TW salaries in B.C.

[Jonathan Stoppi <stops -at- qualum -dot- com>]

Hello all

In preparation for a move to British Columbia later this summer, I've been doing some research into the above, and am somewhat taken aback how much lower the salaries are, in real terms, compared to the US or even the UK.

I'm basing this on the STC tables and that of www.trios.ca/career/salary.asp

To put it bluntly, a salary equivalent to US$50k is considered highly exceptional, and even above the top end of the scale.  In general, salaries in excess of C$55k seem to be regarded in awe by the average Canadians.  Is this true, and if so, is it because the cost of living is also around 2/3 that of US (when comparing like with like, e.g. in housing, etc.)?

Sorry to trouble the list on this - I would approach the Canadians on the list, but the addresses I have for many of them from a year or two back are defunct. 

Thanks

- Jonathan Stoppi
  Migrates with meese
  Stops -at- qualum -dot- com

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TECHWR-L Digest for Wednesday, April 03, 2002.

1. Re: Internet Architecture Project - PLEASE HELP
2. RE: New TECHWR-L Poll Question
3. RE: Hypertext Studio VS Robohelp!
4. Putting tips/notes within a numbered list
5. Re: (Possibly OT) Can I quote you?
6. Multi lingual Online Help
7. Re(2): (Possibly OT) Can I quote you?
8. Re: If you were going to learn...
9. AW: Putting tips/notes within a numbered list
10. Internet Architecture Project - PLEASE HELP?
11. Putting tips/notes within a numbered list?
12. RE: F1 vs. Shift+F1
13. Doc Translations - help for a newbie
14. Re: Internet Architecture Project - PLEASE HELP?
15. RE: Putting tips/notes within a numbered list
16. Re: Internet Architecture Project - PLEASE HELP
17. Re: (Possibly OT) Can I quote you?
18. RE: Internet Architecture Project - PLEASE HELP
19. RE: "Click on" or "click"
20. RE: Internet Architecture Project - PLEASE HELP
21. RE: Internet Architecture Project - PLEASE HELP
22. RE: UNIX and Windows documentation
23. RE: UNIX and Windows documentation
24. Re: Internet Architecture Project - PLEASE HELP
25. Re: How prevalent is DocBook?
26. Checking links in Word
27. Portfolio articles or websites requested
28. Gigalaw.com Resource
29. outlook or xchange forms
30. Re: outlook or xchange forms
31. Subject: Re: How to look good in your customer's eyes
32. Re: (Possibly OT)  Can I quote you?
33. RE: When Programmers Design Web Pages ...
34. RE: Checking links in Word
35. Big Word Docs?
36. RE: Big Word Docs?
37. RE: Big Word Docs?
38. RE: Big Word Docs?
39. RE: Big Word Docs?
40. Re: (Possibly OT)  Can I quote you?
41. Re: New TECHWR-L Poll Question
42. Re: Big Word Docs?
43. "check" the box       (was RE: "Click on" or "click")
44. PDFMaker error
45. Crisis
46. PDFMaker error
47. RE: Big Word Docs?
48. Re: Big Word Docs?
49. describing range - use of from/between
50. RE: Hypertext Studio VS Robohelp!
51. Re: describing range - use of from/between
52. Re: Big Word Docs?
53. RE: Big Word Docs?
54. How to tell your Word training session was successful...

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Re: Internet Architecture Project - PLEASE HELP
From: Andrew Plato <intrepid_es -at- yahoo -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 00:20:47 -0800 (PST)
X-Message-Number: 1

"Anthony" <anthony_colello -at- yahoo -dot- com> wrote 

> Hello Everyone,
> 
> I took a job for a large insurance provider about two
> weeks ago and the primary focus of the job is
> documenting what they refer to as their "Internet
> Architecture."
> 
> What they want is a technical reference manual for
> programmers and developers which documents their
> system of servers, mainframes, routers, ATM switches,
> applications, etc.  Further they want this manual to
> be documented down to the "file level" of detail and
> have a variety of diagrams and tables in addition to
> the usual narrative content.  The system is used
> primarily for quoting, managing, and underwriting
> insurance policies.
> 
> Can anyone help me with ideas of how to attack this
> monster?

Ah, fun! Sounds like an ops manuals. Done a few in my time. Mostly just a big
collection of data (well organized of course). You'll never get all the info
from the engineers. You'll have to scour it from the network yourself. 

1. You need a network diagram. If they don't have one, you'll need to put one
together. Plenty of books and resources on this. Get a copy of Visio 2000.
Start diagramming. 

2. Scan your internal network range using a tool like SuperScan from
Foundstone. That will determine what machines are there and what aren't. It can
also scan for open ports. If your company has any security on the network
(which they probably don't) you'll set off the IDSs. But that will at least
show them that you know what you're doing (sort of). 

3. You need access to all those servers. An account with at least read access
to everything on the servers.

4. You need a server map - what server provides what services. How are those
services configured. That means getting configuration information on each
software package installed on the system. 

5. You need directory maps. On windows systems this is easily accomplished
using the dir /s > filename.txt command. It will pipe a complete map of the
directory to the text file "filename.txt" Perform this on each drive, on each
server. UNIX boxes have a similar command.  Once you get the maps, you'll need
to sort out what are OS files and what are program files and what are the data
files (or user files). This is pretty straightforward...if you know Windows and
UNIX. If not, pray for the kindness of SMEs. 

6. You'll need to walk through the MIBs on the switches and grab all the
configuration info. I recommend a MIB walking tool like GETif  (More info:
http://www.wtcs.org/snmp4tpc/testing.htm). Get a read only community string
from the engineers. If they look at you funny and ask why - you're doing good.
They'll probably be amazed to see a tech writer knows what an SNMP community
string is. 

7. Dig your ISPs DNS servers if you need maps of systems. This is really fun.
You'll find out all sorts of fun data on your firm. You can get a DIG program
lots of places on the Internet. The UNIX versions work better, but there are
some nice Windoze versions. See www.samspade.com for a good Windows digging
tool. 

8. Find their database systems. Get data models out of them. Get a copy of
ERwin. If they use SQL Server you're in luck. it comes with a simple modeling
tool built in. Have it generate models of the databases. 

My recommendation is to break this doc in to these categories:

Network Topology
Network Routing Devices
Name Servers
Network Services Servers (this includes DNS servers, WINS servers, etc.)
File Servers
Mainframes
Internet Servers
Web Site Architecture 
Database Models
Data Dictionaries

Here is what you don't waste time on:

Templates
Style guide
Any kind of methodology
Sign-off sheets
Fonts, commas, etc. 
Documentation repositories. (Make a folder on a server, save your files there.
Doc repository project finished.)
Tools. This kind of technical docs should be done in Word - a format that is
easily portable and can be sent to any engineer in the company.

You are lucky, Anthony. You have a purely technical, technical writing project.
My kind of job. Complex, geeky, full of whirring servers and blinking switches.
You don't have to worry about the insidious one-off crap that consumes user doc
writers. You can focus all your energy on gathering data, learning about
technologies, and working with engineers - the fun stuff.

This is the type of work where you learn tons of cool stuff that will benefit
you immensely in other jobs down the road. I did the exact job you describe in
1995 for a Microsoft group. It was the single best contract job I have ever
had. I learned more about Perl scripting, SQL Server, Windows NT, and web
architecture in 9 months on that contract then I would have learned in 9 years
through classes. It is what allowed me to start my own company.

Get crackin' dude. Impress the hell out of them by showing them a ops manual
that is busting at the seams with detailed technical data. And if you get stuck
- you can always hire me. :-) 

Andrew Plato 

<<Shameless self advertising>>
Blow money at my store: http:\www.cafepress.comAnitianStuff

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax
http://taxes.yahoo.com/

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: RE: New TECHWR-L Poll Question
From: "Jane Carnall" <jane -dot- carnall -at- digitalbridges -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 11:02:51 +0100
X-Message-Number: 2

John Posada wrote:
>Somneone said they couldn't wait to see someone enter Other and the
>reason.
>I did and here's the reason.
>I don't only do one thing. Some things I'm very competent. Other
>things, I'm hanging on by my fingernails. I'm getting better, but I'm
>learning.

I did too, for the same reason... plus, I noted the date of the question and
figured "Other" was the only appropriate response! Who's going to enter
"incompetant" or "highly incompetant"? If this is a serious poll, I have a
panda egg, a spaghetti tree, and tickets to a penguin flight exhibition to
sell you.

Jane Carnall
Apologies for the long additional sig: it is added automatically and outwith
my control.


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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: RE: Hypertext Studio VS Robohelp!
From: "Rhonda Munster" <rhonda -at- helpsystems -dot- co -dot- nz>
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 22:52:52 +1200
X-Message-Number: 3

Swati Jain wrote:
>Has anyone used Hypertext Studio as well as Robohelp???
If yes ! can you help me compare the two??<

Hi

Yes I have used both.  When I was looking at help authoring software I
tried out a few, both HyperText Studio & RoboHelp included.  Since then
I have used RoboHelp Enterprise on a project for a client because that
is what they had purchased.  Personally though, in the end I went with
HyperText Studio over RoboHelp for the following reasons:

The excellent multi-authoring ability of HyperText Studio
How easy it was to use
The ability to use 'topic styles' that allow you to create a template
that you can base all (or some) of your topics on.  I've recently used
this to place the clients logo at the top of each topic.  I only had to
place the logo once.  It also means that you can make changes across the
lot in one swoop too.  This is in addition to using a .css.  When I used
RoboHelp, I was frustrated that I did not have this ability. The price
.... that goes without saying! The service

Char James-Tanny presented a wonderful matrix comparing quite a number
of help authoring tools when she spoke at the New Zealand Tech Writers
conference last year but unfortunately it no longer appears to be on her
site www.helpstuff.com.  She rated HyperText Studio highly.  Dana Cline
also reviewed the product recently in SD Magazine
http://www.sdmagazine.com/documents/s=7032/sdm0204e/0204e.htm and gave
it four stars.

I hope some of this helps.

Rhonda

Rhonda Munster
Help Systems Limited
www.helpsystems.co.nz
Telephone: 9 818 6957
Facsimile: 9 813 1143
 

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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Putting tips/notes within a numbered list
From: "Nuzhath Shereen" <nuzhath -dot- shereen -at- cominsights -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 11:44:35 +0530
X-Message-Number: 4

Hello,

Iam new to this mailing list. I'm not sure if this list has discussions on
basic concepts.

I would like to know if we can put a tip or a note between 2 sentences of a
numbered list?
For example:
1.  do this
2. do that
 tip: .....
3.  do that

Is the above format okay? or should we put the tip at the end of the list.
But the tip here is relevant only to item 2? Maybe I should indent the tip
to come within item #2?

Regards,
Nuzhath


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Re: (Possibly OT) Can I quote you?
From: "Mark L. Levinson" <nosnivel -at- netvision -dot- net -dot- il>
Date: Wed, 03 Apr 2002 14:54:21 +0200
X-Message-Number: 5

Patrick wrote:
> I believe the proper etiquette for quoting an 
> individual on something said in a  discussion 
> would be to email  them directly and ask for their
> permission.

It's not just proper etiquette, it's the law.
And you may quote me on that.  Er, if you have
my permission.

Material posted to a discussion list does not
burst automatically into the public domain.  
Copyright remains with the author.  See for
example "Cyberspace law for non-lawyers" at
http://www.cudenver.edu//www/copyright.html
and "10 Big Myths about copyright explained"
at http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html .

Mark L. Levinson
Herzlia, Israel
nosnivel -at- netvision -dot- net -dot- il

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Multi lingual Online Help
From: "elizabeth mathew" <eliza_denny -at- hotmail -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 03 Apr 2002 17:37:38 +0530
X-Message-Number: 6

Hi All

We are in the process of developing a web application, which is targeted for 
customers round the globe. Hence, the online help too needs to be multi 
lingual. I don?t have any idea about any tool that could do this.

We are looking for a tool which looks/works similar to the WebHelp, and also 
gives multi lingual support. Please advise me on this or any other 
alternatives.

Thanks,

Elizabeth

_________________________________________________________________
Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Re(2): (Possibly OT) Can I quote you?
From: Jan Henning <henning -at- r-l -dot- de>
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 14:09:09 +0200
X-Message-Number: 7

>> I believe the proper etiquette for quoting an 
>> individual on something said in a  discussion 
>> would be to email  them directly and ask for their
>> permission.
>
>It's not just proper etiquette, it's the law.
>And you may quote me on that.  Er, if you have
>my permission.
>
>Material posted to a discussion list does not
>burst automatically into the public domain.  
>Copyright remains with the author.

Mark,

I think there is a confusion between quoting and general use of
copyrighted material here:

Quoting means repeating small parts of what somebody else has said or
written. (What 'small'=A0exactly means can be open to interpretation, bu=
t
one or two sentences almost always emet this definition.) 

Quoting does not require that the quoted text be in the public domain.
(You rightly pointed out that the postings to this list aren't.) The
right to quote is one of the few 'fair use' exceptions there are to the
general copyright of the author.

One of the sources you gave - "10 Big Myths about copyright explained" -=

includes a description (from which I quote ;-)

>Fair use is usually a short excerpt and almost always attributed. (One
>should not use more of the work than is necessary to make the
>commentary.) It should not harm the commercial value of the work -- in
>the sense of people no longer needing to buy it (which is another reaso=
n
>why reproduction of the entire work is a problem.) 

Quoting is in fact explicitely protected in copyright law because
otherwise reasoned critique and science would be severly hindered.

Regards
Jan Henning

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ROSEMANN & LAURIDSEN GMBH
Am Schlossberg 14, D-82547 Eurasburg, Germany

Phone: +49 700 0200 0700, Fax: +49 81 79 93 07 12
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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Re: If you were going to learn...
From: Michele Marques <msmarques -at- rogers -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 03 Apr 2002 07:38:28 -0500
X-Message-Number: 8

Bonnie Granat writes:
 > Also, can someone define "normalization" [in the context of relational
 > databases]? The word is used and used and used but never defined in
 > stuff I've seen.

This concept is discussed in databases classes, database textbooks, and 
even in some tool-specific books (an advanced Access book I used several 
years ago devoted a chapter to normalization).

The general idea of normalization is to reduce redundancy within your 
database.

 From a search in google on "+normalization +database" I found the 
following three URLs that have a lot of good information for you on this 
topic):
http://www.gslis.utexas.edu/~l384k11w/normover.html
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q100139
http://www.sqlmag.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=4887&pg=1

   - Michele Marques
msmarques -at- rogers -dot- com
http://members.rogers.com/msmarques



----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: AW: Putting tips/notes within a numbered list
From: Ballenberger Gerd <gerd -dot- ballenberger -at- siemens -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 14:39:17 +0200
X-Message-Number: 9

Nuzhath Shereen is wondering how/where to place tips/notes within a numbered
list:

I would like to know if we can put a tip or a note between 2 sentences of a
numbered list?
For example:
1.  do this
2. do that
 tip: .....
3.  do that

<snip>

Nuzhath, I believe a tip (hint) should go exactly where it's needed, in your
example as part of step 2. And yes, make sure it's indented like other step
2 text so that it's clear it belongs to step 2 and nowhere else.

Caveat: There are scenarios where people dislike (too much) "unnecessary"
text in instructions: "Just give me a 1-page quick guide on how to set up a
worldwide extranet with a couple of relational databases."
To satisfy both worlds, you might use the "layering" technique and "hide"
your tips behind just the word "Tip" or a suitable icon, thus giving
everybody a clue that there is more to read if needed, and at the same time
let quick readers skip it quickly. Not well suited to printed docs, though.

HTH,
Gerd

gerd -dot- ballenberger -at- siemens -dot- com
Erlangen, Germany




----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Internet Architecture Project - PLEASE HELP?
From: "Hart, Geoff" <Geoff-H -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA>
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 09:10:56 -0500
X-Message-Number: 10

Anthony Colello reports: <<... the primary focus of the job is documenting
what they refer to as their "Internet Architecture." What they want is a
technical reference manual for programmers and developers which documents
their system of servers, mainframes, routers, ATM switches, applications,
etc.  Further they want this manual to be documented down to the "file
level" of detail and have a variety of diagrams and tables in addition to
the usual narrative content... The clincher is that they have little more
than diagrams to start the project with.  Most of the information is
supposed to be garnished by interviewing the programmers and developers.>>

Sounds like a very large project, and that the size, more than any inherent
complexity, is what's got you worried. The key to doing this right, with the
minimum stress on you, is to start simple: create an outline that lists all
the main things you need to document, then sit down with your manager and
establish a series of priorities and preliminary dates. A typical
date-priority combination might be something like "list all the servers on
the network, and the locations where I can find new servers that have been
added to the network, by May 1st".

Now you can start refinining each item in the list: for example, you might
have to break down "servers" into different categ




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