Many months ago, prior to this year's annual STC conference, I had been privately expressing my displeasure with STC. For many personal reasons, I was not getting value from the organization. I've been a member for 14 years or so, previous membership manager, web master, and volunteer. During my time as membership manager for the [...]
Online Help is the New Three-Ring Binder
Feb 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I think tech writers hold themselves back with rigid definitions of what tech writing is. When I first started, the three-ring binder was the de facto standard for document distribution.
Presidents and Capitals
Jan 23, 2009 By 4 Comments
What's up with the President becoming the "president"? I had this sneaky feeling that something had changed since second grade, when they wheeled a TV into my classroom and had to let it warm up for 30 minutes so I could see Carter's inauguration. I was told then if it's the President of the United [...]
1931 Tech Writing Book Proves Engineer Vs. Writer War Wasn't Started by Me
Jan 16, 2009 By 3 Comments
I was rummaging around in Half Price Books the other day and there was a cart in there marked "Last Chance Collectibles Cheap". Ah, old books. I found a couple of treats. One was an old sci fi book I'll post about later. The second was Technical Writing: Third Edition by T. A. Rickard. It [...]
More Adobe Nonsense
Jan 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment
I received a phone call from Adobe today. It was coincidence and had nothing to do with my previous rant. The person who called me was a Level 2 technician. I went through my story with him. The difference was that he was an installation expert. In the end, he couldn't help me because I [...]
Unrest by Parkway Drive