Archive for July 2010
Should You Get a Technical Communication (or Writing) Certificate, or Diploma?
© 2010 Ugur Akinci Here’s a question TCC readers ask me often: “Should I get a diploma or certificate in technical writing/communication?” I’m big on education and training. But my answer to this question is always: “It depends.” Let me explain. First off, if your current or prospective employer demands that you get a certificate…
Read More22 Questions to Ask Before Writing a Technical Manual
The traditional book format (“codex”) is under serious attack both from online and ebook platforms, and structured documents that have “topic” as their most basic information unit instead of the “page.” However, I believe the book format will be with us for a long time to come while XML-based non-book formats continue to make important…
Read More7 Principles of Effective Business Writing
(Excerpt) 1. Strategic 2. Brand Centric 3. Buyer Persona Focused 4. Optimized for Search Engines 5. Technically Sound 6. Creative 7. Results Driven Click here to read the full informative post
Read More10 Characteristics of High-Quality SRS (Software Requirements Specifications)
© Ugur Akinci NASA’s Software Assurance Technology Center has identified the following as the ten important criteria that any SRS (Software Requirements Specifications) should satisfy: 1. Complete A complete requirements specification must precisely define all the real world situations that will be encountered and the capability’s responses to them. It must not include situations that…
Read MoreIs your Technical Communication career dying? How to revive it
A great article that I’m sure applies to the careers of some technical communicators offers some valuable advice for sagging careers. It starts with asking the following list of signs which might mean that you career is in trouble: You are unhappy with the nature of your work You aren’t growing You feel overshadowed You…
Read MoreUsing Color in Designing Learning Modules
(Excerpts) Studies have shown that the use of color can greatly impact learning and retention. There is evidence to suggest that thoughtfully designing the color of your learning courses will be time well spent. In a study by the Poynter Institute, participants were shown two newspaper pages. The pages were identical in every way except…
Read MoreTechnical Documentation through Twitter?
Here is a brave and exciting experimentation of compiling technical tips through Twitter’s vast global network… (Excerpts) Twitter is ubiquitous. People will read tweets because they’re short and punchy and because they go where we go. Rumour has it that, in contrast, people don’t read manuals. We’ve been trying a few different ways of using…
Read More10 FrameMaker 9 Features I Like
© 2010 Ugur Akinci NOTE: To turn any toolbar on or off, select View > Toolbars from the main menu and then select the toolbar you want from the pop-up sub-menu. (1) HISTORY Panel. Press Ctrl + K or the History button on the Quick Access Toolbar to display the HISTORY of your past actions.…
Read MoreU.S. Bureau of Labor: 2008-2018 Outlook is Positive for Writers
© 2010 Ugur Akinci The job growth outlook is positive for most writers, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, excepts in selected niches like newspaper publishing and computer hardware. Here are some of the best and worst writing niches in terms of their projected 2008-2018 Percentage Change in Number of Employed: BEST Growth Areas…
Read MoreIs Humor too Humiliating for Technical Writing?
(Excerpts) Humor as a part of tone is relevant to how technical writers project their information to their intended audiences. Many technical writers and editors of technical writing believe humor to be an inappropriate expression in most forms of technical documents. Other writers and scientists have linked humor to human health and believe humor to…
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