A few weeks ago, we were traveling on a road trip for our annual vacation, far from home and computers. We didn’t take laptops, but we had our iPhones. Perfect, I thought. My little computer-in-a-pocket. I’d be able to access the Internet and email and everything else with that handy device. Which was true. However, [...]
(1-Yr Archive) New Writing Methodologies
May 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Tech writing is changing, has changed, and the old ways won’t work any longer. Many of my posts over the past year address those considerations. Here they are.
Writing Styles
Smaller screens. Smaller devices. Smaller word counts, don’t you think?
Think Mobile When You Write
Cut, Cut, Cut Your Content and Procedures
Video and Touchscreens
Well, keyboards and Flash are perhaps [...]
Think Outside the Computer: Touchscreens, HTML5, & Flash
May 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Touchscreens are here to stay. Computers as we know them are gone already. Really. It’s time to fast-track the planning for delivering docs and content to these types of devices.
Forget a laptop or netbook. I have a computer I can fit in a pocket. That would be my iPhone. I look at it as a [...]
Tech Writer or Tech Communicator? Or TechWtr?
April 4, 2010 By 8 Comments
For some reason, I just started thinking of the age-old debate of using Technical Writer or Technical Communicator (or variations thereof). My preference is neither: it’s Tech Writer. Short & crisp. Snappy. Other reasons are listed below.
1. I don’t want to be known as a Communicator, or have to introduce myself as such. I’m a [...]
Minimal Procedure Content: Reasoning
November 13, 2009 By 2 Comments
The procedure I wrote about creating a Twitter list uses abbreviated content. This post describes the reasoning behind and decisions made in writing the topic.
Title
Instead of using this:
Create a Twitter List
I opt for this construction:
Twitter List: Create
Reasons
It puts the topic first. You don’t have to dig through the content to get to [...]
Must-Follow Trends for Tech Writers
October 1, 2009 By 1 Comment
Tech writers have always needed to keep up with current technologies. That is the case today more than ever. I’ve been in the field for over 20 years, starting back before online help, back when you copied manuals to put in binders, back when you wrapped up docs weeks before a release because you had [...]
HTML 5: What Tech Writers Need to Consider
September 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Wow. I knew that there were many items to consider when writing documentation these days. However, there is much more than I realized. For example, today I started looking at HTML 5 more in-depth. As I read through the information on the W3C site, it became clear that big changes are in store that will [...]
Cut, Cut, Cut your Content and Procedures
July 20, 2009 By 2 Comments
Sure. We’ve been reducing word count in procedures for some time. It’s time to do more, however. As noted in an earlier post, we have to think mobile. Think small screens and small devices. Screen real estate will be at a premium.
With that in mind, I’m offering some suggestions on how to cut back. Remember [...]
The Changing Roles of Writers and Editors
July 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment
As my friends and family know, I’ve been mesmerized of late by a box of old letters I had stashed in my closet. The letters were from long ago – the late 70s and early 80s – before computers were in use, and definitely before e-mail.
The letters are a joy to read, as they recall [...]