TechWhirl: Technical Communication Recap for November 30, 2012

This week’s update on technical communication and the TechWhirl community is supported by Platinum sponsor Adobe & their Technical Communication Suite 4 | http://adobe.ly/scpwfT

Usually the week after a long holiday weekend finds the email discussion list operating in low key mode, but this week is proving to be a delightful exception. TechWhirlers are a wide-ranging, eclectic breed, and conversations include Craig Cardimon’s request for tips on writing proposals, Julie Stickler’s musings on the philosophy of appendices, and Nancy Allison’s quest for tips for term-mining, as well as discussions on iconography, and international benefits of joining the STC.

Eclectic interests and the ability to engage on a wide variety of subjects is part of why we enjoy the technical communication field so much. Its practitioners don’t usually fit the stereotypes, and in the long run that makes society better for everyone. This week’s poll asks about fields that present interesting and productive opportunities for technical communicators, while Lois Patterson provides a glimpse into one of those areas with her essay on attending SXSW Eco. And Rachel Houghton recounts a LavaCon session by Corey Ganser that talks tech comm as superheroes. An eclectic week indeed… and one we hope you’ll enjoy.

Have a great weekend!

-The gang at TechWhirl

	Tech Writer This Week for November 29, 2012 Tech Writer This Week has great stuff to look forward to before that long winter’s nap we seem to be missing out on. So before you snuggle down for a snooze, join us as we wander the neighborhoods of technical communication, content strategy & curation, user experience, and career and life..
	Technical Communication Poll: Most Intriguing Fields for Tech Comm Helping society can produce a wide range of career opportunities every bit as professionally and rewarding as the volunteer side. Much of what we see in “mainstream media” depicts technical communications in fairly limited, stereotypical ways. We don’t have to look far to see a whole range of industries and economic sectors where communication is critical, and technical communicators have tremendous opportunities.
	What Makes a Superhero? Doing what Others Can’t and/or Won’t Corey Ganser shows that technical communication nirvana is actually possible, since his Mindtouch customers practice it every day. His lively session covered the ways customer support departments, technical writing teams, and product teams are coming together through a centralized documentation community. Real companies use the Mindtouch product to be superheros …
	SXSW Eco: A Technical Communicator’s Experience Like some other lucky people, I won free passes to SXSW Eco, a conference “committed to finding solutions for a sustainable world,” which was held October 3-5 this year. I am not an ecologist, city planner, or environmental engineer. Would I be able to get anything from a conference that was quite far from my typical work life? As it turned out, most definitely.

Technical Communication News:

Mindjet Tasks Features Mobile Team and Project Management Modules | http://bit.ly/WXZrqP

Tech Comm Jobs

Technical Communication Job Summary November 24, 2012 | http://bit.ly/U5ACCi

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