Directives Do Right: Writing for the "Mounties"  

Coates's job as a senior writer and editor for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is full of variety and challenges.

Coates, Melanie. Intercom (2006). Careers>Business Communication>Case Studies

Distance Learning: One Student's Perspective  

A teacher of technical writing relates her experiences, both positive and negative, as a student in a virtual classroom. Deming's discussion is a helpful preview for anyone curious about online courses.

Deming, Lynn H. Intercom (2000). Articles>Education>Online

Diving into the Wonderful World of Web  

When asked for my opinion on how to break into the Web world, I usually tell people to volunteer. I was very lucky when beginning my Web career in the early days of the Internet—my Web sites received a lot of good exposure. But when I jumped into self-employment a few years ago, I had to start all over again: I needed to show potential clients what I could do, not what my Web team could do. So I found a poorly designed Web site and offered to redesign it for free (the Oklahoma Indian Times Web site at www.okit.com). OKIT jumped at the offer (to read more about this, see “The Need for Web Site Navigation” in the June 1999 issue of Intercom). A lot of my friends thought I was crazy doing all that work for free. But I needed to build a Web site from scratch so I could give prospective clients an example of my work. Nothing is more convincing than before and after pictures.

Leonard-Wilkinson, Theresa A. Intercom (2001). Careers>Portfolios>Web Design

Do-It-Yourself Single-Sourcing  

In recent years, countless articles and conference workshops have touted single sourcing as the Holy Grail of technical writing. Countless articles and conference workshops have also told us that XML is our means to achieving the Grail. However, in the absence of any off-the-shelf products that facilitate XML and single sourcing in our current work environments, I suspect that most people, particularly in smaller companies, believe that implementing XML is too technically daunting, too expensive, or both.

Wersan, Fred. Intercom (2003). Design>Content Management>Single Sourcing

Documentation for a Technical Audience  

Liebhaber discusses the benefits of system documentation--documentation written for an audience of technical people who solve support problems or modify components to the software.

Liebhaber, Karen Powers. Intercom (2002). Articles>Documentation

Documentation Metrics: What Do You Really Want to Measure?  

Examines several metrics--systems for measuring production and production standards--to determine their value to technical communicators. He argues that qualitative metrics are more meaningful than quantitative ones.

Le Vie, Donald S., Jr. Intercom (2000). Articles>Documentation>Assessment>Heuristic Evaluation

Documentation through the Discovery Process  

Kloss describes a process of composing documentation that requires the writer's involvement at every phase of product development.

Kloss, Marilyn B. Intercom (2002). Articles>Documentation>Style Guides

Documenting ISO 9001 Compliance  

Describes how technical writers can make their documentation comply with ISO 9001, the latest quality management system from the International Organization for Standardization. The article includes a list of suggested readings.

Parr, Kelly A. Intercom (2002). Articles>Documentation>Standards>ISO 9001

Documenting While on Patrol    

While the jobs of Mary Clouse and the rest of the Security and Documentation Unit of the New York State Senate Technology Services department aren't as glamorous as those of the senators themselves, they ensure that the Senate can use its automated systems to conduct its daily business smoothly, efficiently, and securely.

Clouse, Mary. Intercom (2008). Articles>Documentation>Workflow

Domain Names, Cybersquatting, and Meta Tags  

Discusses Internet technology and intellectual property by delving into some of the legal issues regarding domain names and meta tags. She discusses trademark laws regarding 'cybersquatting' (when people register domain names for the purposes of sale), offers suggestions for protecting a company and using meta tags in Web sites appropriately.

Kagan, Elissa. Intercom (2000). Articles>Cyberculture

Don't Let Your Work Become a Commodity    

Learn specific steps technical communicators can take to respond to the commoditization of technical tasks.

Harvey, Michael. Intercom (2008). Careers>TC>Workplace

Double Your Fun  

Argues that using dual monitors can simplify technical writers' jobs and save time. The article includes directions for attaching a second monitor to a computer.

Blank, William. Intercom (2000). Articles>Technology

Dynamic Content Management  

Introduces dynamic content, a method of single sourcing that 'meets individual users' needs by assembling a series of information objects in response to the userís requests or requirements.' She walks readers through a mock project involving the creation and delivery of dynamic content.

Rockley, Ann. Intercom (2001). Articles>Content Management>Single Sourcing

The Dynamic Duo: Motivation and Recognition  

Offers several tips for motivating workers and recognizing their successes.

Laurent, J. Suzanna. Intercom (2003). Careers>Management

E-Learning Trends in China  

China faces the enormous task of educating its 1.3 billion citizens, many of whom face extensive educational and social disparity, as well as extreme geographic isolation. Find out how e-learning--and technical communicators--can help solve this educational problem.

Johnston, James. Intercom (2007). Articles>Education>Online>China

E-Learning: When and Why  

Technical communicators have a responsibility to help companies determine when e-learning is an appropriate training solution. Smith offers criteria for making informed training choices.

Smith, Jane L. Intercom (1995). Articles>Education>Online

E-mail and Tattoos: A Primer on Netiquette  

Rogers and Perri discuss the hazards of e-mail and present five tips for using it properly in a professional environment.

Rogers, David J. and Monica C. Perri. Intercom (2000). Articles>Technology>Software>Email

E-tiquette: Rules of the Road  

Hay-Roe presents nine rules for writing clear, concise e-mail messages.

Hay-Roe, Hugh. Intercom (2001). Articles>Business Communication>Correspondence>Email

Earning a College Degree Online  

The number of multidisciplinary skills that technical communicators must possess increases with the rapid advance of technology. Today, a dusty college degree and vintage skills signal stagnation to employers and recruiters. Continuing education is essential to keeping your skill set competitive in today’s job market.

Korczyk, James S. Intercom (2003). Articles>Education>TC

The eBook Advantage: Writing and Publishing Electronic Books  

Hall, the author of three eBooks, explains how technical writers can earn extra income by writing and publishing their own electronic books.

Hall, Ceil W. Intercom (2002). Articles>Publishing>Online>eBooks

Editing an Index  

Collins and Hamilton's thorough guide to editing indexes offers tips on the most difficult and time-consuming of indexers' tasks.

Collins, William L. and Karen J. Hamilton. Intercom (2001). Articles>Indexing>Editing

Editing Effective Lists  

Demonstrates how well-written lists can bring order and coherence to any piece of writing.

Bush, Donald W. Intercom (2001). Articles>Editing

Editing for International Audiences    

To remain competitive, companies must increase content reuse and multilingual usability while reducing volume and eliminating culturally sensitive language. Rushanan shows how editors can increase their value to their employers by functioning as leaders in the translation and localization process.

Rushanan, Valerie. Intercom (2007). Articles>Editing>Localization>International

Editing Is Magic  

Editing is magic. A good editor can take a sentence like “References should be included in the paper sufficient to enable the reader to acquire additional information should she desire it,” and condense it to “Please include references.” Editing saves time, cost, and confusion. It’s magic.

Bush, Donald W. Intercom (2001). Articles>Editing

Editing on a Global Scale  

An interview with Seth Beckerman, a freelance editor with many international clients, reveals the challenges and rewards of working with writers around the globe.

Ketelaar, Carolee C. Intercom (2001). Articles>Editing>International