TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:TechWhirl Recap for May 19 From:INKtopia Admin <admin -at- inktopia -dot- net> To:Techwr-l <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:22:33 -0500
TechWhirl Recap for October 21, 2011 (May 19)
This week’s update is supported by Platinum sponsor Adobe & RoboHelp 9 | http://goo.gl/mWtcM.
This week’s TechWhirl update has a beginning and end, much like networking,
our LavaCon contest and Tech Writer Halloween Horror Week.
This month a majority of our articles have focused on Networking Strategies
and Tools. This week Mike McCallister highlighted six tools for technical
writers to build relationships on LinkedIn (http://goo.gl/KJ5Kj), and VIU’s
Julie Clarke explored how to network your way to a paycheck ( http://goo.gl/FLXEM) <http://goo.gl/FLXEM>. While we’re not certain if you
can do a lot of networking with DITA, Jacquie Samuels provided some Tech
Writer Tips & Tricks for the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA | http://goo.gl/aw3cf).
Also this week launched our Road to LavaCon contest (http://goo.gl/5eX0h).
LavaCon 2011 will be the first time TechWhirl attempts to “cover” an event.
We’ll be live blogging, summaries of the day, aggregating Tweets and,
assuming we can find the time \ liquid courage, we’ll also do a podcast from
there as well.
We knew that a few more people were needed to cover the event so we could
both attend and sleep during the conference. Working with the dynamic
organizer of the event Jack Molisani , we worked out an agreement to run a
contest to find two additional writers. In return for helping us write
about the event, they get to attend LavaCon admission free.
We’ve been very happy with the response online and offline and look forward
to selecting our new bloggers, getting their SWU tattoos in place, and
preparing for a new adventure. Time is running out but you can still enter
by *Liking* the LavaCon page and putting a message on their board on why you
would like to write for us. LavaCon Facebook:
http//goo.gl/3LhEq<http://goo.gl/3LhEq>| Details on the Event: http://goo.gl/5eX0h.
Halloween is almost here, which means that we’re nearing our first ever Tech
Writer Halloween Horror Stories week. We’ve gotten some great submissions
and we’re excited to share them with you. Got a story to tell? Submit it
online at TechWhirl.Com (http://goo.gl/DjfI0) Or, share a Tech-Horror-Tweet
by using the hash #TechHorror and we’ll read them on our upcoming Halloween
Podcast.
A sincere thank you to everyone coming to our site, and those who are
helping make it the best online resource for Technical Writers on the net,
we certainly appreciate it.
>From the whole ghoulish gang @ TechWhirl,
Have a great weekend!
Social Media and the Chance to Follow TechWhirl:
Will you be our Friend? Please, you know you want to click | http://goo.gl/tDrW7
Want all this TechWhirl goodness a few characters @ a time | http://goo.gl/itjDg
Typing TechWhirl.Com too much for you? Try RSS | http://goo.gl/msLzu
What You’re Talking About
*
*A quick *What you talkin’ ‘bout* to our Tech Writers and their discussions
in our email discussion group <http://goo.gl/YUrbb>:
· So only heated debates on the number of spaces after period seem to
generate more discussion than the whole topic of technical communications
certification. Originally posted by Leonard Porello, the various branches of
the thread on “STC certification program” represent questions, criticisms
and suggestions from the curmudgeonly, the skeptical, the supportive, and
the curious.
· Becca Price sparked another lively and busy thread when she asked for
thoughts on her TW instructor’s admonitions on the proper way of
“introducing steps.” Infinitive or clause, or nothing at all? Opinions
vary, as they always do on the list, but there are some valuable points to
many of the rationales.
· We’re curious to see how the responses to Bobby Henessey’s request
for advice on how to “Generate One TOC from multiple Word Docs.” Master
documents have been the bane of many tech writers’ existences for years, but
some Whirlers report that newer version of well-known tools, handle TOCs
much better than the “old days”.
In Case You Missed it: This Week @ TechWhirl
· New: “Network Your Way to a Paycheck,” by Julie Clarke | http://goo.gl/FLXEM
· New: “Highlights from International Freelancers Day: Six Tools to
Build Relationships on LinkedIn,” by Mike McCallister | http://goo.gl/KJ5Kj
· Poll question: In which of the "basic" tech writing skills would you
want to get additional training? (current leader is document planning /
scheduling – how about you, what are your training needs? | http://techwhirl.com
SPONSOR-Luv
We want to send a very special “thank you” to our sponsors for their
support. We wouldn’t go on a road trip without them
>> yes, we know the opening line wasn’t that deep – that was the point
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