Reaching Global Audiences: Doing More with Less  

Discusses several low-budget techniques for preparing material for a global market.

Bailie, Rahel Anne and Jerome Ryckborst. Intercom (2002). Articles>Writing>International

Reader-Centered Documentation Provides the Necessary Context    

A features-based approach to documentation is appropriate for reference manuals, where the goal is to provide information on something the reader already knows. This article explores how to meet the needs of the reader when providing documentation for user manuals.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Intercom (2007). Articles>Documentation>User Centered Design

Reading Your Audience  

Discusses ways that public speakers can adjust to the body language and visual cues of their audiences.

Walinskas, Karl. Intercom (2001). Articles>Rhetoric>Presentations

Recognizing Quality Achievement  

Smart summarizes the history and purpose of the Malcolm Baldridge Award. Given annually by the National Institute for Standards and Technology, the Baldridge Award recognizes companies that show an organization-wide concern for improving quality.

Smart, Karl L. Intercom (2001). Articles>TC>Quality

Recruiting Strategies That Get Results  

Offers five suggestions for recruiting strong job candidates in a tight labor market.

Tucker, Robert B. Intercom (2001). Careers>Management>Recruiting

Register Your Site for Free  

Since the failure of banner advertising as a revenue source, the search engine and directory industry has changed drastically. Most search engines now require payment to include sites in their databases. But there are still a lot of search engines that allow you to register your site for free.

Leonard-Wilkinson, Theresa A. Intercom (2003). Design>Web Design>Search

Reinventing Yourself As a Marcom Writer  

Lange, a marketing writer who spent four years as a technical writer, compares the two disciplines and discusses how technical writers can move into marcom.

Lange, Penny L. Intercom (2002). Careers>Writing>Marketing

Requirements for Total Quality Leadership  

Describes Total Quality Leadership, an approach to organization management that focuses on providing top value to customers by building excellence into every facet of the business. To give customers the products and services they value, TQL studies and improves the processes companies use for purchasing, production, testing, accounting, and so on.

Jaehn, A.H. Intercom (2000). Careers>Management

Resources and Strategies for Successful International Communication  

Offers tips to technical communicators on how to communicate effectively with people from other cultures.

St. Amant, Kirk R. Intercom (2000). Articles>Collaboration>International

Responses to 'Following the Doctor's Orders'  

This article presents reader responses to a hypothetical dilemma published in the February 2000 issue of Intercom.

Intercom (2000). Articles>Workplace>Ethics

Responses to 'In the Company of Lawyers'  

This article presents reader responses to an ethics case published in the March 2002 issue of Intercom.

Bryan, John G. Intercom (2002). Articles>Workplace>Ethics

Responses to 'In the Gyres'  

In the September/October 2000 issue, Intercom printed a hypothetical dilemma entitled 'In the Gyres.' A summary of this story is reproduced, followed by reader responses.

Bryan, John G. Intercom (2000). Articles>Workplace>Ethics

Responses to 'Who's Policing the Policy Makers?'  

This article features reader responses to a hypothetical dilemma printed in the April 2001 issue of Intercom.

Wiles, Debbie. Intercom (2001). Articles>Workplace>Ethics

Responses to "Alienation"  

In the April 2003 issue, Intercom printed a hypothetical dilemma by John G. Bryan entitled 'Alienation.' A summary of this story appears in the box on this page; reader responses appear below. The responses do not reflect the views of STC's ethics committee and may have been edited for length.

Bryan, John G. Intercom (2003). Articles>Workplace>Ethics>Security

Responsive—and Responsible—Web Site Design for Disabled Users  

Urges professors of technical communication to teach their students how to design Web sites that accommodate disabled users.

Hawkes, Lory. Intercom (2004). Design>Web Design>Accessibility>Education

Restructuring Your User Information  

Details a process for improving the usability, consistency, and organization of user information within businesses that maintain medium to large documentation libraries.

Richards, Charles. Intercom (2003). Articles>Content Management>Documentation>Usability

Resumes: You Can't Escape  

Lists ten common mistakes in resumes and ten suggestions for improvement based on his experience as a hiring manager. The article includes a sidebar on how to write effective cover letters.

Le Vie, Donald S., Jr. Intercom (2000). Careers>Resumes

The Return to Content in Help Design  

Zubak discusses four trends she has observed in the content development of online user assistance.

Zubak, Cheryl Lockett. Intercom (2003). Design>Documentation>Help

Revealing Your Hidden Value  

Have you ever felt as though technical communicators don’t get the proper respect for the work they do? This isn’t just a problem of identifying with the comedian Rodney Dangerfield. And I’m not just asking whether you go home at the end of the day with your feelings hurt, although job satisfaction is certainly an important factor. But even more important, you need to have the respect of your boss and co-workers to be effective in your job and to advance your career.

Laurent, J. Suzanna. Intercom (2003). Careers>TC>Assessment>Formulas

Revisiting the Webcam  

Considers the current state of webcam technology.

Archee, Raymond K. Intercom (2004). Articles>Technology>Telecommuting>Video

The "Right" Keywords  

Last fall, one of the people I mentor, Andrew White, e-mailed me, asking how to get his site ranking higher on Google. He is the webmaster for a church Web site and was not happy that another church site with the same name outranked his site. I looked over his keywords and site text: He did not have very strong keywords. His primary keyword phrase was the name of his church. I wondered about this: How many people search for the name of a church? If you want your efforts at search engine optimization (SEO) to bear fruit, be it an organic campaign, a paid sponsorship, or Google Adwords, you must choose the keywords that your target audience is using to find your site or product. Otherwise all your efforts are in vain.

Leonard-Wilkinson, Theresa A. Intercom (2004). Design>Web Design>Search>Search Engine Optimization

Running a Successful International Teleconference  

Kratts suggests guidelines for minimizing confusion during international teleconferences.

Kratts, Aimee. Intercom (2001). Articles>Collaboration>International>Teleconferencing

Running Group Critique  

Feedback is central to learning. Practice makes perfect, as the saying goes, but practice without feedback does not allow students or training participants to improve.

Doumont, Jean-luc. Intercom (2003). Articles>Education>Instructional Design>Collaboration

S1000D: A Standard for Technical Documentation  

S1000D is a military standard for the creation and delivery of technical documentation. Many companies can benefit from its methodology. Review its history and principal concepts, and learn important information to keep in mind when applying the standard to your work.

Weidenbrueck, Dieter. Intercom (2006). Articles>Documentation>Standards>Technical Writing

The Samples Conundrum  

Olive examines the ethical and practical problems associated with providing writing samples to potential employers and suggests possible solutions to these problems.

Olive, Eric G. Intercom (2001). Careers>Interviewing>Ethics