#13281
Guidelines for Accessible Web Site: Technology and Users 
Accessible design goes beyond accommodating the mentally or physically impaired. With new technologies and greater global access, accessible design now includes technological as well as user considerations.
Ward, Michele, Philip Rubens and Sherry Southard. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Accessibility>Web Design
#14362
Hazard Communication 101 for Technical Writers
Hazard communication should help protect users of products, and by doing so, should help protect manufacturers from litigation. Writers of user documentation need to understand some basic product liability legal concepts, such as: duty to warn, open and obvious doctrine, hidden hazard, andforeseeable misuse. The communication aspect of hazard communication considers issues such as visibility, over-warning, and testing effectiveness. For guidance in writing warnings, there is a current standard which proscribes these elements: safety alert symbol, signal word, hazard, avoidance, and consequence. This paper ends with a list of resources for further study.
Manning, Michael D. STC Proceedings (1997). Presentations>Communication>Risk Communication
#13280
HCI Usability: Impact of Style, Graphics, and Quality on Web-Site Effectiveness
The rampant growth of the WWW has resulted in a very large number of web sites being produced and used before standards and guidelines for appearance and interaction could be developed and accepted. Two factors that could affect user performance and perceived quality of a web site are: surface blemishes added, and the presence of extra, gratuitous features. The effects of these two factors can be assessed through performance testing and attitudinal surveys. the approach or design criteria for each site. We chose as a basis, a classification presented by Karen Schriver of traditions that have shaped our thinking about, and approach to, document design and evaluation.
Grice, Roger A., Lenore S. Ridgway and Raymond A. Lutzky. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Human Computer Interaction>Web Design
#13126
Health and Safety Information for Specialized Vocational Audiences
Using examples from commercial fishing and farming, this article shows how models of health beliefs and risk communication can inform the creation of health and safety materials and campaigns for specialized vocational audiences. These models state that risk communication efforts must balance strong statements of risk with equally strong statements of ways to reduce or avoid risk if they are to motivate change. Audience research can help communicators address attitudes that impair workers’ perceptions of risk, as well as workplace practices, norms, and conditions that the limit the methods that can be used to reduce risk.
Freeman, Krisandra S. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Communication>Scientific Communication>Risk Communication
#13279
Helping New Writers Through Their First Year
Are you afraid to hire an entry-level writer? Are you asking yourself questions like: Will an entry-level writer take up too much of my time? Will she be able to work independently? Will she succeed in this organization? Is a new writer worth the risk?
Von Haas, Elaina E. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Management>Writing
#27394
HFI Certification: Fulfilling Your Needs as a Practitioner
Usability is more and more critical to online success, but most developers have no formal training in it and most companies have no formal program for it.
Schaffer, Eric M. and Phil Goddard. Human Factors International (2006). Presentations>Human Computer Interaction>Usability
#14527
The writers at Software Publishing Corporation faced the challenge of reducing the page count of their manuals by more than 50%—without sacrificing quality, extending the schedule, or starting from scratch! They found that approaching this daunting task from several different directions at the same time proved to be the most effective. While the following tips apply primarily to DOS and Windows software manuals, the tips are a good starting point for streamlining any documentation set. The benefits include cutting dollars from the per unit cost of goods and promoting greater customer acceptance of documentation as a learning tool.
Repel, Timothy R. and Jennie Tan. STC Proceedings (1994). Presentations>Documentation>Methods
#27387
Discusses how Anthem attained the training, standards, and resources they needed to create a sustained usability effort.
Weinschenk, Susan and Kyle Tolar. Human Factors International (2006). Presentations>Usability>User Centered Design
#13278
How Did the Special Needs Committee Get Started?
A member of STC’s Special Needs Committee describes the history and goals of the Committee.
Hanigan, Mark. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>TC>History
#13194
This paper explains what e-commerce is and the two different types of e-commerce. The advantages of e-commerce are covered along with the steps needed to setup e-commerce. The different forms of advertising over the internet is covered next. How internet security works is covered in detail including the use of digital certificates and SSL (secure sockets layer). The processing of payments over the internet is the last subject covered including the different ways to pay and how credit card transactions are processed.
Wokosin, Linda. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Information Design
#13461
How Much Technical Knowledge Do Editors Need? The Authors’ Perspective
Technical communication professionals and educators often discuss how much technical training editors need to effectively perform their job: however, their authors’ opinions are seldom considered. Thus, I designed a survey to gauge the authors’ perceptions of how much technical knowledge editors need and how this technical knowledge affects the editorial process. The survey results indicate that most authors think technical editors should have some technical background, but this background does not have to be in any particular subject. In addition, most authors believe that this technical background improves the editorial process.
Roper, Donna G. STC Proceedings (1993). Presentations>Editing
#20532
How Slides and Transparencies Stack Up to Micro and Ultraportables
Microportable and ultraportable projectors are changing how Corporate America presents information, sells products and trains employees and customers. Small enough to fit in a brief case, light enough to carry from appointment to appointment and easy enough to use without extensive training, these projectors deliver big, brilliant video, graphic and data images that are sure to grab and hold the attention of audiences.
Presenters University (2003). Articles>Presentations>Technology>Microsoft PowerPoint
#23325
How to Convert a PowerPoint Presentation to Play on a DVD Player 
This tutorial guides you through how to convert your PowerPoint presentations to play on a home dvd player. It's great for showing presentations without a computer.
Simmons, T.A.J. Awesome Backgrounds for PowerPoint (2004). Resources>Presentations>Video>Microsoft PowerPoint
#29512
How to Create a Poster that Graphically Communicates Your Message
Many of your presentations are not talks; they are posters. Are your posters effective? Do they attract enthusiastic audiences? Or, do they attract only competitors? This presentation shows both positive and negative examples to help you increase your clarity and impact.
Tosney, Kathryn. University of Miami. Design>Presentations>Posters
#13201
How to Create Web-Based Training (WBT)
The market for Web-based Training (WBT) products and services is expected to grow from $197 million in 1997 to $5.5 billion in 2002. Many technical communicators and trainers are already interested in creating WBT, but they do not know how to get started. In this session, I will explain the advantages and disadvantages of WBT, when to consider WBT, who is using it—and why, how much it costs to develop WBT, and design issues to consider. I will also share some WBT examples.
DeLoach, Scott. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Education>Instructional Design>Online
#10223
How to Deliver Winning Presentations: Connecting Through Body Talk
The real secret to powerful delivery is a strong, positive, uninterrupted connection with the audience. To build that connection, you first of all need the right attitude. This is a combination of appreciation and respect for your listeners and enthusiasm about getting your message across to them. Now let's look at ways to express that attitude with your body and face.
Reimold, Cheryl. IEEE PCS (2000). Presentations>Advice
#10221
How to Deliver Winning Presentations: The Magic of Connection
Do you wish you were a powerful, persuasive presenter? Do you envy people who can address a large audience with casual ease and charm, as though conversing with a few good friends? In this series, I will show you how to turn wish into reality and become one of that select group of exceptional presenters. It's surprisingly simple, as you'll see - and you don't need any special 'natural talent.'
Reimold, Cheryl. IEEE PCS (2000). Presentations>Advice
#10222
How to Deliver Winning Presentations: The Winning Attitude
As we saw last time, the master key that opens the door to powerful delivery is honest connection with your audience. Outstanding speakers know that they must at every moment be connected with the real people in the audience, for a real purpose that matters to those people, and without hiding behind any slick stage personality. This is what generates the trust essential for persuasion. You may object that in most of your presentations, you're only selling technical information, with persuasion rooted entirely in objective criteria. But our experience with many organizations strongly suggests that this is the wrong view. You're always selling a package: people want the facts, but they also want to know that you are trustworthy and committed to helping them or to seeing a project through. And they get this essential information about trustworthiness and commitment not from the numbers and charts you present but from the way you connect with your listeners.
Reimold, Cheryl. IEEE PCS (2000). Presentations>Advice
#10225
How to Deliver Winning Presentations: Using Your Voice to Connect with the Audience
We've seen that an attitude of appreciation, respect, and enthusiasm is the key to achieving the all-important connection with your listeners. In the last column, we examined ways to express that attitude with your body and face, through appropriate position, movement, gestures, and smile. This time, we'll consider the contribution your voice can make. Briefly, you must be heard and understood; you must talk at the right speed that invites the audience to stay with you; and you must maintain an emotional bond by expressing appropriate emotions.
Reimold, Cheryl. IEEE PCS (2000). Articles>Presentations>Advice>Emotions
#22258
How to Put a Web Browser on a PowerPoint Slide
A procedural guide for incorporating a web interface into PowerPoint slides.
William Horton Consulting (2001). Presentations>Graphic Design>Software>Microsoft PowerPoint
#13466
How to Select, Nourish, and Conclude a Mentoring Relationship
A mentor helps you master the unspoken rules of corporate America. If you are energetic and demonstrate initiative, a mentor welcomes the opportunity to assist your growth. To accomplish your mentoring goals, define what you want to achieve and then select a mentor. A successful mentoring relationship requires nourishing to maintain—you must value your mentor's time and demonstrate appreciation. When you no longer require your mentor's guidance, you can end the mentoring phase of the relationship with honesty and appreciation.
Justice, Kendrea L. STC Proceedings (1993). Presentations>Collaboration>Mentoring
#13464
How to Take Over a Document 'In Medias Res'
In this paper I describe my experience in taking over the management of an ongoing, complex, constantly changing, multiauthored document. I offer the following rules: 1. Learn all you can about the document before you make any changes. 2. Clean up the old document. 3. Work within the already existing system. 4. Keep records. 5. Change as little as possible.
Burgan, Murrie W. STC Proceedings (1993). Presentations>Collaboration>Writing
#13199
How We Developed an Intranet: Using the Web to Inform Employees, Manage Projects, and Save Money
Data General’s R&D organization had developed disparate web sites. It was hard to find relevant information and difficult to know what others were doing. We volunteered to create a unified web presence to solve these problems. Taking initiative while building consensus, we crafted a highly used and highly useful intranet. This paper describes how we did it. Our success allowed us to broaden our department’s scope and change its name from “Documentation” to “Documentation and Web Services.” Our experience shows that documentation departments are well suited to create and maintain intranets, and that documentation professionals have the skills to become content developers or information architects.
Harvey, Michael. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Web Design>Intranets>Case Studies
#26212
HTML Conversion Tools: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
The documentation conversion tool market is relatively new, but several vendors have established reputations in the market.
Laurent, J. Suzanna and Candie D. McKee. STC Orange County (1998). Presentations>Web Design>Software>HTML
#14373
HTML Help: Transition Without Fear
You need not be a programmer to begin producing effective, attractive HTML Help or Webpages. You can use pubiished tempiates andauthonng toois and study an existing page’s HTML code to heb you produce pages whiie you learn. Templates allow you to add your content to existing skeleton pages. You can also use an HTML or HTML Heip authoring tooi to create your help. HTML Heip authoring tools aiiow you to add WinHeip-like functionality and ~eamnce to your HTML Hefppages. Using your browser and a text editoc you can study HTML code frum an existing Webpage. Using these methods, you can learn HTML while already producing effective Heip.
Lambert, Twyla Beth and J. Suzanna Laurent. STC Proceedings (1997). Presentations>Documentation>HTML
