#18200
Multimedia Theater: The Roles of Audience in Multimedia 
Creating a multimedia title is much like creating a movie. The multimedia team has to work with many of the same components (sound, animation, graphics, and text) as a movie production team. Many multimedia developers see their work not as a product but as a production. Some developers no longer work in offices but in “studios,” Given this cinematic atmosphere and similarities in drama and multimedia, one can see how literary or dramatic terms can be used to describe reader (audience) roles in multimedia. In multimedia, the audience can become several different roles. This paper discusses these roles and how or if multimedia teams should react to them.
Gibbs, Bruce R. STC Proceedings (1996). Presentations>Multimedia>Audience Analysis
#13251
My Brain Works...My Legs Don't! Let's Take the "Dis" out of Disabilities
STC’s Special Needs Committee has begun its work of information collection for and dissemination to technical communicators with disabilities. This paper by the Committee chair is a “call to arms,” sets out what has been learned so far, and solicits your participation in the ongoing effort.
Skinner, Judith N. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Accessibility
#13889
The Need for Architect/Construction Worker Dichotomies in Information Architecture as a Profession 
I would suggest that before we adopt the 'information architect' model and concede the construction worker (role of 'other') to many members of our field in order to negotiate management positions for a few, that we look to other professions to see how they have resisted this dichotomy. It may be argued, perhaps, that professions such as medicine and the law have managed to avoid successfully such hierarchical dichotomies -- at least in part. At the least, we should debate the possible implications of such systems more rigorously than we have to date.
Sauer, Geoffrey. CPTSC Proceedings (2002). Presentations>Information Design>Workplace
#19445
The Need for Usability Analysis
An overview of methods for usability testing and analysis.
Xerox (1995). Presentations>Usability>Testing>Methods
#13681
New Directions in Technical Indexing
The age-old art of indexing will continue to be essential for the quick and accurate retrieval of information, no matter what the medium might be. Advances in technology will not replace the need for well-prepared indexes, only how indexes are presented. Information on indexing for newer forms of communication is scattered and not fully developed. This session will bring together what is known to give attendees a better understanding of the trends, issues, concerns, and requirements that are involved in “newage” indexing.
Mauer, Peg, Darci Balius, Jerry Bidondo and Ellen Fenwick. STC Proceedings (1999). Presentations>Indexing
#14557
To address the increasing need for online delivery of customizable documentation, a writer for an information warehouse product presented, developed, and delivered an online documentation user interface. Developed using the standard PC development tools for the application, including Visual Basic and Access, this system lets users view and customize Word documents, online help files, and Access database tables.
Swain, Julie. STC Proceedings (1995). Presentations>Documentation>Single Sourcing
#26535
Two collaborative presentations about the status and factors that influence technology adoption within research in technical communication programs.
Amidon, Stevens R., Stuart Blythe, Libby Allison, Miriam Williams and Meloni McMichael. CPTSC (2005). Presentations>Multimedia>Technology
#20534
New Prompters Open New Presentation Opportunities
Using a prompting system is not something reserved for just Presidents and CEOs. Many people have avoided using prompting because they felt these systems were too ugly and distractive to have at a presentation or perhaps too heavy to take on the road. Whether in the field or on stage, many people objected to using prompters because they made the speaker's presentation style too constrained and contrived. The new generation of LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)-based prompting systems have changed all that!
Fink, Lorin. Presenters University (2002). Articles>Presentations>Technology
#13250
The New Reality: The Need for Self-Directed Teams
Learn how one company, facing workflow bottlenecks, shrinking development cycles, and expanding customer expectations for dynamic knowledge, restructured its process, redefined the roles of its technical communicators, and fashioned a more functional and responsive organization.
McCarthy, Dennis M. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Management
#13249
Newsletters serve a vital purpose in many organizations. A formal plan is important in identifying your target readers and their needs, and guiding you through choices regarding format and style. Several factors should be considered in planning and managing content, such as creating an editorial calendar, identifying sources for story ideas, and determining the final approval process. Effective distribution will encompass the readers’ needs and your creativity. A valuable tool in assessing the newsletter’s success is reader feedback. As a marketing tool, the return on your investment can be measured. Above all, a newsletter keeps you motivated to keep learning.
Lewis, Janet L., Michele E. Davis, Linda J. Vetter and Elizabeth G. Frick. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Business Communication
#13134
Nine Quality Characteristics and a Process to Check for Them
We all know what differentiates a great piece of technical communication from an average one...but can you articulate specifically what quality looks like in your work? Can you list the characteristics that all successful pieces of technical communication share? Can you repeatedly produce technical information that is of the highest quality? By using a checklist based on the nine characteristics of quality described in Developing Quality Technical Information, you can develop specific checkpoints for your design and development process to ensure that your end product, your technical information, meets these characteristics.
Fisher, Lori H. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Tutorials>Assessment
#18217
Nominalizations and Their Impact on Readers
The study presented here examined the effect of nominalizations in technical documents on readers’ recall and comprehension. Subjects read one of two technical passages in either a nominalized or denominalized form, and took recall and comprehension tests. Results indicate that denominalized passages can help readers retain more information when the original nominalizations are critical to the readers’ understanding of the passage.
Spyridakis, Jan H. and Carol S. Isakson. STC Proceedings (1996). Presentations>Writing>Grammar
#28492
Non-Linear PowerPoint Presentations
This non-linear PowerPoint tutorial will help you plan and create a presentation using some of the advanced branching and linking tools. You'll be able use the common drawing tools to design a simple user interface and navigation scheme.
Guides and Tutorials (2006). Articles>Presentations>Software>Microsoft PowerPoint
#10121
On the Razor’s Edge: Languaging, Autopoiesis, and Growing Old
A. L. Becker’s 'modern philology' is an approach to discourse rooted in multifaceted explorations of particular texts: a line from Emerson, a Southeast Asian proverb, a Javanese shadow play. He explains 'autopoiesis' this way: 'One of the tenets of the gaggle of ideas calle ‘autopoiesis’ is that languaging is orientational, mostly. A says something to B -- and no ‘message’ is ‘transmitted’ -- rather what A says orients B (and him/herself, of course). But the orientation of A is not the orientation of B, except to the extent they have the same reactions to prior texts (lingual memories).
Becker, A.L. EServer (1998). Presentations>Lectures>Streaming>Audio
#13240
On-line Information Development: How to Keep It Clear
There are many pitfalls that await the on-line developer when constructing a web site that includes detailed and complex information. It is difficult to keep the information manageable, navigable and understandable. Charts, information 'chunking' and word maps are effective techniques of organizing complex information in a way that provides increased clarity and usability. Such techniques, commonly used with hard copy, may be modified and combined to provide concise information presentation for on-line distribution.
Mumaw, Rebecca Smith. STC Proceedings (2000). Presentations>Business Communication
#30193
One Hundred and One Forms eTips
One hundred and one tips for designing digital forms using Adobe Acrobat.
Padova, Ted. Adobe (2007). Presentations>Information Design>Forms>Adobe Acrobat
#14558
Online Authoring Tools: Descriptions and Demonstrations
It’s sometimes difficult to determine which tool is right for a particular job. This demonstration shows the types of online documentation projects that are best suited to each of three online authoring tools: Dot-To-Help by WexTech Systems, ToolBook by Asymetrix, and RoboHelp by Blue Sky Software. Technical writers who have used these products to create online help projects will discuss feature comparisons, system requirements for both author and user of the online documentation, and limitations of the tools. By seeing demonstrations of the authoring tools and the projects created with these tools, attendees should have a better understanding of what each tool can help them accomplish.
Roddy, Laurie C. and Lee S. Turner. STC Proceedings (1995). Presentations>Documentation>Software>Adobe RoboHelp
#14825
Increasingly, editors are being asked to perform online editing of traditional paper documents, edit documents that will ultimately reside online, or both. Yet many editors are unfamiliar with the new tools and information media that often require us to rethink existing ways of doing our jobs. Editors and other information developers will discuss some of the issues we must face and share their own insights about this emerging area of concern as we move into new, initially intimidating territory.
Hamilton, Karen J. STC Proceedings (1996). Presentations>Editing>Online
#29523
Open Source For Technical Writing Teams
A presentation introducting how to support technical documentation teams with open-source tools.
SlideShare (2007). Presentations>Collaboration>Technical Writing>Open Source
#22345
Oral Presentations in Professional Settings
This course is designed to help you improve your oral presentation skills and strengthen your ability to make a good argument and communicate effectively to an audience. You will gain these skills by studying rhetorical principles, analyzing other presentations, and practicing your own speaking.
Ratliff, Clancy. University of Minnesota (2004). Academic>Courses>Presentations>Rhetoric
#13050
Oral Presentations: Delivering Technical Information Face-to-Face
This document describes how to write and deliver a formal oral presentation on a technical subject. The content is the most obvious component of an oral presentation -- after all, if you are talking, you had better have something worthwhile to say. But an oral presentation -- no matter how well-written -- is only as effective as its delivery. If you cannot hold the interest of your audience, your presentation is a failure.
Jerz, Dennis G. Seton Hill University (2001). Presentations>Slideshows
#10775
This presentation reviews the elements of an organized essay, including the introduction, the thesis, body paragraphs, topic sentences, counterarguments, and the conclusion. The twenty-one slides presented here are designed to aid the facilitator in an interactive presentation about constructing a well-organized argument. This presentation is ideal for the introduction of argument to a composition course, the beginning of a research unit, or the assignment of a written argument.
Liethen, Jennifer Kunka. Purdue University. Presentations>Slideshows>Writing
#25121
Outsourced Technical Translations: Assuring Quality
Technical communicators who serve international audiences must prepare for and manage translations, yet they cannot read the outsourced translation, may have no knowledge of the target culture, and rarely have access to resident linguists who can verify the quality of the work. As well, the time frame in which material is translated is usually short and associated funding is vulnerable. Still, practitioners are expected to maintain corporate standards of language style, grammar, and accuracy. This paper examines the fundamental challenges of outsourcing technical translation, and offers tools and techniques that can be used to assure quality, at arms’ length, in the absence of access to a native speaker of the target language.
Douglas, Gordon J. and Sarah E. Eaton. STC Region 7 Proceedings (2002). Presentations>Language>Localization>Technical Translation
#28602
This presentation provides a broad introduction to concepts of Agile software development and Agile methods. The talk is based on the speaker's experience as an Agile coach and Certified Scrum Master. Traditional concepts from waterfall or plan-driven development are transformed to an Agile perspective. Examples are release and iteration planning, progress reporting, meeting formats and scaling projects from 10 people teams to 300 people teams.
Smits, Hubert. Rally Software Development (2006). Presentations>Project Management>Agile
#13202
An Overview of HTML-based Help
HTML...HTML Help...HTML-based help...WebHelp... JavaHelp...Oracle Help...what does it all mean? There are so many online help options, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and confused. This paper discusses the difference between HTML Help, WebHelp, JavaHelp, and Oracle Help. Specifically, it explains each help technology’s features and limitations, the user requirements, and best use.
DeLoach, Scott. STC Proceedings (2001). Presentations>Documentation>Help
