It’s the middle of summer here in the States, and I always expect the level of activity to drop off drastically as technical writers, content strategists, and other information designers take some well-earned time off. Not much drop-off around here, at least for this week. Some great features, a helpful template, and several meaty discussions on the email discussion list (with apologies to the vegetarians among us) prove that even with the summer doldrums, there’s always something worthwhile for content professionals to talk about.
July’s edition of The Help Files provides some very helpful tips on the art of the cover letter, and Alyssa Fox is back with more useful insights on the world of agile and tech comm. If you organize or attend meetings (and who doesn’t?), Jill Parman’s Meeting Agenda and Minutes template can help you make the best of this bane of our existence.
Infographics, annotations, and distinguishing between the types of online technical content are just three of the discussions taking place on the email list right now. You can catch up, add to the debate, or post a comment in the community forums… any way you join in, you’re welcome in our community.
Have a great weekend!
-Connie and the gang at TechWhirl
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Tech Writer This Week for July 24, 2014The best technical communication articles on the web for the week of July 24th. |
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The Help Files: Cover Letter SpecialYour resume needs to be escorted to someone’s inbox. Your resume needs an explainer. Your resume contains your name, but it doesn’t say what position you’re applying for or demonstrate that you know something about the company. That’s what a cover letter does. |
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Meeting Agenda & Minutes TemplateThe Meeting Agenda & Minutes template contains an organized agenda to send out to team members before meetings. The meeting minutes portion captures notes, action items, and outstanding questions to send to attendees after the meeting. |
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Agile and Tech Comm: Adapting Your Review Cycle to Fit an Agile ModelPart of your content production process should include reviews, both for copyediting and technical accuracy. In an agile environment, different team members are required for each kind of review. To get timely edits and produce high-quality content, plan to include those reviews in the appropriate sprints. |
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Tech Comm, CXM and Consumer Protection Issues (poll)As consumers, most, if not all, of us can relate an experience where lack of knowledge caused some sort of harm. That speeding ticket… an extra interest penalty… Which begs this latest poll question: whether and when should tech comm and customer experience professionals take a role in dealing with consumer protection issues. |
Technical Communication News:
- Intelligent Content Conference Call for Presenters Now Open
- BigLever, MadCap Partner on Integrated Documentation Management and Product Line Engineering Solution
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