In the Year 2054...  

Speculates about what the future will hold for technical communicators.

Martin, Maurice. Intercom (2004). Articles>TC>History

Including Purpose in Software Documentation  

Argues that technical writers should include a discussion of the purpose behind every procedure described in software documentation.

Block, Barbara M. Intercom (2001). Articles>Documentation>Writing

Incorporating Animation into Help Files  

Information clarity, ease of use, and modern computing speeds are reasons to consider animation in Help files. Sharp's article presents three common types of animation and how to make them work for you.

Sharp, Roger A. Intercom (2007). Articles>Documentation>Video>Flash

Independents' Success Depends on Business Skills  

I went independent in 1990 as a technical writer/instructional designer, and I now teach technical writing in corporations. My business has grown steadily, albeit slowly, in these thirteen years. I learned quickly that independents are businesses first and technical communicators second. Our work may feed our souls and pay the bills today, but if we ignore business matters, our practices will ultimately fail. It is not enough to be 'technically' smart— independents must be savvy in business to succeed in any economy.

Frick, Elizabeth G. 'Bette'. Intercom (2003). Careers>Consulting>TC

Indexing Large Projects  

Relates how the author and her coworkers proceeded when faced with a daunting indexing task.

Kadilak, Denise. Intercom (2001). Articles>Indexing

The India Paradox  

Kamath describes the complex interplay among many competing cultural forces that makes technical communication in India such a challenge.

Kamath, Gurudutt R. Intercom (2000). Articles>Workplace>Ethics>India

Inductive User Interfaces: A New Opportunity for Writers  

Discusses inductive user interfaces, which use single screens to guide users through each task in a software program.

Carlson, Janice L. Intercom (2002). Design>User Centered Design>User Interface

Information Architecture: You Do It, You Just Don't Know It  

As we await the beginnings of an economic recovery, it’s more important than ever to optimize rather than to innovate. Business is slower and budgets are smaller. Projects are more often about evolving a process or product rather than starting from scratch. As an information architect, I have seen a shift in the kinds of Web development projects that my clients request.

Haynes, Mir G. Intercom (2003). Articles>Information Design

Information Development in a Flat World    

The flat world has had a clear impact on information development and will continue to increase competitive pressure on the profession in the foreseeable future. By adapting to the realities of global organizations and global audiences and instituting a disciplined work environment that thrives on standards and best practices, technical communicators can remain competitive.

Hackos, JoAnn T. Intercom (2008). Articles>TC>International

Information Engineering for the 21st Century  

Bowie urges technical communicators to spend less time creating documentation and more time designing products that people can use intuitively.

Bowie, John S. Intercom (2003). Articles>Information Design>User Centered Design>Usability

Information Models and XML  

The defining feature of XML is the ability to specify your own tags. Learn about what to look for in an XML information model and what a technical communicator can contribute to an XML documentation team.

Baril, France. Intercom (2006). Articles>Information Design>XML

Instant Messaging in the Workplace  

Proposes six guidelines for employee use of instant messaging.

Hoffman, Jeff. Intercom (2004). Articles>Workplace>Collaboration>Instant Messaging

Instant Messaging--Another Format to Worry About?  

IM lived for years as an obscure technology in the shadow of the WAP (wireless application protocol) wireless Web, and is still used chiefly by teenagers. But IM has recently become a source of revenue for financially beleaguered telecoms, and has been discussed as a possible replacement for e-mail.

Perlin, Neil E. Intercom (2003). Articles>Writing>Online>Instant Messaging

Instructional Design and Software Quality Assurance, Part I  

Describes how instructional design principles can improve documentation.

Nayar, Pawan. Intercom (2001). Articles>Documentation>Instructional Design

Instructional Design and Software Quality Assurance, Part II  

In the second article of his two-part series on the application of principles of instructional design to quality assurance processes, Nayar discusses how these principles affect document development.

Nayar, Pawan. Intercom (2002). Articles>Education>Instructional Design

Instructional Design: Choosing the Proper Authoring Tool  

Searching for the right tool for your instructional design needs? Learn about your options through capsule reviews of instructional simulation programs and full-service authoring tools.

Holden, Gene. Intercom (2004). Articles>Documentation>Instructional Design

Integrating Graphics with Text  

A teacher at the University of Memphis, Albers describes a two-tiered assignment he developed to help students address problems they encounter when trying to integrate text and graphics.

Albers, Michael J. Intercom (2000). Articles>Rhetoric>Graphic Design>Visual Rhetoric

Intellectual Capital: Placing a Value on Technical Communication  

Carliner discusses the emerging discipline of intellectual capital, which attempts to develop accounting techniques for quantifying the 'brainpower' of corporations. The new service-oriented economy, Carliner argues, renders traditional accounting methods inadequate for determining the value of intangibles such as policies and procedures, the knowledge of a staff, and relationships with customers.

Carliner, Saul. Intercom (2000). Articles>Knowledge Management

Intelligent Terminology Management  

Using multiple terms to refer to the same concepts can be a major cause of confusion. Ray explains how to implement a process to consolidate the terminology used by your organization.

Ray, Rebecca. Intercom (2006). Articles>Writing>Style Guides>Glossary

Intercom

Intercom is the magazine of STC. It features articles of interest to technical communicators, focusing on practical tips for working more effectively.

Intercom. Journals>TC

Intercom's Annual Humor Contest  

The editor of Intercom introduces the magazine's annual humor contest. This year, readers are asked to submit made-up words that relate to some aspect of technical communication.

Martin, Maurice. Intercom (2000). Humor>TC

An Interest-ing Dilemma  

A Web developer experiences uncertainty upon being asked to develop a site for a questionable start-up company.

Schroer-Motz, Leeanne. Intercom (2007). Articles>Web Design>Ethics

International Issues in Copyright: Frequently Asked Questions  

The area of copyright can be confusing and presents numerous questions. Juillet provides answers to some common copyright questions, such as who holds the copyright in a work-for-hire situation and whether a copyright needs to be registered to have protection.

Juillet, Christopher. Intercom (2007). Articles>Intellectual Property>Copyright>International

Internationalizing Online Training  

Online training is becoming increasingly popular; however, geographic and cultural distance can work to your disadvantage. St.Amant outlines how to set up a training program that both attracts and benefits communicators in locations around the globe.

St. Amant, Kirk R. Intercom (2006). Articles>Education>Online>Localization

Internet Resources for Editors  

This month, I’ll depart slightly from my usual topic and focus on onscreen practices that aren’t actual edits—but that support activities such as fact-checking that we must perform while editing. Specifically, I’ll describe how to use the Internet as a research tool to improve the quality of your editing.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Intercom (2003). Articles>Editing>Online