Introduction to JavaHelp  

An introduction to using Sun's JavaHelp system for creating online Help.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2004). Articles>Documentation>Help

Moving to DocBook  

DocBook is a powerful tool for creating and maintaining documentation. However, there are a number of factors you should consider before you move your documentation to DocBook. This article discusses reasons for and against making the switch to DocBook.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2002). Articles>Documentation>Standards>DocBook

Report On HTML Style Sheets  

A short report (circa 1997) on how one documentation deparment could use Cascading Style Sheets to format the HTML-based documentation it produces.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (1997). Articles>Web Design>CSS

Organization Through Simplification (Sort of)

To keep organized, you don't need a complex system. In fact, as this blog post suggests, managing time and tasks is best done using a simple system.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2009). Articles>Writing>Time Management>Planning

The Power of an Hour

Sixty minutes isn't a lot of time. But if you use those 60 minutes wisely, you can get a lot of writing done.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2009). Articles>Writing>Planning

A Few Essentials for the Freelancer

A lot of cliches apply to freelancers — wearing many hats, fingers in many pies, juggling multiple tasks. In order to do everything that you need to do, you need the right tools. Aside from the usual suspects — productivity and publishing software, Web sites, and blogs — there are a number of essential tools that all freelancers should have at their disposal.

Scott Nesbitt. ScottNesbitt.net (2009). Careers>Freelance>Software>Writing

My Journey to Writing With a Wiki

Wikis aren’t just tools for techies. They're also also for writers. In this article, one writer describes how he uses a wiki for his work.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2009). Articles>Writing>Technology>Wikis

Writing with Bullets, A Bit Too Much

Bullets definitely have their place in writing. But far too often, they're used to replace crisp, well-thought-out writing.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2009). Articles>Information Design>Advice>Writing

Writing Technical Articles

Some advice on writing articles about technology (and other topics) for a mass audience.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2008). Articles>Writing>Technology>Technical Writing

Thoughts on Creating a Backup Strategy

Far too many writers have been in a situation where something goes wrong with their computer and their work is wiped out. They have to scramble to recover or (usually) redo that work, all for want of a good backup strategy.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2009). Articles>Technology>Writing

Essentials for the Mobile Writer

For the freelance writer on the go, there are some items that are essential for what they're doing. This post looks at the gear that one writer uses when working away from the home office.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2009). Careers>Freelance>Telecommuting>Writing

Write Everything as if Writing for the Web

Writing tightly means packing the most information into the least amount of space. It's not easy, but when you do it, the result is like magic. The key to being an effective writer is to keep what you’re writing short, to the point, and easy to read. Like the best writing on the Web.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2009). Articles>Writing>Advice>Minimalism

Conversation, Cadence, and Writing 

Writing in a more conversational tone is a worthwhile goal. If you do it properly, you can draw readers in and make them more comfortable. The keys are to write as you'd speak, and to keep the flow and cadence smooth.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2009). Articles>Writing

Writing about Open Source to Kick Start (and Sustain) Your Career 

A report of a presentation by Dru Lavigne at FSOSS 2009 that discussed how to create and sustain a writing career by writing about Open Source.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2009). Articles>Writing>Open Source

Exporting Your Writing from Google Docs 

A short article that discusses how to use the bulk export feature of Google Docs to back your work up to your computer.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2009). Articles>Technology>Online>Word Processing

Taking Control of Your Communication 

With mobile phones, email, instant messaging, and the like we're expected to be available at all times. It should be this way, and this article explains one path to taking control of your communication.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2009). Articles>Advice>Time Management

Making Time to Write What You Want to Write 

Is it hard for you to find the time to write the things that you want to write? This article looks at some changes that you can make to your life in order to free up that time.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2009). Articles>Advice>Time Management

Four Keys to Writing Quickly 

Writing quickly is a skill that you should definitely cultivate. This blog post looks at four techniques that you can use when you need to write quickly.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2009). Articles>Writing>Advice>Workflow

Listening: An Essential Skill for the Freelancer 

How often do you really, truly listen to what a client has to say? Probably not often enough. This post looks at why you should.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2009). Articles>Freelance>Collaboration