Retiring baby-boomers are used to paper and print docs. Gen Y up-and-comers are accustomed to using newer technologies and options. Youngsters are growing up with cell phones, the Internet, and YouTube. Tech writing is being turned on its head by these demographic and technological changes. On this blog, I’ll discuss how these changes affect content development and management. I believe that much of what those of us in the technical writing field do now is becoming obsolete, and am excited about what’s to come.

– Julie Norris

My Background

I have a B.A. in Technical Communications, over 20 years of experience in the field, and have received four industry awards (three STC, one IABC). My company is Tailored Thoughts, which provides technical writing services focusing on content development and management, WordPress blogs, social media, and use of new technologies. I incorporate use of xml, databases, and design to create documentation. I’m now focusing on using new methodologies in documentation, including content management and social media. (That’s a long list, but they’re all related.)

I currently run my blog, handling all aspects of production: writing, WordPress site coding, and day-to-day management. I’ve become proficient with WordPress, and am familiar with the code, so am able to develop and maintain websites and blogs. I also maintain a Twitter feed that focuses on sharing current technology and industry topics of interest to technical writers. My Facebook page is currently in development.

My blog is included on Alltop.com in the Technical Writing section, and is also included as a Daily Reviewer.com Top Technical Writing blog . A recent post was recently included as a Holy Kaw item on Alltop.com (for which I feel quite honored). Also, a number of 2moroDocs posts have been added to the EServer Technical Communication Library, an extensive database of articles related to the field of technical communication. For all of these items, I feel quite fortunate and appreciative.

For more information about the company or services provided, please contact me at jnorris@tailoredthoughts.com or jnorris@2morodocs.com. You can also review the Services page for more information. For information about my background, check my LinkedIn profile.

I’m based on the rainy side of the great State of Washington in the Seattle area and not really all that far from one of my favorite spots: Mt. Rainier. We’re in the land of tall trees, scrumptious salmon, innumerable espresso stands, and, periodically, incredible views when the mountains are out.

Some Favorite Thoughts

- Why not?
- How cool is that? And how can it be used for docs?

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Contributors

Jill Freeman

Jill is an e-learning specialist and consultant. She has been in the training industry for over 19 years. She started out managing classroom training, has participated through the evolution to online tools and training materials, and is now looking forward to participating in the many changes in store for e-learning.

Jill’s company is Digital Harbor, and she can be reached as follows:
jill.freeman@digital-harbor.net
digital-harbor.net