Trends in HTML-Based Help Design  

Discusses some of the new and upcoming design trends in HTML-based systems. These designs are not the kinds of systems that most people will create on arrival to HTML-based help, but are experimental designs people create as they segue from Windows-based help.

Lockett-Zubak, Cheryl . Intercom (2000). Articles>Web Design>HTML

Trends in Management: Observations of a SIG Manager  

Herr, the manager of STC's Management special interest group, shares some informal observations on several economic and social trends affecting technical communication managers, including telecommuting, outsourcing, contracting, offshoring, and virtual and face-to-face professional networking.

Herr, Judith M. Intercom (2004). Careers>Management>Outsourcing

Trends in Technical Communication: An Independent's View  

Responding to articles from a previous issue of Intercom, Frick reacts to professional trends that affect her independent consulting business.

Frick, Elizabeth A. 'Betsy'. Intercom (2000). Careers>Freelance>Consulting

Trends in Translation  

Bacak, the executive director of the American Translators Association, provides an overview of some important trends in the translation profession.

Bacak, Walter. Intercom (2000). Design>Language>Translation>Localization

Trends in XML Software  

Houser explores the growing popularity of XML and compares several current XML authoring tools. A sidebar to the article explains the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) standards process.

Houser, Alan R. Intercom (2001). Design>Information Design>XML

Two Flavors of Independents  

Many of us (myself included) get caught up in our day-to-day work and forget the value that comes with meeting people face to face. I was reminded of the importance of these meetings in January, when I attended the STC-James River Chapter 2004 Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia. The conference sessions covered everything from intercultural technical communication to XML migration strategies. For me, the conference was an opportunity to find out what was on the minds of technical communicators in the area. As it turned out, some of those concerns related to the theme for this issue.

Martin, Maurice. Intercom (2004). Careers>Freelance>Collaboration

The Two-Headed Coin: Usability and Market Research  

Tracks the importance of usability and market research by following a typical project through each stage of development.

Bunker, Gary. Intercom (2006). Articles>Usability>Marketing

Ukraine: A Technical Communication Perspective  

Discusses Ukrainian communication practices and explains why the country could become an important region in the world economy.

St. Amant, Kirk R. Intercom (2002). Articles>TC>Regional>Ukraine

Understanding Career Development  

Describes four stages of career development.

Oestreich, Linda L. Intercom (2002). Careers>Advice

Underutilized: What You Can Do  

Describes how technical writers who feel their jobs aren't challenging enough can obtain more responsibilities.

Block, Barbara M. Intercom (2001). Careers>Workplace>TC

The Undervaluation of Writing Expertise  

Main argues that technical writing departments should value writing expertise more than tool experience when evaluating job candidates.

Main, Michael D. Intercom (2001). Articles>Writing>Assessment

An Unfair Test  

Machine translation has improved greatly over the years, but one type of human communication, figurative language, remains difficult for computers to tackle. When we hear 'You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink,' we know that the speaker is probably commenting on human, not equine, nature.

Intercom (2004). Articles>Language>Localization>Machine Translation

The Unified Modeling Language  

Chu defines Unified Modeling Language (UML) as a standardized system of diagrams, notations, and semantics for object-oriented design and modeling. He offers a basic introduction to UML, provides a conceptual model, and describes UML's building blocks and common mechanisms. The article includes a brief history of UML.

Chu, Steve W. Intercom (2000). Design>User Interface>UML

Urban Legends of the Technical Communication Field  

Examines three widely held beliefs regarding technical communication and shows how they distort reality.

Statt, Ronald A. Intercom (2004). Articles>TC

Usability and Findability: Getting the Synergy Right  

Read about techniques for successful search engine optimization (SEO) as well as examples of good and bad keywording methods.

Spencer, Stephan. Intercom (2006). Articles>Usability>Methods

Usability and User Experience Design: The Next Decade  

Predicts that usability practitioners will need new skills to cope with changes in this field.

Wilson, Chauncey E. Intercom (2005). Articles>Usability>User Centered Design

Usability Is in Your Future  

Barnum discusses the importance of usability testing and suggests ways that managers of technical communication departments can convince their organizations to invest in usability.

Barnum, Carol M. Intercom (2003). Careers>Usability>Management

Usability: Making the Web Work  

Olive provides an overview of usability as it applies to Web design and discusses how to implement good design techniques on Web sites.

Olive, Eric G. Intercom (2002). Design>Usability>Web Design

Usability Testing: Don't Let the Myths Put You Off  

Jarrett dispels several myths about usability testing that may dissuade technical communicators from applying valuable usability techniques.

Jarrett, Caroline. Intercom (2003). Articles>Usability>Methods>Testing

Usability, User Experience, Or Both?  

Explains how the new name of the former STC Usability SIG better serves the growing number of technical communicators whose work encompasses the overall product--not just usability or documentation.

Bachmann, Karen L. Intercom (2005). Articles>Usability>Community Building>User Experience

Using a Bookstore to Land a Job  

Discusses how technical writers can prepare for new jobs by focusing on potential employers' needs and upgrading their writing skills.

Bush, Donald W. Intercom (2002). Careers>Interviewing>Writing

Using a Résumé to Showcase Your Talents  

Demonstrates how technical communicators can create achievement-based résumés that emphasize past accomplishments and future potential.

Bailie, Rahel Anne. Intercom (2003). Careers>Resumes>TC

Using a Writing Method to Design Applications  

Arguing that technical writers have the skills to do more than write documentation, Van Mansom demonstrates how technical writers can apply writing methods to the creation of software.

Van Mansom, Kees. Intercom (2001). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric

Using CSS with Your HTML  

Ellison's detailed introduction to cascading style sheets (CSS), the technology that enables technical writers to apply formatting to HTML-based content, includes examples of how CSS is commonly used and offers tips on how to implement it.

Ellison, Matthew. Intercom (2002). Design>Web Design>CSS

Using Editors to Win Proposals  

Paradoxically, engineers are often forced to seek jobs by pursuing a skill at which they are, admittedly, often inferior: expository writing. To win proposals for new business, they have to put their worst foot forward. This unhappy situation presents a great opportunity for editors.

Bush, Donald W. Intercom (2004). Articles>Editing>Proposals