Archive for 2012
How to Get That Very First Technical Writing Job…
That very first technical writing job is the hardest for most writers and non-writers who are new to the field. Once that threshold is crossed, there’s usually no going back. The rest is usually a series of promotions or lateral and vertical moves from one company or assignment to another. For the freelancing “lone writers,”…
Read MoreHow to Skip Paragraph Numbering in MS Word
To learn how to skip paragraph numbering in MS Word can save you a lot of time and effort when writing a document. Imagine you have a list of paragraphs numbered consecutively. What if you’d like to remove numbering only from paragraphs TWO and FOUR but continue by rearranging the numbers of the other paragraphs? Easy. Place…
Read MoreHow to Insert a Table into a RoboHelp Topic
Inserting a well-designed table into a RoboHelp topic is child’s play, thanks to the list of great template options made available by Adobe. 1. Click your cursor in a topic where you’d like to insert a table. 2. Select Table > Insert > Table from the menu to select the Insert Table dialog box: You…
Read MoreHow to Create a RoboHelp Project — A Beginner’s Tutorial
A. Introduction This Adobe RoboHelp HTML 10 tutorial shows the basic steps required to create a RoboHelp project. (Robohelp comes in two flavors: Robohelp for Word, and Robohelp HTML). In this tutorial, we will use RoboHelp 8 HTML and generate a help file, starting from a “Blank Project”. NOTE: Robohelp is a deep program with…
Read MoreTwo Different Meanings of Documentation Plan
(Copyright-free photo courtesy of Štefan Štefančík at Unsplash dot com) © Ugur Akinci There are TWO different varieties of “Documentation Plan”s. The first definition of “Documentation Plan” is a rather narrow one according to which the TCC template was designed: a plan to write a hi-tech user manual, a system administration or installation guide. This…
Read MoreHow to Create an "Object Style" for an Anchored Frame in Adobe FrameMaker
The ability to attach an “object style” to an anchored frame in FrameMaker is a huge time server and productivity booster. I applaud all Adobe engineers who came up with this long-due feature. To insert an anchored frame into a document, simply click the anchored frame button on the toolbar to display the Anchored Frame…
Read MoreShortcomings of Line Graphs (or Line Charts)
Line graph or line chart is one of the most frequently used types of graphic displays in technical communication. Here is an example: Consumption of Fiber by U.S. Apparel Industry, 1994-2001 (Millions of pounds) (Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security) The most important aspect of a line graph is its use of “categories”…
Read MoreViolating Document Specs May Cost CA County $548 Million
© Ugur Akinci I forgot the number of times I’ve emphasized the importance of clarity and accuracy in technical documentation in this blog and the dire consequences that can arise from such errors. To my online course students that’s something I make clear right away: a technical document must be correct and accurate above anything…
Read MoreHow to Decide How Granular Your Technical Writing Should Be
How granular and detailed your technical writing should be? This common problem is sometimes also referred to as the “granularity” issue. For example, consider the following alternative description of the same procedure: DESCRIPTION 1 (not so granular): Open First.html in IE9. DESCRIPTION 2 (very granular): In your browser’s URL window, enter the following URL and…
Read MoreWatch Your Misplaced Modifiers — Importance of Positioning in English Sentences
Just like in life, positioning is important in writing as well. Place the wrong modifier in the wrong spot, and the meaning of your whole sentence changes and you end up creating the wrong impression for no good reason at all. Sometimes even professional writers writing for important publications fall into this trap. Here is…
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