical communication in 2013.

As you ease back into the work schedule, we hope you find a few minutes to peruse TechWhirl, or start a conversation on the email discussion list. It’s always better to roll into the new year with a few friends and colleagues to share the journey … Perhaps one of our traditions should be to create some new clichés for the new year?

Have a great weekend!

-The gang at TechWhirl

	Tech Writer This Week for January 3, 2013 Our first roundup of the new year takes a look at minimalist tech writing, process documentation, and the need for better tech writing tools. We offer some good pieces to ponder in content strategy, and a look at treating users like children and gradual engagement to win over users. And as always, we finish on a lighter note with some advice and recommendations in Career & Life.
	A Vision of 2013: Five Technical Communication Trends Now that we see 2012 in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to reset the GPS to identify and track the technical communication trends that will shape what we do and how we do it in 2013. We’ve compiled this list–UX, mobile, responsive design, branding and globalization–through our experience, by noting trends on our email discussion group, and by monitoring the community at large.
	Technical Communication Poll: Professional Resolutions for 2013 A new year always means new resolutions. Rather than the tried, true and tiresome promises to lose weight, eat healthy, exercise regularly and be nicer to the kids and the dog, TechWhirl wants to focus this first technical communication poll of the new year on practical, achievable and ultimately satisfying resolutions to make our professional lives easier and more successful.
	Top Technical Communication Polls of 2012 One of the best things about the end of the year is the chance to reflect on what happened all throughout it. TechWhirl has published (almost) weekly technical communication polls on questions about the field, its participants, and its idiosyncrasies.

Technical Communication News:

Tech Comm Jobs:

Technical Communication Job Summary December 30, 2012

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