Are Pune Technical Writers the Highest Paid?

Are Pune technical writers the highest paid of the breed in India? The word on the street doesn't say so. As a hiring manager, I don't believe so. But, the salary survey suggests so.

Menezes, Frederick. Indus (2005). Careers>Writing>Regional>India

Client-Friendly Atmosphere: The Polish and The Lubricants

During the last few years in projects, I interacted with a lot of clients. All these projects were based offshore, where client interaction was mainly through emails or teleconferences. When you do not work face-to-face with clients, communication is key to win your clients' confidence.

Nafde, Yamini. Indus (2006). Careers>Consulting>Collaboration

Creating User-Friendly Documentation

We often hear that users do not read documents. To lure readers into reading our documents, we must make documents user-friendly.

Bhatia, Neeraj. Indus (2002). Articles>Documentation>User Centered Design>Technical Writing

Dealing With the Salary Survey

Thanks to Makarand, Paresh, Mira, and other contributors, some of our questions are answered after a gap of two years and we have some takeaways from the salary survey.

Aiyyangar, Ramesh. Indus (2005). Careers>Salaries>Regional>India

Designing a Software User Assistance System

This article looks at a methodology for developing a software user assistance (UA) system in a structured manner. The software UA system could have both paper-based user manuals and online help systems.

Ferris, Tamara. Indus (2006). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help

Designing for Accessibility

Any large audience for a Web site will include users who have physical challenges to accessing your content. Designing for accessibility means that you should be developing Web pages that will remain accessible despite any physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities, work constraints, or technological barriers. Most mainstream Web sites are so heavily image- and media-intensive that they are not suitable for adaptive devices such as screen readers, voice browsers, and braille translators. Many of the guidelines necessary for developing accessible content naturally lend themselves to creating good design.

Sklar, Joel. Indus (2002). Design>Web Design>Accessibility

Designing Usable Technical Documents: Why Bother?

Many professionals in the field of technical writing involved in the design of instruction guides, will at some point in their career have experienced some doubt whether their efforts to produce high quality documentation really make sense. Do consumers attach some value to the instruction guides for the products they have purchased? Do they use these documents at all, or are most instruction guides thrown away, together with the packing material of the equipment they come with?

Jansen, C. Indus (2002). Articles>Documentation>Usability

Emerging from the Sidelines: The Indian Technical Writing Community in a Global Marketplace

Comparing trends in India and the U.S. gives a sense that the Indian technical communication community is on a strong footing and can gain a competitive edge by focusing on some key areas.

Bhatia, Neeraj. Indus (2005). Careers>Salaries>Regional>India

The Essentials of Effective Communication

Good writing allows writers to be taken seriously, and being taken seriously is always important in communicating ideas effectively. If a person's writing is awkward, clumsy, or questionable, readers may get the wrong impression. And, first impressions can determine what people will read and what they will not.

Dowling, Dave. Indus (2002). Articles>Communication>Writing

The Fine Art of Editing

Editing is an art that needs to be cultivated and fine-tuned just like any other. When one is novice, the editing goals are to proofread, to clean up the text, and to correct 'grammatical' errors. The entire focus is on words and phrases. So, when they edit, they read the text as it comes and edit the words to make the text read better. What is it that they really miss? They often miss the big picture, the whole idea, and the context.

Misra, Reena. Indus (2007). Articles>Editing

Freelancing in Technical Writing – Part I

Freelancing is one of the most lucrative options available to Technical Writers. While being your own boss may sound pleasant, it is not as easy as it sounds.

Pandit, Makarand M. Indus (2003). Careers>Freelance>Writing>Technical Writing

Good Opportunity for Technical Communication Service Providers

When I tried to look at the salary survey from the point of view of a Technical Communication Service Provider (TCSP), I noticed quite a few interesting points.

Pandit, Makarand M. Indus (2005). Careers>Consulting>Regional>India

Guidelines on Graphics Usage

Illustrations and technical graphics are essential to any technical documentation. They assist users' understanding by simplifying complex content through clear, understandable and effective information. A primary objective of technical documentation is to ensure that users use products effectively and safely. Graphics and illustrations assist in accomplishing this objective. Striking the right balance between text and graphics enables documentation to be effective support to product use. This article recommends a few guidelines and best practices to adopt when working with illustrations and graphics in technical documents.

Chava, Uday. Indus (2005). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration

Handling Software Failures: Need For Effective Training

The cost of software failure in terms of schedule overruns and poor quality are well known.

Kumail, S.M. Nafay and Gaurav Chadha. Indus (2003). Articles>Education>Software

Hidden Information for All to See

While it takes special forensic tools to access most of the hidden information in computers, some of it is in plain view and can be seen without forensic tools. This article is about one of the 'plain view' instances: information Microsoft Word saves about you, your company, and the topic you are writing about, all of which can be seen by anyone who has access to your document.

Molisani, Jacki. Indus (2006). Articles>Information Design>Privacy>Microsoft Word

Implementing Information Architecture Using XML: A Business-Driven Approach

A few of aspects that are easy to miss in the excitement of trying to implement an XML-based information architecture in an organization.

Pant, Asit H. and Aoyon Choudhary. Indus (2005). Articles>Information Design>XML

Review: INDLISH: A Book for Every English-Speaking Indian

At last, a book on what ails English in India! Why do we speak the way we do? Why do we switch to the passive voice in English, though we keep to the active in our mother tongues? Why are our letters long and wordy and yet can't get the point across? Why are our textbooks so wordy, and yet so vacuous?

Srikumari, K.V. Indus (2007). Articles>Reviews>Localization>India

Information Architecture Concepts for the Technical Writer

Information Architecture (IA) as a discipline practiced by professionals in the information processing and development industry has many definitions and levels of understanding.

Gummaraju, Anupama. Indus (2005). Articles>Information Design>Writing>Technical Writing

The Keys to Clarity, Consistency, and Correctness

How can you make documentation more clear, consistent, and correct for your users? Following are some guidelines I find effective when documenting concepts and organizing documents.

Hassell-Corbiell, Rives. Indus (2002). Articles>Documentation>Writing>Technical Writing

A Lesson in Usability

Usability testing brings with it images of sterile usability testing labs...users grappling with tasks set out for them, unsure if the test measured their merits or those of the help system...and experts talking in hushed tones of 'cognitivism, constructivism, behaviourism and what-have-you-ism'. A close observation and accurate record of user interaction with the artifact to be tested, in a real-life environment, can often ascertain if the document was worth its screen captures and fonts by establishing the only fact that counts - Did it help or not? As a writer, who began my career in communication at an advertising agency, I have often used a few 'tricks-of-the-trade' routinely used by copywriters, (like emphasis on the word FREE in advertisements), with predictably happy results, from the 'user-perspective'.

Babu, Harini. Indus (2007). Articles>Usability

Listen, the Numbers are Singing

Among the constant chattering noise that these numbers are making, they also sing some common tunes.

Naik, Paresh. Indus (2005). Careers>Salaries>Regional>India

Many Heads Make Work Right

Writing is popularly considered a spontaneous exercise, and often is. Spontaneous writing, however, does not always result in high quality results.

Aiyyangar, Ramesh. Indus (2002). Articles>Writing>Collaboration>Technical Writing

Review: Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications

Microsoft is one of the largest software companies in the world. Thus, with their rich experience in documentation it is only natural that they share it with the rest of the IT industry. The Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications, Third Edition (MSTP) is the latest step in this direction and takes care of latest technologies and technical terms.

Sharma, Sangeet. Indus (2005). Articles>Reviews>Style Guides>Technical Writing

Microsoft Word 2000 and Readability

A discussion of th Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level formula, as implemented in Microsoft Word.

Nafde, Yamini. Indus (2005). Articles>Writing>Usability>Microsoft Word

The Myth of "The User"

Instead of becoming computer users, like the cheery protagonists of Star Trek, we've become the computer used, like the gloomy inhabitants of Dilbert.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Indus (2007). Articles>Usability>User Centered Design