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TechWhirl: Technical Communication Recap for November 22, 2013
Subject:TechWhirl: Technical Communication Recap for November 22, 2013 From:INKtopia Admin <admin -at- inktopia -dot- net> To:Techwr-l <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Fri, 22 Nov 2013 16:07:06 -0500
In watching and reading the vast number of pieces commemorating one the
darkest events in American history, I’m struck by the truth of the old
adage, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” Then, as
now, we remember where we were and what we were doing when these events
occur. We unite in mourning and trying to make sense of tragedy. And we
attempt to learn from these events and move forward.
One thing that has surely changed is how we find about the details of these
national and global tragedies. In 1963, everyone waited for news from
venerated news men such as Walter Cronkite, or tuned in their radios as a
relatively few reporters bore responsibility for getting the facts out
across the newswires. In 2013, we wait for nothing… we get pictures as they
happen from the everyday citizens in the street, supplemented by non-stop
coverage in the 24/7 cable news cycle. In 1963, the vast majority of
humanity were relegated to passive consumers of news. Today, the vast
majority can and do actively participate in creating and distributing—in
sharing—news and other content.
We, as content creators and deliverers, with some special types of
expertise, still have much to learn about the processes: what constitutes
news and facts, or even the “right” content? How does delivery shape the
actual content? What responsibility do the sharers bear, as opposed to the
creators, in ensuring the right content gets to the right consumers? As you
peruse the content we’ve produced on TechWhirl this week, and the
conversations happening in the forums and email discussion lists, it may be
worthwhile to pause for a moment and contemplate the roles we play in
sharing knowledge within the wider world.
Have a good weekend.
-Connie and the gang at TechWhirl
In Case You Missed it: This Week @ TechWhirl
- Tech Writer This Week for November 21, 2013 | http://bit.ly/IiiAya
- Word Wise: Wonky Words in the World, by Marcia R Johnston | http://bit.ly/IfA1PX
- Making the Business Case (poll) | http://bit.ly/1aCCtdn
- LavaCon: Every Page is Page One: Topic Based Authoring for Tech Comm
and the Web, by Tracy Taylor | http://bit.ly/1bGzdz1
- *instinctools and XTM International to Partner on Documentation and
Localization Solutions | http://ow.ly/2BFp5D
- IGC Updates Brava! for IBM Content Navigator | http://ow.ly/2BElLf
- GALA Announces New Board of Directors for 2014 | http://ow.ly/2BzDG2
- DeltaXML introduces DITA Compare 5.0 Software at DITA Europe | http://ow.ly/2ByfYO
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