Category Archives: documents

Playing Nicely With Subject Matter Experts

Posted on April 20, 2013 by

I gave this talk today at the 2013 STC Rocket City Technical Communication Conference. Perhaps it will be of some use to you. When Working with SMEs Goes Badly I began my talk with a couple of Subject Matter Expert … Continue reading →

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Presentation Writing Tips

Posted on August 11, 2012 by

This will cover verbal presentations without the use of PowerPoint or some other electronic slide software. However, I might bring in a few thoughts about that as well, learned how, class? That’s right: the hard way. With any luck, someone … Continue reading →

Posted in audience, documents, editing, marketing, meetings, research | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Estimating Labor Hours

Posted on May 19, 2012 by

“Mr. Scott, have you always multiplied your repair estimates by a factor of 4?” “Of course, sir. How else can I maintain my reputation as a miracle worker?” –Star Trek III: The Search for Spock There’s no way around this, … Continue reading →

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Website Usability

Posted on January 9, 2012 by

I have already written a great deal about print document usability here, and for the most part the guidelines I suggested there also apply to reading on the web. People still read top to bottom, left to right (at least … Continue reading →

Posted in audience, documents, engineering, technical writing | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Applying Work Skills to Daily Life

Posted on December 14, 2011 by

One thing I find enjoyable about my career is being able to apply lessons from it to my outside life, and vice versa. Much of life–my life, anyway–is about organizing and prioritizing information. In new documents, you must choose what … Continue reading →

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Staying Organized

Posted on November 23, 2011 by

I have a reputation for being very organized, which is a good one to have, and one which my customers at NASA and ScienceCheerleader.com have come to value. However, such was not always the case…and, I should note, I make … Continue reading →

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Desktop Folder Follies

Posted on November 23, 2011 by

If you have dozens of folders on your virtual desktop and you can find everything easily, great. You can ignore this post. However, if your “system” consists of putting every “critical” folder on your desktop and you then complain that … Continue reading →

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How Do You Approach a New Topic?

Posted on November 19, 2011 by

You’ve just been presented with a new and off-the-wall topic compared to your usual content. What’s off-the-wall? It’s what happens when you were hired to write technical documentation and you’re suddenly asked to write a formal letter on behalf of … Continue reading →

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Usability and the Craft of Technical Communication

Posted on September 28, 2011 by

I would be remiss if I didn’t address the topic of usability. I say this mostly because it was and is a personal crusade of Karla Kitalong, my thesis advisor at University of Central Florida (now at Michigan Tech), and … Continue reading →

Posted in audience, documents, technical writing | 1 Comment

The Two Most Important Questions

Posted on September 18, 2011 by

If I get a weird assignment–scratch that, when I get a weird assignment, it usually means I’m being asked to write something with no exact parameters. How long is it? What is the content? Where do I get the information? … Continue reading →

Posted in documents, technical writing | 2 Comments