Many colleges and even some high schools have courses in technical writing; some even ask people from the industry to share their experiences. Could you be one of those industry insiders talking up our profession? Sure! Here are a few good reasons why:

1. You may have benefitted from such a presentation when you were in school, and doing the same for others is a great way to say thank you.

2. If you didn't hear such a presentation, you may wish you had.
3. Many professors and teachers excel at theory, but students benefit from hearing about real life technical communication as well. Remember, these students could be your future co-workers!
   

What do you like about being a technical writer?

It's actually over here: techcommdood.blogspot.com

Some people are undecided whether or not they will renew their STC memberships for 2008. Please let us know why you will or will not be renewing.

I am the lone technical writer at JTV. I am presently supporting just over 100 IT engineers, product owners, and project managers. In early 2007, our management decided to move from the waterfall approach for development to an agile/scrum method.

"The Manifesto for Agile Software Development
We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping other do it. Through this work we have come to value:
Individuals and interactions - over - processes and tools
Working software - over - comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration - over - contract negotiation
Responding to change - over - following a plan

Who's Keeping Score? The Value of Usability Scorecards and Metrics - Explains how HFI's evolving set of user experience metrics can help you: quantify best practices in design at a site, sub-site or page level; prioritize your usability resources across a range of projects; get valuable feedback quickly, in 'design time'; track and benchmark user experience over time; learn how you score against your competitors; and synthesize your various user data streams into an integrated UX dashboard. Goddard, Phil and Susan Weinschenk [TC Library]

User Experience Inside and Out: The Strategy of Persuasive Design - Presents a strategic roadmap for user experience design. Combining usability with the science of persuasion, learn how you can: impact online decision-making and user motivation; create a dashboard-based framework to measure and track user experience; integrate your customer channels and internal-facing systems; and help executives appreciate and understand the value of user-centered thinking and design. Nadel, Jerome and Jay More [TC Library]

Web 2.0 and You - Examines Charlie Kreitzberg's models for understanding Web 2.0, and explores the vast opportunities for professionals who define and design new software and websites. The slides from the presentation are also available. Kreitzberg, Charlie [TC Library]

User-Centered Design - The design of everyday objects is not always intuitive and at times it leaves the user frustrated and unable to complete a simple task. How many of us have bought a VCR that we have struggled to used and missed recording our favorite programs because we misunderstood the instructions or had to put up with the clock blinking 12:00 because we didn't know how to stop it? Do we have to put up with designs like these? Isn't it possible to design systems that are more usable? 'User-centered design' (UCD) is a broad term to describe design processes in which end-users influence how a design takes shape. It is both a broad philosophy and variety of methods. There is a spectrum of ways in which users are involved in UCD but the important concept is that users are involved one way or another. For example, some types of UCD consult users about their needs and involve them at specific times during the design process; typically during requirements gathering and usability testing. At the opposite end of the spectrum there are UCD methods in which users have a deep impact on the design by being involved as partners with designers throughout the design process. Abras, Chadia, Diane Maloney-Krichmar and Jenny Preece [TC Library]

Opera's Lie Blasts Microsoft on IE and Web Standards Support - Take a look at how Opera's Hakon Lie publicly blasted Microsoft for it's lack of support of Web Standards! Lie states. While this isn't new, I think it's important for accessibility developers to continue supporting the Mac accessibility community. Paciello, Mike [TC Library]