Re: [TCP] Technical writing and tools
Indeed. Look no further than screws and bolts, or twist fasteners. - slot head - Robertson/square-socket head - Philips/cross-head, with PoziDriv and SupaDriv variants - Torx - hex-head (Ikea furniture anyone? - socket-style (what's the correct term?) that is turned with a wrench or socket screwdriver - usually machine screws - ... various 'security' styles (intended to be difficult to remove without the special driver and the secret handshake) - etc. That's all in aid of fastening two pieces of hard material together. Every decade or three, another standard pops up for spiral, threaded fasteners and the driver/head to turn 'em... And that's only one tool category and subset of fasteners. There are plenty more fasteners that need all sorts of tools that are not screwdrivers... and each of those has its own subsets for different tasks and specialty niches. There must be about six or eight basic styles of hammers, and an infinite variety of sizes and shapes. Saws? Don't get me started, on just hand-saws alone... before we get into the powered ones like bench circular saws, portable circular saws, chop/mitre saws, band saws, jig saws, demolition reciprocating (Sawzall) saws, spiral saws, hole saws, etc. How could techwriting possibly be expected to ... well... NOT follow that example? As a further observation, to keep this relevant, could we not draw a parallel between the dark thoughts (sometimes spoken aloud) that we hold for the people who hand us a document riddled with spot formatting or a million custom styles, and the kind thoughts that we have toward whatever brain-dead !...@#$%$^!! chose to use SLOT-head screws on the item that we now need to disassemble and fix? -Original Message- From: tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com [mailto:tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com] On Behalf Of Bill Swallow Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 2:18 PM To: raj nair Cc: tcp@techcommpros.com Subject: Re: [TCP] Technical writing and tools Does multiple tools restrict the opportunities available for technical communicators? Why is that there is no single standard tool for the technical writing industry? Because there's no one single need. Any argument for industry-wide tool standardization should be met with a trip to the hardware store. ;) -- Bill Swallow The information contained in this electronic mail transmission may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer without copying or disclosing it. __ ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 2009 is your all-in-one authoring and publishing solution. Author in Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word or HTML and publish to the Web, Help systems or printed manuals. Download Free Trial. www.doctohelp.comhttp://www.techcommpros.com/componentone/ Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com ___ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email t...@techcommpros.com. Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to tcp-subscr...@techcommpros.com Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to tcp-unsubscr...@techcommpros.com Need help? Contact listad...@techcommpros.com Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
Re: [TCP] PowerPoint: Ideal time per page
Thomas Johnson inquired: A co-worker asked me if there is some established target for how much time to spend on each slide in a PowerPoint presentation. We're working on a training presentation for clients to introduce a new technology/product line. I'd be interested in what the group has to say about the number of slides per hour and the ideal number of slides per session (assuming training is going to run for most of a day). If you have any suggestions for pacing, suggested length of each session, or any other helpful guidelines, I'd value your input. Does anybody even like training that's delivered as a stack of PP slides? I think the amount of time per slide depends entirely on how much stuff you cram onto each slide. Also, what is the purpose? Is it merely intro/familiarization, and nobody is really expected to remember anything? (Just sorta recognize it when it arrives for real, later on?) Or is it actual training where people are expected to leave the event with some new concepts and useful skills? Will you be canning every word that you deliver (so lots and lots of slides with a depth of detail) or will each slide be just a rough jump-off point for largely extemporaneous remarks and explanations? Will the attendees be given the presentation as a printout? If so, will you leave room for them to write comments and detailed notes per slide? All this and many more questions will inform the answers to your questions... or make them moot.:-) I ask all this stuff only because you used the word training, implying that it wasn't just a product kick-off rah-rah session. - Kevin The information contained in this electronic mail transmission may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer without copying or disclosing it. __ ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 2009 is your all-in-one authoring and publishing solution. Author in Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word or HTML and publish to the Web, Help systems or printed manuals. Download Free Trial. www.doctohelp.comhttp://www.techcommpros.com/componentone/ Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com ___ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email t...@techcommpros.com. Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to tcp-subscr...@techcommpros.com Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to tcp-unsubscr...@techcommpros.com Need help? Contact listad...@techcommpros.com Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
Re: [TCP] Code of Ethics
Paula R. Stern (WritePoint) wanted to know: After a series of less than ethical interactions.I'm interested in polling and compiling various industries and individuals to compile a Code of Ethics. Please forward this on and help me if you can. What I want is: 1. Your country (I want to see if best/ethical practices are different between countries) Canada 2. Your industry (same comment about different industries) or field of interest Data security, encryption, authentication, etc. 3. Suggestions, lists of best practices For example: Is it acceptable to leave an employer without giving notice? If the employer has materially and unilaterally changed the conditions of employment, to your detriment, I see no reason why not. Otherwise, standard (for your area and industry) notice should apply. / Should a company fire an employee w/o giving notice (if yes for either, under what conditions?) If the employee has materially and unilaterally changed the conditions of employment, to the company's detriment (say, they started stealing or carrying on other business on company time or via company resources, or did other things in substantial contravention of the original employment agreement). Naturally (if I had anything to say about it) the company would have to have proof of the infractions. For anything else that the company didn't like (including slipping performance) I suggest that the only ethical approach by the company is to document the problem and provide escalating warnings/opportunities for the employee to turn around. Of course, we have to be reasonable - if the industry/region standard is for a 3-month no-fault trial period at the beginning of employment and the employee's slide into dysfunction commences the day after their probation concludes, then ... :-) What do you consider an ethical payment schedule (pay now, pay w/i 30 days, etc. etc.) Now we're talking contracting, not employer/employee. The ethical payment schedule is the one that both sides agree to, in writing, up front, and that both sides adhere to, in practice. Does a person have the right to leave a company and immediately turn around and solicit the company's customers? We have departed contracting and returned to employer/employee. In that context, they have whatever rights they have, that they have not explicitly negotiated away. My position is based on the the sane one... er, I mean the libertarian one - everybody has all rights to do anything they want, to the extent that the exercise of those rights does not infringe the rights of others. That general case is then subject to agreements undertaken by the parties, that can modify rights of contracting parties with respect to each other. The question is directed (on this list anyway) at technical writers, so the assumption is that the employment in question ia technical writing. But then a critical question with respect to the ethics of post-employment behavior is not answered. My answer to _your_ question changes depending upon whether: - the employee was working for some product-or-service company that happened to have technical writers among its variety of other functions - the employee was working for a technical writing company whose product/service that they sell is technical writing. A similar dichotomy of answers would apply if we were talking engineers and the possibilities were a company that hires engineers to develop its products and services or a company whose reason-for-existence is to supply engineering services to other companies. Same choice again to differentiate between a company that makes some product or supplies some service, and happens to have an in-house accounting department, versus an accounting company... and in this case, the former employee would be an accountant. An HR person working for just-some-company versus an HR person who was working for an HR services company. I could go on. If you understand the differing implications, then I need say little more. If you don't understand the implications of the differences between those two types of employers, then a whole _lot_ of remedial explaining (book length?) is required. Either way, if there is some sort of pertinent non-compete clause with the employee's signature below it, then that's what rules. History is replete with people or groups leaving a company to strike out on their own, either because they thought they could do it better, or because the original company didn't want to do what the new company is attempting. The ethical issue is whether you are using info that you could only have gotten via your earlier employment to steal customers... there's a lot of gray, unless you have an explicit written agreement to guide both parties (the employment contract that you signed with the first company). If you start a new company for the
Re: [TCP] Word choice: Might or May?
I think can implies a cannot. Your can implies that the date range must be set within those boundaries. I don't think that was necessarily the case. If it was, then your suggestion does it. If the date range is not constrained to just those settings, then might in the original formulation gives the proper implication that you can set the range to whatever you want, but here are some useful ones for you to consider. Otherwise, without might-or-may, you need another sentence or some convoluted phrasing to communicate the idea of suggested options. Wow. Two months. This is like exchanging letters across the Atlantic before airmail. :-) -Original Message- From: tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com [mailto:tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com] On Behalf Of Hilda Alvarez-Strang Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 12:58 PM To: John Bell; TCP@techcommpros.com Subject: Re: [TCP] Word choice: Might or May? Hello... Sorry I'm coming in late on this but I haven't had a chance to read list since November. I would rewrite it as follows: The date range can be set to the current month, quarter or sales quota period. Hope it helps, Hilda Alvarez-Strang Senior Technical Writer Interval International Miami,Florida -Original Message- From: tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com [mailto:tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com] On Behalf Of John Bell Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 11:05 AM To: TCP@techcommpros.com Subject: [TCP] Word choice: Might or May? I'm trying to determine which is the best word to use: Might or May. I am writing about determining which records get displayed based on start and end dates. At the end I want to offer the following suggestion: You may/might want to set the date range to your current month, quarter, or sales quota period. What's your choice (or complete re-write)? Thanks! --- John B. The information contained in this electronic mail transmission may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer without copying or disclosing it. __ ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 2009 is your all-in-one authoring and publishing solution. Author in Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word or HTML and publish to the Web, Help systems or printed manuals. Download Free Trial. www.doctohelp.comhttp://www.techcommpros.com/componentone/ Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com ___ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email t...@techcommpros.com. Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to tcp-subscr...@techcommpros.com Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to tcp-unsubscr...@techcommpros.com Need help? Contact listad...@techcommpros.com Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
Re: [TCP] Graphics quality in PDF from OpenOffice
Yeah, Donna can still do both printing and posting, but she'll need two different versions of the PDF, which might require her to track two different part numbers. And the small letter o stands for .org . buhahahahahahahahaaa Seriously, I think the OpenOffice.org folks would find their marketing/sales picking up significantly if they'd remove the .org from the product name. It never made sense... at least not in English... to name the product after the website. Similarly, I'm sure that openSUSE (the current arrangement of lettercase) would have much greater market penetration if they'd just fixed the NAME at some point. That point would have been the same point where they stopped explaining the German-language derivation of the acronym. Having a significant portion of your users - never mind your intended audience - saying Susie, and most of the rest of them saying sooze (ooze, as in primordial, with an s in front), and only about 37 people in the whole world saying it as soosuh, the way you tell people it's supposed to be pronounced, is not a great recipe for widespread adoption. Ya gotta love a product that does well in spite of its name. :-) But for the wierd name, they'd have toppled Red Hat into obscurity years ago, and be gunning for Microsoft.Ahem. - Kevin -Original Message- From: tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com [mailto:tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com] On Behalf Of Gene Kim-Eng Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 2:32 PM To: TCP@techcommpros.com Subject: Re: [TCP] Graphics quality in PDF from OpenOffice This is probably more a function of Distiller settings. Just for laughs, I took the 22Mb source document I most recently completed and made test PDFs with Distiller set at its default smallest and press settings and the PDF sizes were 1.3Mb and 8Mb respectively. Then I used the lossless test settings I had previously suggested to Kevin and got a 130Mb PDF. It all comes down to whether you're creating a file for online viewing, maximum quality printing or somewhere in between. There is no one setting that will produce optimum results for both purposes. Gene Kim-Eng -Original Message- From: tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com [mailto:tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com] On Behalf Of Jones, Donna 214 MB for a 28-page booklet??? Yikes! That wouldn't be acceptable for us because we post our PDFs on our web site. Even 22 MB would be too large. I'm glad that I know this. It will make me avoid OOo if I can (as will not knowing what that small letter O stands for! [shudder]). The information contained in this electronic mail transmission may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer without copying or disclosing it. __ ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 2009 is your all-in-one authoring and publishing solution. Author in Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word or HTML and publish to the Web, Help systems or printed manuals. Download Free Trial. www.doctohelp.comhttp://www.techcommpros.com/componentone/ Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com ___ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email t...@techcommpros.com. Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to tcp-subscr...@techcommpros.com Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to tcp-unsubscr...@techcommpros.com Need help? Contact listad...@techcommpros.com Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
Re: [TCP] Graphics quality in PDF from OpenOffice
Bingo. It wasn't that I hadn't made the settings, it was that I'd somehow managed to specify the wrong joboptions file. All is well, and my 28-page booklet, formerly 22MB, is now 214MB. But crisp and clean, and that's what counts. Thanks, - K -Original Message- From: Gene Kim-Eng [mailto:tec...@genek.com] Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 10:27 AM To: McLauchlan, Kevin; TCP@techcommpros.com Subject: Re: [TCP] Graphics quality in PDF from OpenOffice I'm assuming that you are referring to printouts from the PDFs. If you're getting this in prints directly from OOo, then of course your problem is most likely in OOo itself. In the Distiller settings, go to Images and change all the Downsample and Compression dropdowns to Off. Enter a high number (the max is 2400) into the pixels per inch field. Save the profile with a new name so as not to bollux up the default profile, then make a test PDF. If this setting doesn't give you clean graphics either, then your problem is still most likely in OOo. If your test PDF's graphics look ok with no downsampling or compression and their file sizes are acceptable to you, problem solved. The file sizes will most likely be unacceptably huge, however, so the next step is to turn downsampling and compression back on and adjust the values. I'd start with quality and dpi high, then lower them until I begin to see unaccepable effects. The information contained in this electronic mail transmission may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer without copying or disclosing it. __ ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 2009 is your all-in-one authoring and publishing solution. Author in Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word or HTML and publish to the Web, Help systems or printed manuals. Download Free Trial. www.doctohelp.comhttp://www.techcommpros.com/componentone/ Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com ___ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email t...@techcommpros.com. Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to tcp-subscr...@techcommpros.com Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to tcp-unsubscr...@techcommpros.com Need help? Contact listad...@techcommpros.com Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
[TCP] Graphics quality in PDF from OpenOffice
For years, I had done a graphic-heavy QuickStart Guide in FrameMaker (7.1), then published to PDF (Acrobat 7). This time, I revised and reworked in a new format (booklet), using OpenOffice 3 Writer, and publishing through Acrobat 9. In fact, I just created a book in OOo, then used Acrobat 9's Booklet printing feature. I normally print to a file and invoke Distiller. Most of the graphic elements are the one's I'd been using, but now they all appear coarsely pixellated in PDF and printout. An off-white background, for example will consist of several large-ish stepped areas of pale grey. Lines in drawings are surrounded by fuzz. Graphics are about evenly divided between PNG and JPG. Should I be looking first for something in my print settings from OOo, or something in Distiller, or ? I did have to resize most images to fit the new format, but that was true in the FM days, too. The difference is that when importing graphics into FM, I mostly kept re-importing at different sizes until I hit a number that I didn't need to further resize in-situ (by dragging). In OOo, they come in at whatever their large size, and I drag handles to shrink them to fit. The appearance is not acceptable for publication. Where to start looking? Thanks, - Kevin The information contained in this electronic mail transmission may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer without copying or disclosing it. __ ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 2009 is your all-in-one authoring and publishing solution. Author in Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word or HTML and publish to the Web, Help systems or printed manuals. Download Free Trial. www.doctohelp.comhttp://www.techcommpros.com/componentone/ Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com ___ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email t...@techcommpros.com. Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to tcp-subscr...@techcommpros.com Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to tcp-unsubscr...@techcommpros.com Need help? Contact listad...@techcommpros.com Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
Re: [TCP] Word choice: Might or May?
I disagree with Sharon and Paula completely... OK, no I don't. I just wanted to say that. Unless I was being sarcastic, which is rarely good in a technical document, I would not tell the reader that if s/he performed some action then some result might happen. In the past, I actually have threatened to do that in internal discussions with developers and their managers when they were being too iffy about this or that issue... but I've never gone through with it. (Yes, I'm a big chicken, but it happens that the offenders saw the error of their ways and didn't call me on it. :-) However, in situations where there are several optional choices that the reader can make, and various scenarios - perhaps some known and others not necessarily known - I choose might. Depending on your organization's security policies and regulatory environment, you might need | wish to invoke function X. That's the situation about which John B was asking in his original post. I wouldn't use may, because the reader is being given non-binding suggestions or told of possibilities that they might like to explore... not being given permission. Once they own our product, they don't need permission. Now, may I please leave the room? Cheers, - Kevin -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Paula R. Stern (WritePoint) Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2008 1:32 PM To: 'Sharon Burton'; 'John Bell'; TCP@techcommpros.com Subject: Re: [TCP] Word choice: Might or May? I agree with Sharon completely. Might makes me wonder if it is going to happen as expected or not. Click on the window and it might open...gee, that doesn't work for me at all. May is acceptable, though I prefer can whenever/wherever possible. My absolute favorite came from an Israeli engineer who gave me a document and asked me to edit it. He wrote the user shall. I wrote him back and said - God shall...the rest of us can... Paula -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Sharon Burton Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 6:15 PM To: John Bell; TCP@techcommpros.com Subject: Re: [TCP] Word choice: Might or May? How about You can also... I avoid may or might, as may can imply permission. Might can imply it could happen but we really aren't sure. Call us if it does because we never actually got it to work reliably. We'd love to know what you did to make it work. ;-) sharon Sharon Burton Product Manager MadCap Software [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Cell: 951-202-0813 Home Office: 951-369-8590 http://madcapsoftware.wordpress.com/ http://madcapsoftware.wordpress.com/ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of John Bell Sent: Fri 11/21/2008 8:05 AM To: TCP@techcommpros.com Subject: [TCP] Word choice: Might or May? I'm trying to determine which is the best word to use: Might or May. I am writing about determining which records get displayed based on start and end dates. At the end I want to offer the following suggestion: You may/might want to set the date range to your current month, quarter, or sales quota period. What's your choice (or complete re-write)? Thanks! --- John B. The information contained in this electronic mail transmission may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer without copying or disclosing it. __ ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 2009 is your all-in-one authoring and publishing solution. Author in Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word or HTML and publish to the Web, Help systems or printed manuals. Download Free Trial. www.doctohelp.comhttp://www.techcommpros.com/componentone/ Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com ___ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
Re: [TCP] Physical fitness and technical communication
It can't possibly hurt to be trimmer, healthier, and more alert as we work (said the porky mid-fifties guy. Something that really intrigued me from TV a couple of months ago was a segment (don't remember which program) in which office workers were spending their days on treadmills. Literally. They spent all day walking slowly. Their offices/cubicles were reconfigured for the elevated standing posture - the work surfaces, computer displays, keyboards, phones, etc. all raised to a comfy height. The walking was slow and steady - slow enough that a person could type and mouse without trouble. In a properly ventilated office, one didn't work up a sweat. seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/228123_officefit13.html news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6656631.stm and see some of the stories associated with this http://www.squidoo.com/walkingwhileworking All the employees were lean, healthy-looking, and alert. Many reported having lost several pounds, without trying. All reported that the adaptation was surprisingly quick and easy. They also noticed that phone conversations were more effective - all the sales self-help gurus advise you to stand and smile when you are talking on the phone; it affects your own energy and attitude in a way that comes through the phone to the person on the other end. Even the meeting rooms had treadmills. Employees who worked part of their time from home had rigged up makeshift desk arrangements around their personal treadmills I'd love to work that way. The drawback is the expense. A treadmill that'll run more than 7 hours every day without breaking is not cheap. Desk/cubicle furniture that's built for somebody standing on a six-inch-platform is non-standard and therefore very expensive. There's an additional power requirement. How to get one's employer to try out the concept? A cheaper alternative - though I don't know how effective - would be to stand on a balance-board while working. You'd constantly be working your core and legs and balancing muscles. No motor or moving belt required. Less space needed and no additional power connection. Not sure how effective it would be in terms of slimming and trimming, but any constant, slight activity has got to be better than sitting on one's ample butt all day, n'est-ce pas? I can't see how there'd be _any_ conflict with the work of techwriting (either the treadmill thing or my un-motorized notion), and it could only be helpful to get things moving, if ever-so-mildly. Note also the connection to alleviating back pain. Any techwriters plagued by back pain? Does it affect your productivity? Discuss.:-) - Kevin -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jones, Donna Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 10:00 To: TCP List Subject: [TCP] Physical fitness and technical communication Has anyone else watched their posterior expand as their career advanced? After many years of sitting on my backside at my computer as a technical writer and editor, I had to admit that using a mouse, typing, and pushing buttons on the printer that I was documenting wasn't enough exercise to keep me healthy. Obviously, any office-type job keeps you idle for the better part of the work day, and it can be easy to move from the computer, to your car, to your sofa, and then to bed every day. What ways (if any) do you use to keep yourself healthy while continuing to pursue your communication dreams (or nightmares...)? About six weeks ago, one of my coworkers and I started holding each other accountable for having exercised the day before. I find myself consistently doing something--even if it's just a quick 15- or 20-minute walk--just so I don't have to tell her that I did nothing. And our enthusiasm for getting physically fit appears to be contagious because another of our coworkers has started joining us if we go for walks at lunch. I know this is a little bit of a stretch regarding communication, but it's something directly related to our careers and our health. Are we all destined to be huge and unfit by the time we retire (or die of some avoidable disease), or is there hope for getting and staying healthy? Donna The information contained in this electronic mail transmission may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer without copying or disclosing it. __ ComponentOne#174; Doc-To-Help#174; 2008 delivers streamlined authoring features, including new end-user features, all within the brand new Microsoft Office 2007 style interface. Download your FREE trial! http://www.techcommpros.com/componentone/ Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com ___
Re: [TCP] quotes misquoted in articles
-Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lisa Gielczyk (TCP) Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2007 16:53 To: Dick Margulis Cc: email Subject: Re: [TCP] quotes misquoted in articles Thanks! I appreciate all the responses. In this case, the speaker has been dead for many years, and the sermon is in the public domain. But the author of the article is trying to convince the reader of a point, and appears to be manipulating the deceased speaker's words to make his point at all costs. In any other context... reprehensible. When it's about that gawd stuff... well, it's all made up anyway. Unlike most other disciplines, theology can't trace back to original source material. It can only trace back to rumors of original source material. Yeah-yeah. I get that it's wrong to misrepresent what a (at one time) real, live speaker or writer said. Is it ironic, in this situation that the entire edifice is built on what an imaginary speaker/writer/telepathic entity is possibly reputed to have improbably said? Kevin (skirting fatwa territory) The information contained in this electronic mail transmission may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer without copying or disclosing it. __ Author Help files and create printed documentation with Doc-To-Help. New release adds Team Authoring Support, enhanced Web-based help technology and PDF output. Learn more at www.doctohelp.com/tcp. Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com ___ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
[TCP] Personality types at work (was: Telecommuting has mostly positive consequences
The salient point that I got from your post is that you are a bit of an extrovert. In the context of relationships, pretty much all else that you said flows from that. If the other writer is a bit of an introvert and techy geek, then it probably doesn't even occur to her to come out on some imposed schedule (it would be imposed, not natural to her) and engage in uncomfortable banter about topics that she never thinks about _except_ when somebody else is trying to banter (sports, other people's babies, other people's pets, other people's vacation trips, gossip). I'm not the most outgoing, but I greet people and engage in small talk, etc. However, I just wander away when the local clique turns the conversation to video games (I never play 'em, and couldn't tell a PSP from a Nintendo whatever without looking at a label) or to comparative collections of obscure old B (or C) movies bought and sold on eBay. Sports? Uh you tell me a team name, and I probably once new what sport it attached to, and maybe even what city, but I've since forgotten. Nor can I make myself care. People who are farther down the introvert or geek scale than I am, are basically doomed, socially... :-) If the sincere-glad-hand gene is necessary for remote working, then they are also doomed to never be allowed to work away from the office. Also, you're going to have to forgive me, but whether you know it or not, the phrase or the one who is in the office rarely but who makes an effort to befriend people seems disingenuous or oblivious. YOU do not make an effort. By definition, as a self-described extrovert, you do not make an effort to be outgoing. Rather, you engage in behavior that is natural to you and in the mode for which you are psychologically constructed. It's like talking about the effort to sing. If you have natural musical ability and good pitch, you just burst into song with no prompting. The difficulty might be getting you to stop... :-) The only training or practice you'll ever need will be for fine-tuning, or to bring you to an elite competitive level. If you lack those attributes, well ... it shouldn't need explaining that monumental effort and ongoing self-denial is involved to get a far lesser result than the 'natural' achieves with neither effort nor training. I submit that behaving in an unsocial manner (I'm not prepared to call it anti-social) such as your other writer does, would be unnatural to you and would require some mental effort from you, and would still not be anywhere near as much of a stretch for you as coming the other way would be for her. That's because one stretch involves overt, unfamiliar activity, the success of which depends entirely on its naturalness as perceived by proficient (natural) practitioners, while the other stretch involves inactivity or refraining from an activity, and can be self-assessed. In other words, someone with good (if not perfect) pitch is criticizing someone who has a tin ear, for having that tin ear. The time to do that is when she sings gratingly, not when she refrains from singing. Kevin Once you learn to fake sincerity, you've got it made. or Never let them see you sweat. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Sue Heim Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 11:57 To: Jones, Donna Cc: tcp@techcommpros.com Subject: Re: [TCP] Telecommuting has mostly positive consequences No, it's actually go more to do with making an effort. As I said, I'm *mostly* 100% remote. That means that I do go up to our Bay Area office now and again. Lately, more now than again, but on average once every month or so. I'm a bit of an extrovert, and people respond to that. When I show up in the office, people wander by to say hi and talk to me. They know I live in San Diego, many of them are coming for a visit or have been here or have relatives who live here. So they seek me out. I also make a point to make the rounds or stop and say hi when I wander by someone's office. I'm friendly. People like that. One of the other writers? She sits behind her closed office door all day. So, who do YOU think has a better relationship? The writer who is physically in the office every day but hides behind closed doors, or the one who is in the office rarely but who makes an effort to befriend people? The information contained in this electronic mail transmission may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer without copying or disclosing it. __ Author Help files and create printed documentation with Doc-To-Help. New release adds Team Authoring Support, enhanced Web-based help technology and PDF output. Learn more at www.doctohelp.com/tcp.
Re: [TCP] Job posting for Knoxville
The posting sounded interesting, but I wondered how one became extremely proficient... with six months experience on top of a high-school diploma. Six _years_ I could see... Also, if someone is expected to produce high quality solutions independently (not an unreasonable requirement of a senior or (at least) journeyman techwriter), is high quality solution defined? That is, is there a standard against which the new writer's output is to be judged? Not that I'm applying for the job, but I'd want to get that point negotiated and nailed down solidly if I was. Kevin (remote from Knoxville) The information contained in this electronic mail transmission may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer without copying or disclosing it. __ Author Help files and create printed documentation with Doc-To-Help. New release adds Team Authoring Support, enhanced Web-based help technology and PDF output. Learn more at www.doctohelp.com/tcp. Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com ___ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
Re: [TCP] Personality types at work (was: Telecommuting has mostly positive consequences
Cool! Introverted or extroverted, it's nice to be wanted, isn't it? :-) Kevin From: Sue Heim [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 14:10 To: McLauchlan, Kevin Cc: Jones, Donna; tcp@techcommpros.com Subject: Re: Personality types at work (was: Telecommuting has mostly positive consequences Actually, this company recruited me. And they hired me knowing there wasn't a snowball's chance that I would relocate. So my employment was predicated on my working remotely. If they wanted me, that was something they had to deal with, and they did. ...sue On 11/27/07, McLauchlan, Kevin [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: snip But maybe, for example, your nature steered you toward employment at a company where the conditions were already pretty much in place, where a more introverted person might not have known what to look for during the interviews (if they even knew there _ was_ something to look for). The information contained in this electronic mail transmission may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer without copying or disclosing it. __ Author Help files and create printed documentation with Doc-To-Help. New release adds Team Authoring Support, enhanced Web-based help technology and PDF output. Learn more at www.doctohelp.com/tcp. Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com ___ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
Re: [TCP] Telecommuting has mostly positive consequences
On Behalf Of Jones, Donna said: Face time is good, but you can achieve presence over the phone and via e-mail as well. Respond to e-mail quickly, and be prepared to speak up if you're participating in a meeting by phone. That makes people realize that you're out there. But this misses the point about serendipity and unplanned encounters. Craig (I think) mentioned being seen and greeted by honchos whom you wouldn't normally encounter if the encounters were not accidental. Ok, so it's not an accident that you are in the hall to greet the boss before sunup, but I'm contrasting that with deliberately arranged meetings where it's deliberate on both sides. Invariably, individual phone calls are between individuals (duh :-) ) thus kinda precluding the people walking by in the hall from hearing your voice or knowing that it's you (who?) on the other end of the line. They don't see much of your face, either. Perhaps if you remotely hacked all their computers and substituted your passport photo for their desktop wallpaper? Conference calls will involve more people, and often involve a group congregating around a speakerphone, but you are still talking to only the select group who were gathered for that meeting/call. You remain invisible and unheard by anyone who's not in the room with the speakerphone... like the owner of the company. Or, like the guy who took over your parking spot because, well, it was always empty anyway. You could raise your profile by, say, parachuting into the company picnic ... unless it was our company, where the picnic area is directly under the 750,000-volt regional power lines... that would _really_ raise your profile, but only once... but I digress. :-) Perhaps you should arrive early for your infrequent physical visits, so you have time to pass out the premium Belgian chocolate that you brought, or the ingratiating goodies that you stayed up baking past midnight. I'll shut up now. I'm getting hungry. Kevin The information contained in this electronic mail transmission may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer without copying or disclosing it. __ Author Help files and create printed documentation with Doc-To-Help. New release adds Team Authoring Support, enhanced Web-based help technology and PDF output. Learn more at www.doctohelp.com/tcp. Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com ___ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
Re: [TCP] Overuse of Quotation Marks
On Behalf Of Martinek, Carla quoted an article that included: Even before he knew about Keeley's blog, linguist John McWhorter wrote an opinion article in the New York Sun arguing that quotation marks can be considered legitimate indications of emphasis in non-standard English (especially on hand-written signs, where bold and italics are difficult to use). Call it the new boldface, McWhorter wrote. It is an understandable mistake. Quotations set off something, and it's a short step from setting something off to emphasizing it. I asked McWhorter in a telephone interview if it's still reasonable to chuckle at emphatic quotation marks, even if the usage is understandable. It's a little snobbish, but we're all human, McWhorter said. To which I reply: Linguist John McWhorter, huh? Ri-i-i-ight. Kevin __ This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System. For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email __ __ Author Help files and create printed documentation with Doc-To-Help. New release adds Team Authoring Support, enhanced Web-based help technology and PDF output. Learn more at www.doctohelp.com/tcp. Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com ___ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
