#14132
The long-awaited summary of Tech Writing Folklore and Minstrelsy!
TECHWR-L (1998). Humor>Writing>Multimedia>Audio
#14300
Technical Communication Flash Cards 
These interactive flashcards will help you review the most important terms and concepts in each chapter of Mike Markel's Technical Communication. As you feel confident about each term, drag the flashcard over to the 'Learned' stack. You may then use that stack to test yourself.
Markel, Mike. Bedford-St. Martin's (2001). Resources>Multimedia>Interactive
#20745
Technical Communication: Multimedia
These are links for some of the training tools and tutorials online for software used by technical writers and trainers like Flash, Dreamweaver, Framemaker, and others.
#23467
Technical Documentation Goes Electronic: New Media Create New Problems for Technical Writers
It is not very helpful if we reject any responsibility, even if it would be covered by some laws dealing with product safety and product liability.
Thiele, Ulrich. TC-FORUM (1999). Design>Multimedia>Legal
#30588
Technical Illustration and the Video Camera 
A video camera is an excellent tool for preparing technical illustrations and procedures. A video tape of a procedure provides chronological information. It provides visual images that can be used as the basis for technical illustrations. Visual images and details are recorded permenantly so that they are not forgotten. The research information can be passed on to another author. A case study illustrates how a video tape can be used to document a procedure and produce electronic illustrations.
Schneider, Livingston S. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Multimedia>Video>Technical Illustration
#23681
The Technical Writer – The Movie
Why would someone make a movie and call it The Technical Writer? I did a quick rundown of similar titles from a movie web site, but I couldn't detect much of a pattern.
Kyle, Charlie. MetroVoice (2003). Articles>Multimedia>Video
#29832
The progression of computer-generated images in motion pictures gives a sense of where we are headed.
Faigley, Lester. University of Texas (1999). Articles>Rhetoric>Visual Rhetoric>Multimedia
#31495
The Ears Have It: Podcasting in the Enterprise and Out
Podcasting is more than a platform for reviews or polemic. It's also a powerful tool within the enterprise for training, for marketing, and for documentation. Imagine being able to carry product information or supplementary material with you and not have to worry about stacks of paper? You can do that with a podcast.
DMN Communications (2008). Articles>Multimedia>Audio>Podcasting
#24293
Things Momma Never Told Us: Technical Issues of Successful CD-ROM Development
The amount of complexity involved in providing technical documentation on CD-ROM depends on the document formats you want to support, the extent to which you customize the publishing packages and the design expectations for the finished product. Issues and decisions include: (1) choosing software packages, (2) structuring files, directories and writing style for the medium, (3) adding navigation and userfriendly features, (4) providing (and obtaining!) technical support and (5) working with a CD-ROM manufacturer. The payoff includes the satisfaction of providing a truly value-added product and—not incidentally—the increased technical skills acquired by documentation staff.
Grieve-Zerkel, Shelley. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Multimedia>CD ROM
#26205
Tips and Tricks for Including AVI (Video) Demos in Your Online Tutorial
This presentation focuses on creating video demonstrations of software for online tutorials, using AVI files, and Inserting these files into Windows Help or HTML.
Rosenberg, Nad. STC Orange County (1998). Presentations>Documentation>Multimedia>Video
#24495
Tips For Optimizing Flash Movies
When you're ready to deliver your Flash movie to your audience, use the Publish Settings or Export Movie option to export the Flash FLA file to a format for the Web.
Berg, Debbie. WebDeb (2001). Design>Web Design>Multimedia>Flash
#18522
Towards Multimodal Public Information Systems 
In the future e-Home, information from various sources, located both globally and locally, are at hand for a wide range of tasks. Many of these tasks involve finding out about public authorities' rules and regulations. The Public Tax authorities, for instance, provide hundreds of documents on their web site (forms, FAQ’s, tax rules, etc.). Currently, the user is restricted to navigating and searching these information sources by clicking hyperlinks or typing in keywords in a search box. Suppose a citizen needs to know what the local tax in his area is. By providing the keywords “kommunalskatt” (local tax) and “Linköping” to the search engine five documents are retrieved and the user can continue clicking on the provided links to see if the answer is provided in the documents found. On the other hand, supposing that the user had the ability to state the information problem in natural language.
Merkel, Magnus and Arne Jonsson. Linkopings Universitet (2002). Articles>Information Design>Government>Multimedia
#18757
In transfer from one medium to another or one format to another, the target format may be able to hold more information or less information than the original. According to the purpose of the transfer, a selection offeatures may be made as a minimum requirement for transfer. Awareness of Traceability, Reproducibility and Compatibility will ensure the fulfilment of these requirements. The dedicated transfer station approach using calibrated equipment is contrasted with the use of diagnostic signals for use with transfer stations of any standard. The advantages and disadvantages of the respective approaches are mentioed, in particular as regards long term storage. The background for creating diagnostic signalsfor transfer of mechanical recordings is discussed in depth.
Brock-Nannestad, George. STC Proceedings (1998). Design>Multimedia>Streaming>Audio
#13478
Ever wonder why we find graphical user interfaces, hypertext, and multimedia so appealing? Some of the appeal has to do with language itself which is the basis of human transactions, and some of it has to do with our conditioning as a literate society. Literacy builds on visual as well as verbal skills. This paper traces the roots of language to the ascendancy of print technology to explain how visualization is the foundation of literacy.
Hawkes, Lory. STC Proceedings (1993). Presentations>Human Computer Interaction>Multimedia
#14762
Translating Videos for an International Market
Smith explains the process of translating videos. The article includes sidebars on video terms and advice on choosing a video translation firm.
Smith, Jackie. Intercom (2002). Design>Multimedia>Localization>Video
#23124
Under the Desktop: The Real Nitty Griddy
For creative professionals working in digital video and other media that demands high-performance computing, dual-processor machines are a godsend. But what happens when even two processors aren't enough? Welcome to the world of grid computing.
Morgenstern, David. Creative Pro (2004). Articles>Computing>Multimedia
#30601
Understand Film Language: An Introduction for Technical Communicators
The techniques of film language areas important to video and multimedia presentations as the techniques of written language are to technical documentation. Film language consists of such components as shot content, frame composition, camera movement, color (or shade), lighting, and film transitions. Film transitions are the way in which shots and sequences are connected and carry specific semantic weight for the viewer. However for many technical video-makers, the meanings of film transitions are overlooked in favor of flashy presentations or are abused to cover a problem. In developing videos for training or informational purposes, we should respect and understand the significance of film transitions and other aspects of film language.
Tillman, Michael A. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Multimedia>Visual Rhetoric>Technical Writing
#19276
Up-To-Date Replay Facilities for Obsolete Mechanical Recording Formats
Obsolete mechanical formats forma major part of archives’ holdings, Once a format has passed into obsolescence, there is virtually no commercial development in replay facilities, and the system as such dies. The paper discusses the fundamental principles of mechanical recording and replay as well as the latest constructions for replaying historical discs and cylinders - commercial and non-commercial. An Aaliendum gives simple instructions to the archive having only an occasional need to replay historical formats.
Brock-Nannestad, George. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Multimedia>Online>Audio
#26890
Use Data URIs to Include Media in XML
There are many ways to link to non-XML content within XML, including binary content. Sometimes you need to roll all such external content directly into the XML. Data scheme URIs are one way to specify a full resource within a URI, which you can then use in XML constructs. In this tip, Uche Ogbuji shows how to use this to bundle related media into a single file.
Ogbuji, Uche. IBM (2006). Articles>Information Design>Multimedia>XML
#24485
Use Gradients to Give Objects a 3- Dimensional Appearance
Flash is a two-dimensional program. Using a gradient in Flash can give a two-dimensional object a third dimension. In this example, let's create a series of circular outlines, then add one of Flash's preset gradients to give the outlines a three-dimensional appearance.
Berg, Debbie. WebDeb (2002). Design>Web Design>Multimedia>Flash
#19970
Using Animation to Explain Technical Concepts
Computer animation can be an effective communication tool. In this demonstration, we present an example of how we used animation to teach difficult technical concepts. We explain our rationale for selecting animation as a means of communication. We describe our process for ensuring high-quality and consistent deliverables. We also share some customer feedback.
Coleman, Mary Ellen and Cheryl D. Loughlin. STC Proceedings (1999). Design>Multimedia>TC
#24546
As an educational medium, interactive television (ITV) is shaped by perceptions that all participants bring into the ITV classroom. Many articles, handbooks, and other support material already deal with standard operating advice for leading courses using ITV; here, the authors focus on the physical and mental spaces produced by ITV and explore the expectations created by the presence of such technological artifacts as television screens, microphones, and lighting banks. They explain the roles that teachers and students may assume in the ITV classroom and discuss how lack of familiarity with the technology's purpose and potential tends to reify those roles and the interactions they proscribe. Finally, they offer suggestions for responding to these issues by concentrating on students' crucial first impressions with the technology–impressions that instructors can help negotiate so they and their students can engage in pedagogically sound, educationally rich interactions in the ITV classroom.
Racine, Sam J. and Denise Dilworth. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2000). Articles>Education>Multimedia
#31249
Using New Media to Tame a Crisis
New media have drastically altered the way we communicate, particularly during a crisis. With the blogosphere, Web 2.0, Second Life and social media sites like Flickr, Twitter, Blogger, Facebook and MySpace, it seems that a new way to spread information crops up on a daily basis. Since crises can originate or be perpetuated online, communicators must incorporate social media into their existing media monitoring efforts.
Griffin, Chip. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Business Communication>Multimedia>Crisis Communication
#25914
Using the Wiggler in After Effects
The Wiggler is great when you need random keyframes applied to a layer's property. Scale, opacity, movement, even a plug-in's values can be 'wigglered.'This feature will save you from having to create dozens if not hundreds of keyframes if you're trying, for instance, to make a layer move randomly or flicker.
Anderson, Chad J.W. Mac Design Magazine (2005). Design>Multimedia>Video>Adobe After Effects
#27424
Videotaping Student Presentations: A Quick Start Guide
A guide to using MiniDV digital camcorders to record student presentations, then to review them on a computer and copy them to DVD for later review.
Johnson, Rachel. EServer (2006). Academic>Course Materials>Multimedia>Video
