#14142
Following are questions and issues that should be covered during early meetings with a client, including general project questions, questions specific to documentation, and questions regarding scheduling, reviews and administrative issues. Thanks to TECHWR-Ler Judy Fraser for providing this awesome summary.
#14141
An example worksheet for generating TC job estimates.
#14429
Every new medium brings with it the need to develop an appropriate way of writing. Writing a speech involves different words and organization from writing a report. A television show does not use the same script, word for word, as a radio broadcast. A documentary is not word for word the same as the history book on which it is based. A brochure, white paper, and advertisement may share some words, but the organization, headings, and many of the words will be different. Writing everyday documents that are destined to be read on-screen and not printed out means different words and organization than the same ideas written to be printed out on paper. You can't take what you wrote for paper, paste it into an HTML editor, mark it up with a few tags and call it an on-screen document. You need to write specifically for the screen if you want to take best advantage of the medium. Early television was a camera pointed at a radio announcer reading the same news as on radio. We don't do that anymore. Early web was taking word processing and putting it up as a long scrolling page. We won't be doing that in the future, either.
#14137
A sample project kickoff form, useful to clarify specific issues to particular jobs that might not otherwise become apparent until late in the job itself.
#11847
Technical Writers Code of Professional Practice
As professionals in the communications arts we know that people work better if they have clear expectations of equitable treatment. In order to promote fair standards and encourage professional working relationships, the Technical Writers Trade Group of the National Writers Union presents the following Code of Professional Practice for technical writers in the hardware and software industries.
National Writers Union (1997). Resources>Workplace>Professionalism
#14012
Business writing ranges from formal memos and proposals, to casual email messages, to catchy Web pages and presentations. In general, business communication deals with establishing and maintaining guidelines for policies and practices, with facilitating project work and with delivering convincing arguments about a product or proposal.
Allyn and Bacon (1999). Resources>Writing>Workplace>Business Communication
#34111
Coworking is a movement to create cafe-like community/collaboration spaces for developers, writers and independents.
