Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Milan Davidovic]

On 5/30/07, Dan Goldstein <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> 90% of that feedback comes from a past President of the chapter that
> hosted the conference. He enjoyed it very much.

Yes, he does dominate that topic so far, doesn't he? But perhaps there
are STC members here who can add their thoughts.

-- 
Milan Davidovic
http://altmilan.blogspot.com
http://www.terminus1525.ca/studio/view/2758

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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Dan Goldstein]

90% of that feedback comes from a past President of the chapter that
hosted the conference. He enjoyed it very much.

> -Original Message-
> From: Milan Davidovic
> Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 9:43 AM
> To: Jones, Donna
> Cc: tcp@techcommpros.com
> Subject: Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week
> 
> On 5/18/07, Jones, Donna wrote:
> > If you were there, what did you think of the conference?
> 
> If you're interested, there's also this topic on the STC Forum:
> 
> http://forum.stcforum.org/viewtopic.php?id=840
> 

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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Milan Davidovic]

On 5/18/07, Jones, Donna <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> If you were there, what did you think of the conference?

If you're interested, there's also this topic on the STC Forum:

http://forum.stcforum.org/viewtopic.php?id=840

-- 
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http://www.terminus1525.ca/studio/view/2758

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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Milan Davidovic]

On 5/18/07, Jones, Donna <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> For those of you who weren't at the STC conference, I'm just curious
> why.

Schedule conflict with other training -- but even without that,
there's the cost.

-- 
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http://www.terminus1525.ca/studio/view/2758

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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Paula Stern \(WritePoint\)]

I had the same feeling. After 10 years of donating my time to STC (they
wouldn't even pay for the gas for the extra car I brought to one convention
solely for the purpose of helping bring 6 more people to the convention from
a long distance away...that was on top of my car going earlier and taking a
bunch of others...for which I didn't ask reimbursement) - I can't stomach
having to pay to attend an event now. Of course, I didn't get reimbursed
because the membership had a loud meeting protesting that the then-president
had traveled two times to Europe at STC expense, been reimbursed regularly
for Internet and telephone, etc. and cut all reimbursements of that type. I
actually didn't mind it at the time - until this past year when the new
President took a trip to London and they've apparently reinstated the
STC-will-pay rule (without bothering to check with the membership). Then I
was called a liar when I mentioned this had happened - I did get a public
apology when the person (a very active member), found out I was telling the
truth.
 
All in all, it was better for everyone that I was done with STC and I have
yet to see a reason to go back. Locally, we don't need STC to run events -
there are at least 3 local groups doing that far better and far more
extensively. We don't need STC to run conventions - we proved that this past
January, and we don't need the elitest attitude. STC's local website claims
that their members earn about $400-$500 more per month than non-STC members.
This is pathetic because while it is true in the strictest sense, there is
no connection between the facts. You could say STC members have an average
of 5 years more experience than non-members or whatever - but they don't
have experience and they don't earn more BECAUSE they are members of STC -
it is likely because more experienced writers are going to be able to get
their companies to pay for the membership - and since they have more
experience, they earn more money. This was even pointed out after the
"survey" was taken - but it didn't stop them from putting this "fact"
plainly on their website.
 
I come from the old school of membership - where the members drive the
organization and that the popularity of the organization isn't what is holy.
 
Anyway - yeah, STC national and international has a way of driving good
people away.
 
P
 

  _  

From: Sue Heim [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 5:15 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: tcp@techcommpros.com
Subject: Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week


Oh yeah. And I refuse to rejoin until the person who is Region 8 Director
(or is it sponsor now?) is no longer acting in that position! Because of
him, it was "no longer fun" to be an active leader, let alone member, in the
organization. And although I could join any other community I wanted (say,
Boston! ), if I wanted to attend any local meetings, I'd have to pay.
(Although not sure I'd want to since their agenda is lousy, but that is
itself a whole other issue!) 
 
STC didn't just disrespect international members. They did a real good job
if disrespecting national members, who were active leaders in chapters and
communities.
 
...sue


 
On 5/26/07, Paula Stern (WritePoint) <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: 



 


3. A deep-seated anger that STC national took years and burned many people
by refusing to respect international members while using thousands of our 
dollars and our membership to be able to call itself an international
organization. It finally recognized some of its mistakes...but has done
nothing to undo the damage that was caused to local groups.
4. Politics - I can't stand the pettiness I have seen in the past and the 
fact that almost every past leader here is burned out, fed up, and
disgusted. I've seen the local council go against key membership opinions to
benefit the council members and bend by-laws so far that it is a joke. 

I believe STC national (and local) lost the interest of the ordinary
international technical writer when all it could see was itself in the
mirror. There are some small efforts it has taken to rectify this - but for 
me it is a case of too little and too late.


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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Sue Heim]

Oh yeah. And I refuse to rejoin until the person who is Region 8 Director
(or is it sponsor now?) is no longer acting in that position! Because of
him, it was "no longer fun" to be an active leader, let alone member, in the
organization. And although I could join any other community I wanted (say,
Boston! ), if I wanted to attend any local meetings, I'd have to pay.
(Although not sure I'd want to since their agenda is lousy, but that is
itself a whole other issue!)

STC didn't just disrespect international members. They did a real good job
if disrespecting national members, who were active leaders in chapters and
communities.

...sue



On 5/26/07, Paula Stern (WritePoint) <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> 



3. A deep-seated anger that STC national took years and burned many people
> by refusing to respect international members while using thousands of our
> dollars and our membership to be able to call itself an international
> organization. It finally recognized some of its mistakes...but has done
> nothing to undo the damage that was caused to local groups.
> 4. Politics - I can't stand the pettiness I have seen in the past and the
> fact that almost every past leader here is burned out, fed up, and
> disgusted. I've seen the local council go against key membership opinions
> to
> benefit the council members and bend by-laws so far that it is a joke.
>
> I believe STC national (and local) lost the interest of the ordinary
> international technical writer when all it could see was itself in the
> mirror. There are some small efforts it has taken to rectify this - but
> for
> me it is a case of too little and too late.
>
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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Paula Stern \(WritePoint\)]

Sean just about covered my reasons.

I did the STC thing for 10 years - served as Editor, Secretary, Vice
President and Acting President of the local branch. Helped coordinate the
first STC convention here - basically my idea with two other people and I
was a major driving force. Started coordinating the second one and somewhere
in the middle of the process...decided "if it ain't fun anymore, it ain't
worth doing." Friends in the organization asked why I let them treat me like
that...and I decided they were right.

I took a walk and have been walking away from STC ever since. I decided not
to renew my membership last year and don't feel any difference at all this
year...actually, the opposite. I have gotten more involved in the local
community, helped put on a conference in Jerusalem in January and plan
another for February of this coming year; I host regular events - and am
free from the petty politics and by-laws that were twisted right and left
anyway. 

Why didn't I attend?

1. Money
2. Time
3. A deep-seated anger that STC national took years and burned many people
by refusing to respect international members while using thousands of our
dollars and our membership to be able to call itself an international
organization. It finally recognized some of its mistakes...but has done
nothing to undo the damage that was caused to local groups. 
4. Politics - I can't stand the pettiness I have seen in the past and the
fact that almost every past leader here is burned out, fed up, and
disgusted. I've seen the local council go against key membership opinions to
benefit the council members and bend by-laws so far that it is a joke.

I believe STC national (and local) lost the interest of the ordinary
international technical writer when all it could see was itself in the
mirror. There are some small efforts it has taken to rectify this - but for
me it is a case of too little and too late.  


Paula 

-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Brierley, Sean
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 5:17 PM
To: tcp@techcommpros.com
Subject: Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

Thanks for the report.

Why wasn't I there, in order:

1) Cash. I don't have any to spare, and it would have been my dime, not my
employer's.

2) Time. I get a whopping two weeks of vacation and already used one going
to the house of mouse with my family. Taking time off without pay is
forbidden.

3) Am a little torqued off at the national STC [EMAIL PROTECTED]@[EMAIL 
PROTECTED]@#s right now.
Was thinking this morning that I might be done renewing. We'll see what this
year brings, fails to bring, or how it annoys.

4) Timing was off. The class I teach at uni wasn't over; the semester ended
Tuesday.

Cheers,

Sean

-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]


For those of you who weren't at the STC conference, I'm just curious why.
Was it a money thing? A time away from work thing? A total lack of interest
in STC thing? For me the last several years, it was a family thing. My kids
were young enough that it was difficult for me to go.
Although my mother-in-law (my primary babysitter while I was gone) would
probably disagree, it was fairly easy for me to attend this year. 


(Now if this message doesn't give everyone out there a chance to reply with
something, I don't know what would!)  :-)


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Post 

Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Brierley, Sean]

Ahhh, I misunderstood then. 
 
Yeah, AIT sounds like a good solution.  
 
Cheers, 
 
Sean
 



From: Sue Heim [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 10:46 AM 
To: Brierley, Sean 

Subject: Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week


 

Actually, no we couldn't. We needed a way to reuse contert
between different products, not just different outputs. We also needed a
way to reuse content between different departments (for example,
procedures in the docs are not part of the KB article system). We needed
a tool that was cost effective and easy to learn (the harder, back-end
stuff was handled by me). We needed someone who could do in-house
training and manage the application server, We needed a system that
would allow for remote users to access and share the content. We needed
a tool that would allow us to reuse 50% of the content in our release
notes, and output to three different doc types (rtf, pdf, and html). 
 
FM+WWP would meet only ONE requirement -- create Windows user
docs (there were issues with creating Mac user docs, although I wasn't
involved in the decision to stay away from WWP so am unsure what they
are).
 
We needed a content management system. Without spending over
$100K, there was no other solution that would work for us. No other HATT
would provide us with the CMS we needed without purchasing several
different tools. 
 
...sue

 
On 5/21/07, Brierley, Sean <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > wrote: 

Well, you coulda just used WWP and be done with it. No
need to migrate
everything over to AIT. The bad workflow wasn't a
FrameMaker thing. 

-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:
[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ]
On Behalf Of Sue Heim 
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 5:52 PM
To: John Garison
Cc: tcp@techcommpros.com
            Subject: Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

Someone asked about my not liking Framemaker. I
currently use AuthorIT. 
When I started at PGP, the work flow for the docs for
which I'm 
responsible went like this:
1. Write the Windows user's guide stuff in FM.
2. TRY to remember to copy it to RoboHelp and then
modify the context 
and links for the HTML Help.
3. MAYBE copy that to the Mac User's guide in FM. 
4. Copy that to Dreamweaver or your other fav HTML
editor (I just used
NotePad) for the Apple Help.





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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Sue Heim]

And that type of session is why I would steer clear of a conference. That
type of session? Two words: Learning Annex. 

Seriously, if I'm gonna attend a professional conference, I don't want
sessions on personal improvement (persuasiveness, time management,
justifying conference attendance). I don't even want to know how to justify
MYSELF to others in my company. I want professional sessions.

It's why I like WritersUA so much. Very clearly, it's targeted to that which
I do, daily. Plus, I like the locations! 
...sue



BTW, welcome Elizabeth!!!

On 5/18/07, Jones, Donna <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Elizabeth wrote:
>
> > Congrats to both of you.
>
> Thank you!  :-)
>
>
> > (someday I'll send an intro to this list)
>
> Welcome to tech writing and to the TCP list! You'll find that we're
> pretty harmless, although most of have some pretty strong opinions and
> aren't afraid to let them be known.
>
> Part of being a good communicator is knowing when to tell people what
> you think. I think more of us have problems with the "when" part than
> with actually doing the telling.  ;-)
>
> And yes, I'm speaking about myself with that. I'm notorious for being
> much too forward, which I'm slowly but surely working on. That's why I'm
> hoping for more sessions in persuasion at the STC conferences. Part of
> persuasion is in knowing when to tread lightly and when to keep your
> mouth shut. I'm still trying to learn that part.  :-)
>
> Donna
>
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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Jones, Donna]

Elizabeth wrote:

> Congrats to both of you.

Thank you!  :-)


> (someday I'll send an intro to this list)

Welcome to tech writing and to the TCP list! You'll find that we're
pretty harmless, although most of have some pretty strong opinions and
aren't afraid to let them be known. 

Part of being a good communicator is knowing when to tell people what
you think. I think more of us have problems with the "when" part than
with actually doing the telling.  ;-)  

And yes, I'm speaking about myself with that. I'm notorious for being
much too forward, which I'm slowly but surely working on. That's why I'm
hoping for more sessions in persuasion at the STC conferences. Part of
persuasion is in knowing when to tread lightly and when to keep your
mouth shut. I'm still trying to learn that part.  :-)

Donna
 
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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Elizabeth]

On 5/18/07, Martinek, Carla <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> one.  Oh, and since Donna's too modest (hah!) to mention it...our
> company had two documents which moved on to the Int'l Competition, and
> both of them took Distinguished Awards at that level, which shocked the

Congrats to both of you.

This was my first STC conference, and the only person from this list
that I met was Lisa.  I got a lot out of it -- though since I have
only two months' tech writing experience, that's not a great argument
for the conference's usefulness to those of you who have been doing it
longer.  (They did have sessions marked "advanced." I avoided those.)

I would have liked to do the Tech Writing 101 workshop before the
conference, but couldn't justify doubling the cost.

Elizabeth
(someday I'll send an intro to this list)

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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Char James-Tanny]

> As one of the people who helped put the conference together, I'd like to
> ask "What would be of interest to you?" I'm sure that it would be
> interesting to others as well, and as the work for next year's
> conference starts now, we'd like to know.

The conference committee did an absolutely amazing job this year. Lots
of changes were introduced.

The keynote speakers were great. Someone (Donna? Carla?) already
mentioned them...Simon Singh opened with a talk about Fermat's Theorem
(he wrote a math book that was the leading bestseller in the UK for a
bit) and Ze ("zay") Frank closed the conference...he was so funny that
I was in tears.

In the middle, our Executive Director Extraordinaire Susan Burton
talked about how STC is working with the US Government to change the
Bureau of Labor Statistics' definition of "technical writer" for the
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). SOC is used by employers
when figuring out what salaries should be, and we have asked that
"technical communication" be used instead, with a much better
definition.

She also talked about some of the changes at the office: new
accounting software (double entry! woot!), new association management
software, new staff (director of Education, Marketing and Membership,
and Finance, plus they're looking for a Director of Community
Relations).

The bylaws have been rewritten to bring STC into compliance with NY
state law (where STC is incorporated). A vote will be held later this
year to accept the new bylaws. (The new and old bylaws are available
to members at the STC site.)

And there will be a new community funding model. This was discussed a
lot at the Annual Forum on Monday night. STC is moving toward a
pass-through model, where the amount that members pay to belong to a
community will be given directly to the community.

The LCR (Leadership Community Resource) launched at Leadership Day.
This is the group responsible for keeping community leaders informed
as to what is going on, and providing support for communities in
trouble.

Finally, there's a new Community Technology Committee, and I'm the
chair :-) (And I happen to be looking for more volunteers... ;-).) So
far, we have started working on a member discount program for various
types of software, and a speakers' database. We already have a list of
possible webinar software for communities to use, and we're going to
work on lists of other software (like surveys, etc.). Everything my
committee produces will rollout through the LCR.

And there will be more!

Char James-Tanny ~ JTF Associates, Inc. ~ http://www.helpstuff.com
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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Chris Borokowski]

I'm sorry I missed those then. My response was a
generalized reply to "What could STC emphasize more?"
and most of my STC experience is via websites.

--- John Garison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> There were 2-day pre-conference seminars on
> Usability and Info Design in 
> addition to multiple conference sessions.
> 
> STC has an IA/ID SIG as well.


User Interface design blog
http://user-advocacy.blogspot.com/
Code::Design::UI::Consulting
http://www.dionysius.com/


   
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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Sue Heim]

Someone asked about my not liking Framemaker. I currently use AuthorIT. When
I started at PGP, the work flow for the docs for which I'm responsible went
like this:
1. Write the Windows user's guide stuff in FM.
2. TRY to remember to copy it to RoboHelp and then modify the context and
links for the HTML Help.
3. MAYBE copy that to the Mac User's guide in FM.
4. Copy that to Dreamweaver or your other fav HTML editor (I just used
NotePad) for the Apple Help.

With AuthorIT, I can easily share content between the two OSes. I can even
share the same content and use different screen shots. So I now have only
one or two places that I need to add content to, and I can still get the
four different outputs.

'Nuff said?

With regards to what I'd like to see at STC? How about more focus for
advanced people? I already know how to design a help system; I've been doing
it since Windows 3.1. So, let's move into usability, user interface design,
content management. Let's see what's involved to write help for a Windows
mobile device. How about focused tracks? Management. Content. Design. Tools.
Technology.

And Char? That was only one day's sessions that had a couple of things I was
"on the fence about." Not enough there for me to be really excited,
definitely not enough there for me to take time off from work and pay to
attend. I'll spend my resources with Joe, thanks! And yes, I do know. You
guys ARE working to make things better. They're just not there yet, IMNSHO.

As to why I don't present? Well, historically, STC owned the content. STC
wouldn't pay even a small remunerative. STC required that I pay for the
entire conference fee myself IN ADDITION to not getting anything for
speaking. And there are still some personal reasons as to why I'm not
touching STC events with a 10 ft pole right now. Much as the Board has done
lately (thanks to new blood like Paula and Char), there's still much to BE
done.

So right now? I"d rather take that money and do something else with it. I'd
rather spend that time doing other things.

You asked! :)
...sue
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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[John Garison]

There were 2-day pre-conference seminars on Usability and Info Design in 
addition to multiple conference sessions.

STC has an IA/ID SIG as well.


John G


Chris Borokowski wrote:
> I like the idea of branching out into usability,
> interface design, information architecture, and
> teaching technical skills. Otherwise, it's just one
> giant fat networking opp, and there's nothing wrong
> with that.
>
> Can we have one in Texas? (Anywhere but Austin.)
>
> --- John Garison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>   
>> As one of the people who helped put the conference
>> together, I'd like to 
>> ask "What would be of interest to you?"
>> 
>
> User Interface design blog
> http://user-advocacy.blogspot.com/
> Code::Design::UI::Consulting
> http://www.dionysius.com/
>
>
>
> Yahoo!
>  oneSearch: Finally, mobile search 
> that gives answers, not web links. 
> http://mobile.yahoo.com/mobileweb/onesearch?refer=1ONXIC
>
> __
>
> 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.
>
>
> DOCUMENTATION & TRAINING WEST 07: THE USER EXPERIENCE
>
> April 18-21, 2007 ~ Vancouver BC ~ Marriott Pinnacle ~ free city tour
> 40+ sessions * free workshops * free iPod offer * www.doctrain.com
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>
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>   
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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Evans, Diane L (Rosetta)]

>I like the idea of branching out into usability,

I co-wrote a paper last year, "Beyond Usability Testing."  It talks
about how to make websites useful, not just usable.  Maybe I should
submit it to next year's conference...always wanted to go to
Philadelphia.

Diane Evans
Requirements Analyst
ASQ CSQE
Rosetta Inpharmatics
206-802-6560


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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Jones, Donna]

John Garison wrote:
> As one of the people who helped put the conference together, I'd like
> to ask "What would be of interest to you?" I'm sure that it would be 
> interesting to others as well, and as the work for next year's 
> conference starts now, we'd like to know.



Hi John,

I'm happy to have met you in person at the STC conference. It's nice to
have a face now to associate with your name.  :-)

I'd like to see more sessions that stress people skills (such as the
"Art of Friendly Persuasion" session). There was a mini-workshop on what
psychology has to do with style, but it was at the same time as that
persuasion one, so I had to pick one. I would have loved to attend both.
I'd also like to see more sessions by certain people who are good
speakers and whose sessions are always standing room only. Maybe they
can do the same session at more than one time so more people can attend
without having to squeeze into a spot on the floor?

I'm considering doing a proposal about some steps that I think some
people overlook when they talk about going from unstructured to
structured FrameMaker. If people have deadlines to meet and can't make
the leap all at once, there may be some small, intermediate steps that
can be taken to slowly move content from chaotic to semi-structured.
Then when the time comes that they go to make the actual conversion, the
process will go much smoother. That's pretty much what I've been trying
to help teach a few people off-line, and it would be nice to do it in a
more formal way.

Happy Friday!

Donna
 
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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Chris Borokowski]

I like the idea of branching out into usability,
interface design, information architecture, and
teaching technical skills. Otherwise, it's just one
giant fat networking opp, and there's nothing wrong
with that.

Can we have one in Texas? (Anywhere but Austin.)

--- John Garison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> As one of the people who helped put the conference
> together, I'd like to 
> ask "What would be of interest to you?"

User Interface design blog
http://user-advocacy.blogspot.com/
Code::Design::UI::Consulting
http://www.dionysius.com/


   
Yahoo!
 oneSearch: Finally, mobile search 
that gives answers, not web links. 
http://mobile.yahoo.com/mobileweb/onesearch?refer=1ONXIC

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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Brierley, Sean]

Hi,

Am honestly not sure if you do this or not. (I mentioned my reasons for
not going, and content was not one of those reasons and I had not
checked out content.)

How about real tracks?

How about a programming for help track, wherein you take two sessions a
day for all three days and you implement context-sensitive help from the
C# or VB.NET side?

How about a PHP scripting track, wherein you take two sessions a day for
all three days and you implement php scripting for a Website? This might
help chapter Webmasters. A concentration could be in blogging and wikis,
wherein you integrate such into a sample Website.

How about an XML documentation track, wherein you take two sessions a
day for all three days and you implement XML such that you create PDF
and HTML output from XML source?

Those are all software oriented, I know. Am planting a seed, nothing
more.

Cheers,

Sean
 

-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
On Behalf Of John Garison
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 3:55 PM
To: Sue Heim
Cc: Martinek, Carla; tcp@techcommpros.com
Subject: Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

As one of the people who helped put the conference together, I'd like to
ask "What would be of interest to you?" I'm sure that it would be
interesting to others as well, and as the work for next year's
conference starts now, we'd like to know.

And if you're willing to put together a proposal or two, I'm sure the
conference committee would like to see them!

John Garison



Sue Heim wrote:
> So you can see, really, not that much of interest *to me*. I'm glad 
> you found it interesting and useful, but (and as others have said), 
> many of these sessions are just not much help to someone who's been in

> the field for 20 years. Hell, I could present half of 'em! :)
>
> ...sue
> ___

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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Brierley, Sean]

I might go to philly. Are would the STC pay my speeding tickets? ROFL!! 

-Original Message-
From: John Garison [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 4:04 PM
To: Brierley, Sean
Cc: tcp@techcommpros.com
Subject: Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week



Brierley, Sean wrote:
> Hi,
>
> 1) What do you want proposals on? (I really don't know. I don't 
> suppose you want my thoughts on the advantages of playing a 4-4-2 with

> a flat-back four versus a diamond-back sweeper-stopper arrangement?)
>   

Has to be technical communications oriented -  what to write, how to
write, or writing you have done.
> 2) Will the STC pick up my conference attendance and hotel bill?
>   
They may. I know they paid several speakers this year (new and radical,
I know!)
> 3) Can we have it in Boston?
>   
Next year is Philadelphia ... a mere train ride or $49 Southwest air
fare away.


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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[John Garison]

Brierley, Sean wrote:
> Hi,
>
> 1) What do you want proposals on? (I really don't know. I don't suppose
> you want my thoughts on the advantages of playing a 4-4-2 with a
> flat-back four versus a diamond-back sweeper-stopper arrangement?)
>   

Has to be technical communications oriented -  what to write, how to 
write, or writing you have done.
> 2) Will the STC pick up my conference attendance and hotel bill?
>   
They may. I know they paid several speakers this year (new and radical, 
I know!)
> 3) Can we have it in Boston?
>   
Next year is Philadelphia ... a mere train ride or $49 Southwest air 
fare away.

> Cheers,
>
> Sean 
>
>   

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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Brierley, Sean]

Hi,

1) What do you want proposals on? (I really don't know. I don't suppose
you want my thoughts on the advantages of playing a 4-4-2 with a
flat-back four versus a diamond-back sweeper-stopper arrangement?)

2) Will the STC pick up my conference attendance and hotel bill?

3) Can we have it in Boston?

Cheers,

Sean 

-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
On Behalf Of John Garison
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 3:55 PM
To: Sue Heim
Cc: Martinek, Carla; tcp@techcommpros.com
Subject: Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

As one of the people who helped put the conference together, I'd like to
ask "What would be of interest to you?" I'm sure that it would be
interesting to others as well, and as the work for next year's
conference starts now, we'd like to know.

And if you're willing to put together a proposal or two, I'm sure the
conference committee would like to see them!

John Garison


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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[John Garison]

As one of the people who helped put the conference together, I'd like to 
ask "What would be of interest to you?" I'm sure that it would be 
interesting to others as well, and as the work for next year's 
conference starts now, we'd like to know.

And if you're willing to put together a proposal or two, I'm sure the 
conference committee would like to see them!

John Garison



Sue Heim wrote:
> So you can see, really, not that much of interest *to me*. I'm glad you
> found it interesting and useful, but (and as others have said), many of
> these sessions are just not much help to someone who's been in the field for
> 20 years. Hell, I could present half of 'em! :)
>
> ...sue
> ___

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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Char James-Tanny]

> >Automated web globalization HAD POTENTIAL (Monday at 11 am)
> >Developing non-software-based eLearning with Captivate HAD
> > POTENTIAL (Monday at 1:30)
> >Interaction design in language design HAD POTENTIAL (Monday at 1:30)
> >Podcasting production 101 HAD MINOR POTENTIAL (Monday at 3:30)

So there were four with potential in the three sessions ;-)

I'm just trying to point out that, had the conference been something
that you were on the fence about, seeing that there were sessions that
you had some interest in on Monday may have helped convince you to go.

Char James-Tanny ~ JTF Associates, Inc. ~ http://www.helpstuff.com
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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Jones, Donna]

Carla Martinek wrote:

> Oh, and since Donna's too modest (hah!) to mention it...our
> company had two documents which moved on to the Int'l Competition,
> and both of them took Distinguished Awards at that level, which
> shocked the daylights out of us.  Donna was the primary writer
> on both docs, and I got to claim second-billing as editor on one
> of them.  I'm still in a "wow" frame of mind.


Forget about modesty in not mentioning the awards. Because I share many
files across several different manuals, one of my guides that took an
award has already had several sections change (for the better, I hope).
With that outlook, I was almost embarrassed that it won anything because
I think it's better now than when I submitted it last fall. I'm looking
forward to submitting another manual next year with the improved
sections to see how it does.

I don't know that I had the daylights shocked out of me when I found out
that I won, but I would say that I was "quite happily surprised." I did
some happy dances for a while after seeing both of my entries on display
with the awards, and I couldn't get the dumb grin off of my face for
quite some time.  :-)

Donna
 
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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Char James-Tanny]

The conference was revamped this year, and many more changes will be
made in the future. For example, this year the conference team asked
some speakers to present on specific subjects. And there was a much
better mix of topics (in my opinion, anyway...not that I actually had
a chance to attend any sessions! But the session titles sounded
great).

You can see what sessions were offered by going to the conference
website (http://www.stc.org/54thConf; click Sessions, and then you can
download a PDF of the schedule).

Char James-Tanny ~ JTF Associates, Inc. ~ http://www.helpstuff.com
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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Sue Heim]

But your list of sessions for Monday makes my point:

 As to the variety offered, here's the session titles offered just for
> Monday this year:
>
>Tips and tricks for roboHelp users NOT USING RH
>Cross-culturl virtual teams and distance education ALREADY DOING
> THIS
>Modular writing and reusability ALREADY DOING THIS
>Electronically stored information, the law, and you TAUGHT CLASSES
> ON THIS
>Automated web globalization HAD POTENTIAL
>How to design anything DON'T NEED
>Estimating and tracking project costs BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS
>Incorporating usability into content management BEEN DOING THIS FOR
> YEARS
>Web 2.0 and its impact on tech comm NOT INTERESTED
>Dita, design patterns, and the real world NOT INTERESTED
>Responsible authoriing to reduce translation cost ALREADY DOING
> THIS
>How to create lean documents ALREADY DOING THIS
>Making sense of the Frame/XML alphabet soup DON'T USE FM (thank
> gawd)
>Developing non-software-based eLearning with Captivate HAD
> POTENTIAL
>Participatory design ALREADY DOING THIS
>Interview with usability expert Jared Spool TALK TO HIM ALL THE
> TIME
>Effect page layout for the nonartist BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS
>Myths and trends in the changing English language NOT INTERESTED
>Why the old technical communicator ain't no more NOT INTERESTED
>Quality localization begins at the source ALREADY DOING THIS
>Interaction design in language design HAD POTENTIAL
>Beyond the basics of project management BEEN THERE DONE THAT
>Know your "business numbers" and why they're important ALREADY
> DOING THIS
>It's not my aunt's online help anymore! DUNNO
>The history and future of free and open source software NOT
> INTERESTED
>SDL AuthorAssistant - empowering authors to write NOT INTERESTED
>Minimalist documentation and cohesiveness of documents ALREADY
> DOING THIS
>Using research to better your practice ALREADY DOING THIS
>The future of XML publishing NOT INTERESTED
>Conducting a user-centered expert review ALREADY DOING THIS
>Progressions of STC's instructional design and learning
> community NOT INTERESTED
>Web form design best practices BEEN THERE DONE THAT
>What technical communicators need to know WAY PAST THAT
>Ask the experts panel NOT INTERESTED
>Road Signs: finding your way in the visual world BEEN THERE DONE
> THAT
>Learn how your department funding affects your success ALREADY
> DOING THIS
>Strategic plannign for new publishing technology NOT INTERESTED
>Podcasting production 101 HAD MINOR POTENTIAL
>Streamline your global content lifecycle ALREADY DOING THIS


So you can see, really, not that much of interest *to me*. I'm glad you
found it interesting and useful, but (and as others have said), many of
these sessions are just not much help to someone who's been in the field for
20 years. Hell, I could present half of 'em! :)

...sue
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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Martinek, Carla]

Did I really say 
   "related sessions that related to a particular topic?"

Ick!!!  You all know what I meant - delete that first "related."

OK, I'm really, really, tired today -- traveled home yesterday, was up
late getting my daughter ready to go to a horse camp for the weekend,
and then was woken up from a sound sleep sometime after that when the
top shelf of my bedroom closet suddenly pulled free from the wall, broke
in two, and spilled much of the contents onto the floor two feet from my
head.  And I'm guessing that some of it landed on the dog sleeping there
(closet doors were open at the time) as he wasn't real keen on coming
back into the room after that.

Is it time to go home yet?

-Carla




-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
On Behalf Of Martinek, Carla
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 1:45 PM
To: tcp@techcommpros.com
Subject: Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

I have to say that I didn't see any sessions on writing a resume or
finding a job in a crummy market this year. :-)  

What was nice is that they had session tracks - related sessions that
related to a particular topic.  See
http://www.stc.org/54thConf/sessions/search01.asp and click on the
Session Track Search dropdown to see the various tracks offered.  I was
particularly interested in XML, CMS, and localization, so I could focus
most of my efforts on the classes offered under those tracks.
 
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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Martinek, Carla]

I have to say that I didn't see any sessions on writing a resume or
finding a job in a crummy market this year. :-)  

What was nice is that they had session tracks - related sessions that
related to a particular topic.  See
http://www.stc.org/54thConf/sessions/search01.asp and click on the
Session Track Search dropdown to see the various tracks offered.  I was
particularly interested in XML, CMS, and localization, so I could focus
most of my efforts on the classes offered under those tracks.

On Wednesday, I sat in the "Looking Forward" session which talked about
next year's conference and proposals and such.  They are certainly
trying to address the issues of tired old subjects.  One thing they
stressed is the quality of the proposals, and requiring more research on
the submitter's part to reduce/eliminate redundancy with previously
offered sessions.  That includes checking past sessions that were
offered, previous STC publications, and class offerings.  If you've got
a topic that's already been covered in some fashion, then you'd better
have a different twist to it as to a specific problem, solution, or
issue, or your proposal won't be accepted.

The proposal manager wanted to have to pick between a number of really
good proposals, and have to turn some of them down, instead of settling
for a handful of really good proposals, and filling the rest of the
sessions with just "ok" ones.

As to the variety offered, here's the session titles offered just for
Monday this year:

Tips and tricks for roboHelp users
Cross-culturl virtual teams and distance education
Modular writing and reusability
Electronically stored information, the law, and you
Automated web globalization
How to design anything
Estimating and tracking project costs
Incorporating usability into content management
Web 2.0 and its impact on tech comm
Dita, design patterns, and the real world
Responsible authoriing to reduce translation cost
How to create lean documents
Making sense of the Frame/XML alphabet soup
Developing non-software-based eLearning with Captivate
Participatory design
Interview with usability expert Jared Spool
Effect page layout for the nonartist
Myths and trends in the changing English language
Why the old technical communicator ain't no more
Quality localization begins at the source
Interaction design in language design
Beyond the basics of project management
Know your "business numbers" and why they're important
It's not my aunt's online help anymore!
The history and future of free and open source software
SDL AuthorAssistant - empowering authors to write
Minimalist documentation and cohesiveness of documents
Using research to better your practice
The future of XML publishing
Conducting a user-centered expert review
Progressions of STC's instructional design and learning
community
Web form design best practices
What technical communicators need to know
Ask the experts panel
Road Signs: finding your way in the visual world
Learn how your department funding affects your success
Strategic plannign for new publishing technology
Podcasting production 101
Streamline your global content lifecycle

All in all, I really enjoyed the conference, this having been my first
one.  Oh, and since Donna's too modest (hah!) to mention it...our
company had two documents which moved on to the Int'l Competition, and
both of them took Distinguished Awards at that level, which shocked the
daylights out of us.  Donna was the primary writer on both docs, and I
got to claim second-billing as editor on one of them.  I'm still in a
"wow" frame of mind.

-Carla
 
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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Sue Heim]

None of those reasons? Coulda made the time, money's not an issue, not a
problem with travel or family.

As I said in another thread, STC no longer provides me with any value. I get
far more value from specialized conferences, such as WritersUA. If I attend
a conference, I'd much prefer to go to one where I have to struggle to
decide which session to attend amongst several in a single time frame.
Rather than finding that there are several times in which there isn't a
single thing that interests me.

General ennui with STC has been an issue for the last couple of years. If
STC would step into the 21st century a bit more, I'd love it. I know they've
made some steps in the right direction, and I understand the sessions were
better this year than in the past (I mean, really, how many sessions do you
need on writing a resume or finding a job in a crummy market?), but still
not enough to excite me.

Without excitement, why bother?

I think STC can have a lot of value for incoming/newbie types. But when you
get to be an old hag like me, the value of attending an annual conference
diminishes greatly.

...sue


On 5/18/07, Jones, Donna <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> 


For those of you who weren't at the STC conference, I'm just curious
> why. Was it a money thing? A time away from work thing? A total lack of
> interest in STC thing? For me the last several years, it was a family
> thing. My kids were young enough that it was difficult for me to go.
> Although my mother-in-law (my primary babysitter while I was gone) would
> probably disagree, it was fairly easy for me to attend this year.
>
>
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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Susan W Gallagher]

I ride a wave that's similar to manic-depressive cycles wrt STC conferences
-- for a couple of years I get all excited about presenting a session or
two, go gleefully, and pay my own way if necessary; then I get peeved at the
lack of sessions aimed at my level (don't mean to sound snotty about that)
and get determined to find a conference I can take from instead of give to,
and at that stage, wild horses couldn't drag me there. I'm at the "wild
horses couldn't drag me" stage right now.

Last year's conference was particularly disappointing, IMO. The high point
of the entire conference for me was sitting and chatting with Michael
Priestly of IBM while we were waiting for a chair massage. Michael and I had
worked on a program committee together and have known each other online for
forever, so...  I have no doubt that this year's conference would be better;
I just needed a break so I didn't submit any proposals, and pretty much, if
I don't present there's no sense in going.

Turns out it was the right decision, as life would definitely have gotten in
the way this year. I was laid off at the beginning of April and start my new
job the week after Memorial Day (team lead for API docs for Sony Playstation
- I'm so excited! And what a raise!!!). If I'd gone to the conference, I'd
probably still be looking for a job.

-Sue


On 5/18/07, Jones, Donna <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> ...
>
> For those of you who weren't at the STC conference, I'm just curious
> why. Was it a money thing? A time away from work thing? A total lack of
> interest in STC thing? For me the last several years, it was a family
> thing. My kids were young enough that it was difficult for me to go.
> Although my mother-in-law (my primary babysitter while I was gone) would
> probably disagree, it was fairly easy for me to attend this year.
>
>
> (Now if this message doesn't give everyone out there a chance to reply
> with something, I don't know what would!)  :-)
>
> Cheers!
> Donna
>
>
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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week/Outgrowing Old Resources

[Jean Ashley]

Hello,

This email is in response to:



I have been a technical writer/editor for about 10 years, and while that
only FEELS like an eternity, it isn't that long in terms of a
professional career. Even so, I must admit that I really haven't
participated much in my local STC chapter (though I've been a member for
years), and I've never attended an STC national conference. 

So, why not? As others have mentioned, many of the sessions seem less
applicable to me than sessions at other conferences. Our small
department has a limited conference/training budget, and I would rather
spend the time and money learning new things--even at a conference where
my profession may be only marginally respresented--as opposed to
networking with other technical writers. Now, I'm not saying that
networking isn't important, but I also think that, in some ways, going
to a conference with another focus (like eLearning, for example) gives
me a different perspective, and allows me to mentally "try on" new ways
of doing what I do everyday. It's just more exciting to me. 

Another reason I don't participate in STC in general is that it seems
rather "old school" for a society so embedded with technology. My job is
a mix of writer and educator (among other things), and from that
perspective, it seems like STC is wedded to traditional delivery formats
(powerpoints, pdfs, multi-day conferences, webinars by phone, hard copy
magazines, etc.) instead of enbracing the new technology we are
documenting and using to create better documentation & training. It's
like the society itself needs to advance technologically to make it seem
relevant to me. Maybe I don't have three full days I can dedicate to a
conference, but I could probably spend a few minutes watching/listening
to a podcast on a topic I am interested in. An RSS feed of new topics
posted to SIG forums or sites might be one way to get me more engaged.
If I have a burning question about a technical writing concept, I would
much rather go to the main STC site, conduct an STC site-specific
search, and retrieve results from all of the different chapaters,
communities, and forums within STC, rather than hunt and peck through
Google search results. (Don't get me wrong...I don't want to make it
seem like I am only interested in technology and gadgets. What I am
interested in is how technology/gadgets can be used to facilitiate
learning, growth, and personal/professional development.)

And just in case you were wondering, the conference I'm attending this
year is the eLearning DevCon 2007 conference
(http://www.elearndevcon.com/ ).
I went to it last year, and overall was very impressed with the focus on
elearning development and the way it embraces technology while
advocating instructional design. It is designed for elearning
developers, but I've found that the topics covered could certainly be
applicable for writers as well (particularly those developing material
for the web).

Thanks for listening!

Jean Ashley
Sr. Technical Communicator, Information Systems
Intermountain Healthcare
Phone: (801) 442-6720
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 
+++
"Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one." -
Malcolm Forbes



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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Patterson, Jan]

 
Donna asks: "For those of you who weren't at the STC conference, I'm
just curious why."

I haven't attended an STC conference since the late 90s -- it got to the
point where I didn't find the sessions that educational or useful, and
it was too difficult to get into the sessions I thought I might like
(the room filled up before I arrived).

I've done a lot of business travel . . . I've reached the point in my
life where I don't enjoy it anymore and try to avoid it (vacation is
different!).  If and when the conference is closer to home, I might go.

jan.
jan e patterson
sr technical writer - environmental systems products - tucson, az


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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Bill Swallow]

> For those of you who weren't at the STC conference, I'm just curious
> why.

Time: Lots of balls in the air this year, including a major re-org and
corporate acquisition.

Money: Tight training budget. 'Nuff said.

Life: 'Nuff said.

-- 
Bill Swallow
HATT List Owner
WWP-Users List Owner
Senior Member STC, TechValley Chapter
STC Single-Sourcing SIG Manager
http://techcommdood.blogspot.com
avid homebrewer and proud beer snob
"I see your OOO message and raise you a clue."

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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Beth Agnew]

My reasons are much like everyone else's. 

Cost is a factor -- the college doesn't reimburse enough of the total
expense to make it practical when I have many other demands on my money. 

General ennui with the STC, although the Conference has perennially been the
greatest value-for-money event the STC does. I always got a lot more out of
it than it cost. However, this STC tagline business makes we wonder what
they're thinking in head office. 

I have been a speaker at previous conferences -- I didn't propose a paper
this year because of some uncertainty about whether I'd be able to attend.
Turns out, I was right. Life got in the way this year. :-)
--Beth

Beth Agnew
Professor, Technical Communication
Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology
416-491-5050 x3133

-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 


For those of you who weren't at the STC conference, I'm just curious
why. Was it a money thing? A time away from work thing? A total lack of
interest in STC thing? 



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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Zinnia]

> For those of you who weren't at the STC conference, I'm just curious
> why. Was it a money thing? A time away from work thing? A total lack of
> interest in STC thing? For me the last several years, it was a family
> thing. My kids were young enough that it was difficult for me to go.
> Although my mother-in-law (my primary babysitter while I was gone) would
> probably disagree, it was fairly easy for me to attend this year.

I had really good reasons not to go, despite living in Minneapolis:

1. I was in England until May 15 on a 3-week holiday. Nuff said. 
2. I probably wouldn't have gone anyway even if I had been at home,
because there just doesn't seem to be enough sessions that are
interesting to someone who's been in the business for a long time.
3. I am also ticked off at STC in general, and my local chapter isn't
inspiring me much any more. I used to be very involved in the chapter,
but have stepped back.
4. I haven't renewed my membership this year. It's my own nickel now
and I just don't see too much value for money coming out of it right
now.

Nancy Kaminski

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Re: [TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Brierley, Sean]

Thanks for the report.

Why wasn't I there, in order:

1) Cash. I don't have any to spare, and it would have been my dime, not
my employer's.

2) Time. I get a whopping two weeks of vacation and already used one
going to the house of mouse with my family. Taking time off without pay
is forbidden.

3) Am a little torqued off at the national STC [EMAIL PROTECTED]@[EMAIL 
PROTECTED]@#s right now.
Was thinking this morning that I might be done renewing. We'll see what
this year brings, fails to bring, or how it annoys.

4) Timing was off. The class I teach at uni wasn't over; the semester
ended Tuesday.

Cheers,

Sean

-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 


For those of you who weren't at the STC conference, I'm just curious
why. Was it a money thing? A time away from work thing? A total lack of
interest in STC thing? For me the last several years, it was a family
thing. My kids were young enough that it was difficult for me to go.
Although my mother-in-law (my primary babysitter while I was gone) would
probably disagree, it was fairly easy for me to attend this year. 


(Now if this message doesn't give everyone out there a chance to reply
with something, I don't know what would!)  :-)


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[TCP] STC Conference this past week

[Jones, Donna]

Hi everyone,

In Minneapolis at the STC conference this past week, I only met a couple
of people whose names I recognized from this list (including Lisa
herself!). Was anyone else from TCP there?

If you were there, what did you think of the conference? I was thrilled
by Adobe's presence. The Adobe guys and Bernard Aschwanden presented
some very good sessions. I attended three sessions on different aspects
of FrameMaker, and I loved each session. The sneak peaks that Adobe
offered of FrameMaker 8 were awesome. I can't wait to be able to use it
(even though they can't tell us when it will come out). FrameMaker is
NOT dead! And Adobe has actually listened to us! FM 8 is going to have
some pretty spiffy new features.

That being said, I was a little disappointed in the overall selection of
sessions at the conference. It seemed like there was a lot of focus on
stuff that didn't interest me much. Maybe I've reached a point where I
need to step up and present something myself rather than just
complaining that I wasn't satisfied. Now I just need to come up with a
topic... 

However, I have to say that, even though I would have liked more variety
in the sessions, I think the conference was well worth the time and
money (particularly since it was my company's money instead of mine!). I
learned some new things and was able to work on refining some existing
skills. While I have the chance, I want to put in a plug for a few
speakers/presenters and who stand out in my mind as being very good and
a pleasure to listen to:

- Patrick Hofmann who did the Away with Words pre-conference session
- Bernard Aschwanden of Bright Path Solutions
- RJ of Adobe
- Scott Abel of the Content Wrangler
- Ze Frank who did the closing presentation--I found myself analyzing
the safety cards on the plane ride home, and I'm still laughing!

Thanks to those people and to everyone else who made the effort to
educate the rest of us.


For those of you who weren't at the STC conference, I'm just curious
why. Was it a money thing? A time away from work thing? A total lack of
interest in STC thing? For me the last several years, it was a family
thing. My kids were young enough that it was difficult for me to go.
Although my mother-in-law (my primary babysitter while I was gone) would
probably disagree, it was fairly easy for me to attend this year. 


(Now if this message doesn't give everyone out there a chance to reply
with something, I don't know what would!)  :-)

Cheers!
Donna
 
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