Blogspot http://tc.eserver.org/publisher/Blogspot A listing of works published by Blogspot in the field of technical communication. en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif Blogspot http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Blogspot How Not to Write Fiction http://tc.eserver.org/35512.html http://tc.eserver.org/35512.html I have never fabricated or fictionalized research data. Besides being completely unethical, that would have missed the point. It would have taken all the fun out of it! How easy and how boring that would have been. Why Technical Writers Shouldn't Be "Writers" http://tc.eserver.org/35116.html http://tc.eserver.org/35116.html Technical writers love the written word. Perhaps, we love it a little too much? We need to ask ourselves is the written word the best thing for documentation? Is it the best thing for us as an industry, and is it the best thing for you as a content developer. Why Tech Writers Need To Understand Business: Yet Another Example... http://tc.eserver.org/34802.html http://tc.eserver.org/34802.html For some years, people, myself included, have noted the lack of interest, even disdain, that many tech writers have for business issues. This reduces these writers' ability to affect company decisions, including decisions that may affect them. Writers from fine arts or English backgrounds can rarely discuss cost-justification in finance terms, so they have little input on buying decisions. How to Customize the DITA Open Toolkit PDF Plugin Output to Remove "on page xx" Text for Cross References http://tc.eserver.org/34361.html http://tc.eserver.org/34361.html This tutorial uses the DITA Open Toolkit 1.4.2.1 and the corresponding PDF plugin release, and Wrycan's demo text. This assumes you have a working DITA environment and can run the default formatting with PDF plugin. Tech Writing = OCD? http://tc.eserver.org/33378.html http://tc.eserver.org/33378.html The LabVIEW Documentation team consists of some of the most detail-oriented people you will ever meet. We debate using "attend" vs. "participate in". We agonize over "both" vs. "either". We spend half an hour brainstorming the placement of a level 2 heading and worry over its effects on the help file table of contents. Tech Writer Salaries in the U.S. http://tc.eserver.org/31942.html http://tc.eserver.org/31942.html It's hard to say how much money full time freelance technical writers make. But we do have some data on salaries made by full time technical writers working for a company. Tools in Technical Writing http://tc.eserver.org/31940.html http://tc.eserver.org/31940.html Technical writers create documents in various formats like electronic publishing, print, online help, etc. The various tools used to produce technical documents are described below. What is a Technical Writer? http://tc.eserver.org/31941.html http://tc.eserver.org/31941.html I shall attempt to describe to the audience the essence of the Technical Writer. A Tech Writer Dies and Goes to Heaven http://tc.eserver.org/31889.html http://tc.eserver.org/31889.html A joke about what technical writers' heaven might be like. Workshops on Teaching with Technology http://tc.eserver.org/31831.html http://tc.eserver.org/31831.html Links, references, advice and tips on teaching with technology that are drawn together for campus workshops and faculty discussions. KnowGenesis Online Library for Technical Communication http://tc.eserver.org/31070.html http://tc.eserver.org/31070.html What makes KnowGenesis different is, I feel, it has a potential both for the corporate needs and the non-corporate users of knowledge management (KM). On one hand, organizational and corporate knowledge is captured, processed, shared and available in many KM portals are well organized. And, in such a junction, this journal adds value to the existing knowledgebase with its own specialty. Creating Usability Awareness in India http://tc.eserver.org/29168.html http://tc.eserver.org/29168.html A weblog to help create usability awareness in India. Agile Documentation with doctest and epydoc http://tc.eserver.org/28121.html http://tc.eserver.org/28121.html A Test Map is a list of unit tests associated with a specific function/method under test. It helps you see how that specific function/method is being exercised via unit tests. Estimating Resources in Technical Writing http://tc.eserver.org/27978.html http://tc.eserver.org/27978.html Project management principles that can easily be applied to working as a documentation manager. Managing Conflicts within a Team of Writers http://tc.eserver.org/27977.html http://tc.eserver.org/27977.html It is quite challenging for a manager to integrate a diverse group of intelligent and creative professionals into a single, cohesive unit. As much as you may try to avoid it, conflict among your employees is bound to rear its ugly head from time to time. Managing the TWI Mailing List: As Tough as it Gets http://tc.eserver.org/27974.html http://tc.eserver.org/27974.html The success or failure of any mailing list depends entirely on its members - as in how effectively can they contribute on the list or how diligently can they enhance the quality of ongoing discussions. If you watch closely, the level of discussions combined with the maturity of posters is what characterizes these mailing lists to a large extent. For instance, take a firsthand look at Technical Writers India mailing list or TWI, as it is popularly called. Top Ten Lessons I Learned as a Technical Communicator http://tc.eserver.org/27976.html http://tc.eserver.org/27976.html What significant contribution have I made to the community? Even if I did make one, should I go about writing it? On Writing http://tc.eserver.org/27755.html http://tc.eserver.org/27755.html Whatever your role in a project, insist on getting the spec right before the code is written. The spec'ing process may take several iterations, so plan accordingly. Cyblog: Design Matters http://tc.eserver.org/27677.html http://tc.eserver.org/27677.html A weblog about web, user interface and user experience design. Information Architecture, Usability, Customer Experience http://tc.eserver.org/27493.html http://tc.eserver.org/27493.html A blog on the Usability, HCI, and customer experience industry by an Indian User Experience professional with a decade of providing customer centric solutions and a pragmatic approach to business problems. Text Clarity Blog http://tc.eserver.org/26934.html http://tc.eserver.org/26934.html A blog about clearly communicating your message. All About Users http://tc.eserver.org/25145.html http://tc.eserver.org/25145.html A blog from Bangalore based on everything related to the user experience and interaction. Using the Internet for Public Relations http://tc.eserver.org/25095.html http://tc.eserver.org/25095.html With the advent of the Internet and World Wide Web as an evergrowing and interactive media, Public Relations has a wondrous new tool in its arsenal for managing perception and attitude. Here we discover the leading edge of thought, opinion, and activity in using this new tool to accomplish Public Relations goals. .TechComm http://tc.eserver.org/24350.html http://tc.eserver.org/24350.html A blog with links to various technical communication online resources. A Blog on Usability in India http://tc.eserver.org/24114.html http://tc.eserver.org/24114.html This Indian usability blog attempts to bridge the gap between user requirements research and UI design. Blog on Technical Writing, Usability, and More http://tc.eserver.org/20961.html http://tc.eserver.org/20961.html Suman Kumar's weblog on technical writing, usability, tips, tricks and more!