Non-Traditional Roles: Case Studies

This is a collaborative article with a list of case studies of technical communicators who assume new roles beyond the traditional ones like writing and editing. When they do so, they add value to their clients and organizations — as well as making themselves more valuable. This is in connection with the presentation slides from the STC Annual Conference (May 8-11, 2005 in Seattle, WA). The editor hopes these case studies will provide inspiration and encouragement for technical communicators who are looking for ways to add value.

Kunz, Lawrence D. KeyContent.org (2005). Articles>TC>Case Studies

Process Pieces and Tools in Content Development

As long as we are working with people, there will be clogs in the flow of information. As long as we are working for corporations, the bottom line will be money. With the dependence on computers and information in accessible and digital form, there is still a challenge in getting meaningful information. The tools, as advanced and automated as they are, will not fix all our problems. But we have to work with what we have, and automate as much of the production and maintenance of our content as possible.

Albing, Bill. KeyContent.org (2006). Articles>Content Management

Review: Review of 'Podcasting Solutions: Complete Guide to Podcasting'

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Podcasting Solutions: A Complete Guide to Podcasting by Michael W. Goeghegan and Dan Klass. I was able to digest the material quickly. The frustrating thing for me was that the title just didn't seem to fit the approachable and practical content that made the book such a treasure. For example, the subtitle 'A Complete Guide' is a bit overstated, because it is not a compendium but a getting starting guide. Especially as time goes by and the field progresses, and more techniques and tools are developed, this book will become more out of date.

Albing, Bill. KeyContent.org (2006). Articles>Reviews>Multimedia>Podcasting

Review: Review of "User Interface Design for Programmers"

This is ostensibly a review of Joel Spolsky's book "User Interface Design for Programmers" by way of a comparison with Jef Raskin's "The Humane Interface."

Albing, Bill. KeyContent.org (2005). Articles>Reviews

Sarbanes-Oxley and Financial Accountability

In the financial documentation realm, there are so many new buzz words, but they all boil down to the documentation equivalent of bean counting.

Albing, Bill. KeyContent.org (2004). Articles>Documentation>Management

Security Policy and Procedures Documentation

With the nation intensifying its homeland security and industry focusing on computer security, the experienced technical communicator can assist with documenting procedures.

Albing, Bill. KeyContent.org (2004). Articles>Documentation>Policies and Procedures>Technical Writing

Software Development Kit (SDK) Documents in 10 Simple Steps

Here are the ten simple steps to successful software development kit (SDK) documentation.

Buck, Catherine. KeyContent.org (2004). Articles>Documentation>SDK>Technical Writing

Sofware Development Theories

The purpose of this collaboration is to collect on one portal page many of the current theories of software development, so that a technical communicator working with developers can at least be a bit familiar with these. It is by no means a thorough explanation of all the contemporary methodologies, both organic and imposed. But it should give readers some tips about what they are and where they can find more information.

Albing, Bill. KeyContent.org (2004). Articles>Software>Programming

Then is Now, Small is Big: Transforming Trends

This article is not really about the future; it is about the present, because the future is already upon us.

Albing, Bill. KeyContent.org (2004). Articles>TC

Trends in Transforming Communication: Response to STC Editorial

In stark contrast to the suggestion that software products are easier to use these days, I would have to say that in general they are _not_ any easier to use, _especially_ Microsoft products. While they have more features and deliver more performance, I would be careful about making a blanket statement about ease of use, especially when we know the resources to create usable products in most of the industry has been shrinking.

Albing, Bill. KeyContent.org (2004). Articles>Usability>Software

Using a Wiki as an Organizational Portal

We explain why we chose a wiki-based content management system (CMS) as the basis for the portal for KeyContent.org. We compare various tools and discuss other sites that have implemented similar software for collaborative solutions.

Albing, Bill and Rick Sapir. KeyContent.org (2006). Presentations>Technology>Organizations>Wikis

Why Single-Source when you can Multi-Source?

Single-sourcing allows authors to re-use content in different deliverables. This article explores using XML and a CMS (content management system) to take a different approach--multi-sourcing.

KeyContent.org (2006). Articles>Content Management>Single Sourcing

Wiki-fying Docs: Is Using Customer-Accessible Wikis for End-User Documentation Gaining Momentum?

While the effort to provide more interactivity and power to the end-user seems to suggest that we open up a wiki to allow them to add and edit content, the basic idea of a set of edited documentation is now challenged with a social network of participating customers, all of whom may now edit, add, and delete content. How social can you go? This article is an attempt to look at the process of evaluating the use of a wiki for end-user documentation, if such a thing can exist. Are the two types of customer content--wikis and end-user documentation--mutually exclusive?

Albing, Bill. KeyContent.org (2007). Articles>Documentation>Wikis>Social Networking

Writing Documentation and Help for Eclipse Projects and Plugins

Eclipse is an open-source community. One of its primary projects is the creation of 'an extensible development platform...for building software.' This platform takes shape in the Eclipse workbench, a Java-based IDE (Integrated Development Environment).

Sapir, Rick. KeyContent.org (2006). Articles>Documentation>Software>Java

XML Authoring Group

The XML Authoring Group is an informal gathering of technical communication professions in the Research Triangle Park (RTP) area of North Carolina who meet once every two months or so to discuss issues regarding the development of technical content with structure or XML tags. We are not a group of XML programmers and we are not beginners with XML either. We are using XML for developing, delivering, and maintaining technical content, not data.

KeyContent.org (2006). Organizations>Information Design>Regional>Carolinas

Wiki-fying Docs: Is Using Customer-Accessible Wikis for End-User Documentation Gaining Momentum?

While the effort to provide more interactivity and power to the end-user seems to suggest that we open up a wiki to allow them to add and edit content, the basic idea of a set of edited documentation is now challenged with a social network of participating customers, all of whom may now edit, add, and delete content. How social can you go? This article is an attempt to look at the process of evaluating the use of a wiki for end-user documentation, if such a thing can exist. Are the two types of customer content — wikis and end-user documentation — mutually exclusive?

Kent, Betsy and Bill Albing. KeyContent.org (2009). Articles>Documentation>Content Management>Wikis

What is Social Bookmarking

A discussion of social bookmarking; its use and trends.

KeyContent.org (2009). Articles>Web Design>Taxonomy>Social Networking

Key Resources

This portal (organized into categories) lists external resources for content developers, technical communicators, information architects, and web designers.

KeyContent.org. Resources>Directories