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Tag: technical communication

Open letter to all technical communicators out there

Are you a technical communicator? If you are not sure, here are some examples of people within the technical communication field: Accessibility analysts, content developers, documentation specialists, indexers, information architects, information designers, instructional designers, localization specialists, policies and procedures specialists, researchers, teachers, technical illustrators, technical writers, technical editors, translators, usability and human factors professionals, visual designers, and Web designers and developers. The list goes on. Why I am writing to technical communicators? There has never been a more important time for us to stay connected and work together to advance our careers and profession. One valuable way to stay connected is through an organization like STC, the Society for Technical Communication. As I state on my site, I belong to STC, and I am quite active in STC. I feel that my STC membership has been a real boost to my career, and I would like to see more technical…

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What are blogs and wikis?

When I am asked that question, as I was today, I always try to de-mystify blogs and wikis by saying that they are still websites, only slightly different. I have heard questions at seminars from people who seemed to think that blogs and wikis were new, exotic toys that required more learning and more work and more bother – which did not make them happy. That’s why I go for de-mystifying, especially in casual conversation. Blogs and wikis are still websites. Maybe they are just not ordinary websites … For the short answer, go to what is probably the most famous wiki, Wikipedia, to get a quick explanation of a blog and a wiki that goes a bit beyond my “just websites” explanation. That’s all there is to it. Bye. Well… there is a bit more. The longer answer Blogs and wikis can take writing for a website, or web…

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Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge

After writing about anatomical illustrations, I stayed in graphic mode and found another great link with a story, thanks to Visuality. The US National Science Foundation is taking submissions between Sept. 28, 2007 and May 31, 2008 for its Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge in each of five categories: photographs, illustrations, informational graphics, interactive media, and non-interactive media. The message is: to improve science literacy and the communication between science “and other citizens” through the use of illustrations. They word it so nicely: Some of science’s most powerful statements are not made in words. From the diagrams of DaVinci to Hooke’s microscopic bestiary, the beaks of Darwin’s finches, Rosalind Franklin’s x-rays or the latest photographic marvels retrieved from the remotest galactic outback, visualization of research has a long and literally illustrious history. To illustrate is, etymologically and actually, to enlighten. Visualization of research is another example of technical communication. STC…

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