Ann Rockley on the Rockley Group Blog and a New CMS Report

Ann Rockley shares information about an upcoming report on component content management systems her group will be releasing this summer. She also says the Rockley Group is launching a blog to provide quicker information to users in a more interactive way. She talks about the growing presence companies have in the blogosphere, and why they chose WordPress as their blogging tool.

Rockley, Ann and Tom H. Johnson. Tech Writer Voices (2007). Articles>Interviews>Content Management>Podcasts

Are you Hurting Your Career By Not Blogging or Podcasting?

Talks about myths, rewards, trends, tips, and issues surrounding blogging and podcasting, especially in terms of how it affects your career.

Tech Writer Voices (2007). Articles>Publishing>Online>Podcasts

Authorship, Appropriation, and the Fluid Text: Versions of the Law

A fluid text is any work that exists in multiple versions. What are the ethics and legality in the creation, sharing, and ownership of textual versions? What are the boundaries of textual appropriation? How does technology abet appropriation; how might it assist in the useful designation of boundaries? Is the law keeping up?

Bryant, John and Wendy Seltzer. MIT (2009). Articles>Intellectual Property>Audio>Podcasts

The 'B' Key or Black Slide in Presentations

The B key blanks the screen during a presentation. It is advantageously replaced with a black slide for scheduled breaks to recapture audience attention. Keynote and PowerPoint techniques are presented to simulate the effect of a B key through a black slide.

Lebrun, Jean-Luc. Scivee (2009). Presentations>Software>Podcasts>Microsoft PowerPoint

Chris Thompson on Searching for a Content Management System

Thompson talks about his search for the right content management system. He talks about the importance of content reuse across an entire system and having a workflow for editing, reviews, and translation. He discusses AuthorIT as a possible CMS solution. He also gives tips for talking with CMS vendors without being suckered in.

Thompson, Chris and Tom H. Johnson. Tech Writer Voices (2007). Articles>Interviews>Content Management>Podcasts

Communications from DMN

A weekly podcast for technical writers by a company called DMN Communications.

Davis, Aaron and Scott Nesbitt. DMN Communications. Resources>TC>Documentation>Podcasts

The Convergence of Web 2.0 with Help Documentation

This podcast talks about the convergence of web 2.0 with help documentation. It mentions examples of Web 2.0 sites, such as Flickr, Payscale, and Digg, and what help files need to incorporate these same Web 2.0 features.

Johnson, Tom H. Tech Writer Voices (2007). Design>Web Design>Documentation>Podcasts

Creating Effective Presentation Slides

The key methods you can employ to create effective presentation slides.

Doumont, Jean-luc. IEEE PCS (2008). Design>Presentations>Usability>Podcasts

Creating Help in the Web 2.0 Age

This is a presentation titled 'Creating Help in the Web 2.0 Age' that Neil Perlin gave to the Suncoast Chapter in Tampa, Florida in February 2007. Neil talks about what Web 2.0 is, and how help can be delivered on the fly according to specific user requests.

Perlin, Neil E. Tech Writer Voices (2007). Presentations>Documentation>Help>Podcasts

Dealing Proactively with Audience Questions

What’s the best way to handle questions from the audience when presenting? This podcast examines key things you can do to deal proactively with audience questions.

Still, Brian. IEEE PCS (2008). Articles>Presentations>Audio>Podcasts

Debbie Kennedy on Modular Writing and Reusability

Kennedy's presentation on modular writing and reusability was attended by about 200 people. In her presentation, Debbie explained how to chunk content by first looking at different content types: procedures, processes, facts, principles, and so forth. She also mentions a tool called Content Mapper that writers can use to chunk and reuse information through Microsoft Word.

Kennedy, Debbie. Tech Writer Voices (2007). Articles>Writing>Content Management>Podcasts

Debunking the Boredom Myth of Technical Writing

Several weeks ago I wrote about my trip to Brigham Young University-Idaho and the presentation I gave there titled “Debunking the Boredom Myth of Technical Writing.” This podcast is a recording of my presentation.

Johnson, Tom H. Tech Writer Voices (2008). Presentations>Writing>Technical Writing>Podcasts

Design Critique: On Plain Language

An interview with Whitney Quesenbery about minimalism and plain language in user experience design.

Quesenbery, Whitney. Design Critique (2007). Articles>Interviews>Minimalism>Podcasts

Documentation and Agile Software Development

What’s it like doing documentation as part of an Agile software development team? Why is it a better way of working? I mull this over these and other questions with Graham Campbell.

Christie, Alistair and Graham Campbell. ITauthor (2008). Articles>Documentation>Agile>Podcasts

Documenting Design with Dan Brown

If you ask designers what the most frustrating parts about designing a project are, one of the top answers would be undoubtedly be “communicating and documenting the design process.” And with good reason… it’s not easy. That’s why I interviewed Dan Brown for this week’s SpoolCast. I don’t know of anyone who knows more about solid design communications than Dan.

Spool, Jared M. User Interface Engineering (2008). Design>Collaboration>Communication>Podcasts

Five Benefits of Blogger Outreach

Blogger outreach has quickly become an integral part of many brands’ marketing efforts. The blogosphere enables interactive dialogue between bloggers and consumers, and blogger outreach opens the door for conversation between your brand, bloggers and consumers. For any company that is looking to leverage the blogosphere for your marketing or PR strategy, here are 5 benefits of blogger outreach.

Brown, Hillary. Lava Row (2009). Articles>Business Communication>Blogging>Podcasts

Five Books to Add to Your Technical Communication Library

Heidi Hansen takes 15 minutes to discuss five books that she read over the past year and published book reviews for.

Hansen, Heidi. Tech Writer Voices (2008). Articles>TC>Policies and Procedures>Podcasts

Foundations of Interaction Design

An interview with David Malouf on his article, Foundations of Interaction Design. We discuss several foundations of Interaction design including time, metaphor, abstraction, and negative space. David also provides greater detail to comments posted on his article from readers from around the world.

Malouf, David Heller and Jeff Parks. Boxes and Arrows (2007). Articles>User Interface>Interaction Design>Podcasts

Geoff Sauer on tc.eserver.org, the Largest Tech Comm Index Online

Geoff Sauer is one of the founders of tc.eserver.org--the largest online index for all works related to technical communication. The library indexes works by technical communicators in dozens of categories, and allows users to add new works, rank them, and get RSS feeds of specific titles. There are over 25,000 RSS feeds generated on the site and 15,000 visitors each day.

Sauer, Geoffrey and Tom H. Johnson. Tech Writer Voices (2007). Articles>Interviews>TC>Podcasts

Ginny Redish — Letting Go of the Words

Anticipate the reader’s questions and then construct your writing as a response. This type of writing focuses you on your audience and gets you thinking about the specific questions, concerns, issues, and other problems your users might have. Each sentence you write should somehow answers those questions — you construct the conversation.

Redish, Janice C. 'Ginny' and Tom H. Johnson. I'd Rather Be Writing (2009). Articles>Interviews>Writing>Podcasts

In Conversation with Adam Hyde

A conversation between Scott Nesbitt of DMN Communications and Adam Hyde, who runs FLOSS Manuals. In a wide-ranging conversation, they talk about why Adam started the project, the way in which FLOSS Manuals gets things done, Book Sprints, Adam’s thoughts on the 80/20 rule, and more.

DMN Communications (2008). Articles>Interviews>Documentation>Podcasts

Indi Young on Non-Directed Interviews

Jeff Parks talks with Indi Young about non-directed interviews. Indi shares the hallmarks of a non-directed interview and how to guide these conversations accordingly. She also shares the importance of understanding the difference between a screener and an interview; and the necessity to encourage interviewees to avoid statements of fact by focusing on verbs rather than nouns when sharing experiences.

Parks, Jeff and Indi Young. Johnny Holland (2010). Articles>Interviewing>Audio>Podcasts

Information Architecture Essentials

What happens when, one day, you’re asked into the boss’s office and they drop “the web site” and “information architecture” into your lap? Regardless of your experience, where do you begin? Donna says your first question should be, “Why do we bother to have a web site in the first place?” “What’s its purpose?” She says if you don’t get this out of the way first, you’ll run up against it when you’re further along the trail and it won’t be easy to deal with.

Spool, Jared M. and Donna Spencer. User Interface Engineering (2009). Articles>Information Design>Web Design>Podcasts

Information Architecture: Organizing Chaos, Metadata, Taxonomy vs. Folksonomy, and the Dublin Core

An interview with Kevin Shoesmith about information architecture and the challenge of organizing complicated websites. Shoesmith explains about the importance of metadata, providing user-driven organization, taxonomy vs. folksonomy, the Dublin core, the usability of web menus.

Shoesmith, Kevin and Tom H. Johnson. Tech Writer Voices (2007). Articles>Information Design>Metadata>Podcasts

Intelligent Content

Kristina talks “intelligent content” with Ann Rockley, author of the seminal Managing Enterprise Content: A Unified Content Strategy, the founder and President of The Rockley Group, and founder of the Intelligent Content Conference.

Halvorson, Kristina. Content Talks (2011). Articles>Interviews>Content Management>Podcasts