http://odeo.com/channels/131008-I-d-Rather-Be-Writing-Tom-Johnson-%C2%BB-Podcasts Tomjohnson1492 no Technical Communication Blog / Technical Writing Blog Technical Communication Blog / Technical Writing Blog Podcasts on technical writing en 40 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:42:35 -0800 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:42:35 -0800 Software How-To http://odeo.com/episodes/25458641-Podcast-about-the-Podcast-Poll Download MP3 Length: 15 min. In this brief podcast, I discuss the results of the podcast poll that I published on my site earlier this week. I mostly wanted an opportunity to try out my new Behringer mixer/preamp, and the results of the poll served as perfect fodder for a podcast. In this 15 minutes of audio, I explain the direction that I plan to take my podcast based on the votes and feedback. Polls, surveys, and feedback are always a good thing. They help me understand not only what my audience values, but what I value too. Thanks for participating. A podcast about my podcast ... Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Localization World Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Microtype Alma Loveland, Designer Snagit from TechSmith Edit Me Download MP3 Length: 15 min. In this brief podcast, I discuss the results of the podcast poll that I published on my site earlier this week. I mostly wanted an opportunity to try out my new Behringer mixer/preamp, and the results of the poll served as perfect fodder for a podcast. In this 15 minutes of audio, I explain the direction that I plan to take my podcast based on the votes and feedback. Polls, surveys, and feedback are always a good thing. They help me understand not only what my audience values, but what I value too. Thanks for participating. A podcast about my podcast ... Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Localization World Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Microtype Alma Loveland, Designer Snagit from TechSmith Edit Me Download MP3 Length: 15 min. In this brief podcast, I discuss the results of the podcast poll that I published on my site earlier this week. I mostly wanted an opportunity to try out my new Behringer mixer/preamp, and the results of the poll served as perfect fodder for a podcast. In this 15 minutes of audio, I explain the direction that I plan to take my podcast based on the votes and feedback. Polls, surveys, and feedback are always a good thing. They help me understand not only what my audience values, but what I value too. Thanks for participating. A podcast about my podcast ... Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Localization World Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Microtype Alma Loveland, Designer Snagit from TechSmith Edit Me tag:odeo.com,2009-11-18,25458641 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:42:35 -0800 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts podcasts, News, survey, trends, poll, wordpress, Flare, podcasting topics http://odeo.com/episodes/25406460-Podcast-on-the-Seven-Deadly-Sins-of-Blogging Download MP3 Length: 1 hour 45 min. Over the last month, you’ve been seeing various posts on my site about the seven deadly sins of blogging (being fake, irrelevant, boring, unreadable, irresponsible, unfindable,, and inattentive). I mentioned at the beginning of my seven deadly sins series that I was preparing for some upcoming presentations on blogging. I first presented on the Seven Deadly Sins of Blogging at WebWorks Roundup 2009. I gave a similar presentation to the STC-Suncoast chapter (in Tampa, Florida) last night. The latter one I recorded. While the content of both presentations was supposed to be the same, that’s not how it worked out. The presentation to Suncoast kind of veers off in different directions half way through. I also decided to bookend this podcast with a few thoughts before and after the presentation while driving (hence the length). Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Localization World Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help M... Download MP3 Length: 1 hour 45 min. Over the last month, you’ve been seeing various posts on my site about the seven deadly sins of blogging (being fake, irrelevant, boring, unreadable, irresponsible, unfindable,, and inattentive). I mentioned at the beginning of my seven deadly sins series that I was preparing for some upcoming presentations on blogging. I first presented on the Seven Deadly Sins of Blogging at WebWorks Roundup 2009. I gave a similar presentation to the STC-Suncoast chapter (in Tampa, Florida) last night. The latter one I recorded. While the content of both presentations was supposed to be the same, that’s not how it worked out. The presentation to Suncoast kind of veers off in different directions half way through. I also decided to bookend this podcast with a few thoughts before and after the presentation while driving (hence the length). Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Localization World Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Microtype Alma Loveland, Designer Snagit from TechSmith Edit Me Download MP3 Length: 1 hour 45 min. Over the last month, you’ve been seeing various posts on my site about the seven deadly sins of blogging (being fake, irrelevant, boring, unreadable, irresponsible, unfindable,, and inattentive). I mentioned at the beginning of my seven deadly sins series that I was preparing for some upcoming presentations on blogging. I first presented on the Seven Deadly Sins of Blogging at WebWorks Roundup 2009. I gave a similar presentation to the STC-Suncoast chapter (in Tampa, Florida) last night. The latter one I recorded. While the content of both presentations was supposed to be the same, that’s not how it worked out. The presentation to Suncoast kind of veers off in different directions half way through. I also decided to bookend this podcast with a few thoughts before and after the presentation while driving (hence the length). Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Localization World Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Microtype Alma Loveland, Designer Snagit from TechSmith Edit Me tag:odeo.com,2009-11-05,25406460 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:59:00 -0800 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Tech Writer Voices, STC, boring, irresponsible, unfindable, unreadable, irrelevant, seven deadly sins of blogging, inattentive, suncoast stc http://odeo.com/episodes/25290645-Podcast-from-BYU-Idaho-Professional-Writing-Panel Download MP3 Length: 50 min. Last week I was up at BYU Idaho at a writing conference for students looking to enter professional writing. This is a recording of a panel I participated on with two other writers, Scott Cameron and Keith Harten. The three of us (two technical writers and one editor) answer questions from students for about an hour. For students looking to go into technical writing, editing, or other professional writing careers, this podcast may answer a lot of questions. Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Localization World Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Microtype Alma Loveland, Designer Snagit from TechSmith Edit Me Download MP3 Length: 50 min. Last week I was up at BYU Idaho at a writing conference for students looking to enter professional writing. This is a recording of a panel I participated on with two other writers, Scott Cameron and Keith Harten. The three of us (two technical writers and one editor) answer questions from students for about an hour. For students looking to go into technical writing, editing, or other professional writing careers, this podcast may answer a lot of questions. Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Localization World Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Microtype Alma Loveland, Designer Snagit from TechSmith Edit Me Download MP3 Length: 50 min. Last week I was up at BYU Idaho at a writing conference for students looking to enter professional writing. This is a recording of a panel I participated on with two other writers, Scott Cameron and Keith Harten. The three of us (two technical writers and one editor) answer questions from students for about an hour. For students looking to go into technical writing, editing, or other professional writing careers, this podcast may answer a lot of questions. Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Localization World Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Microtype Alma Loveland, Designer Snagit from TechSmith Edit Me tag:odeo.com,2009-10-15,25290645 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:53:21 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts students, Tech Writer Voices http://odeo.com/episodes/25290646-Podcast-on-Getting-a-Job-in-Technical-Writing-7-Steps Download MP3 Length: 40 min. Last week I gave a presentation to BYU Idaho students entitled 7 Steps to Getting a Job in Technical Writing. This is a recording of my presentation. You may remember a lengthy post I wrote on this same subject, 7 steps to getting a job in technical writing, as well. Although getting a job is the focus of the podcast, I also talk about what technical writers do, how they approach a project, how they decide what to create, and how they generate ideas for tasks. Specifically, I talk about about a project people can work on at tech.lds.org. People can start writing help for the project here. In listening to myself give this presentation, I realize that I have a breathless energy to my voice. As weird as it sounds, “breathing” while I’m presenting is something I’m working on. I don’t know if I need to simply pause and relax more, or if the mic is too sensitive and is picking up every tiny breathing sound and magnifying it. But i... Download MP3 Length: 40 min. Last week I gave a presentation to BYU Idaho students entitled 7 Steps to Getting a Job in Technical Writing. This is a recording of my presentation. You may remember a lengthy post I wrote on this same subject, 7 steps to getting a job in technical writing, as well. Although getting a job is the focus of the podcast, I also talk about what technical writers do, how they approach a project, how they decide what to create, and how they generate ideas for tasks. Specifically, I talk about about a project people can work on at tech.lds.org. People can start writing help for the project here. In listening to myself give this presentation, I realize that I have a breathless energy to my voice. As weird as it sounds, “breathing” while I’m presenting is something I’m working on. I don’t know if I need to simply pause and relax more, or if the mic is too sensitive and is picking up every tiny breathing sound and magnifying it. But if you have suggestions, please let me know. Also, you may hear typing noises in this podcast as well as the panel. That’s a student taking notes on a laptop. Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Localization World Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Microtype Alma Loveland, Designer Snagit from TechSmith Edit Me Download MP3 Length: 40 min. Last week I gave a presentation to BYU Idaho students entitled 7 Steps to Getting a Job in Technical Writing. This is a recording of my presentation. You may remember a lengthy post I wrote on this same subject, 7 steps to getting a job in technical writing, as well. Although getting a job is the focus of the podcast, I also talk about what technical writers do, how they approach a project, how they decide what to create, and how they generate ideas for tasks. Specifically, I talk about about a project people can work on at tech.lds.org. People can start writing help for the project here. In listening to myself give this presentation, I realize that I have a breathless energy to my voice. As weird as it sounds, “breathing” while I’m presenting is something I’m working on. I don’t know if I need to simply pause and relax more, or if the mic is too sensitive and is picking up every tiny breathing sound and magnifying it. But if you have suggestions, please let me know. Also, you may hear typing noises in this podcast as well as the panel. That’s a student taking notes on a laptop. Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Localization World Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Microtype Alma Loveland, Designer Snagit from TechSmith Edit Me tag:odeo.com,2009-10-15,25290646 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:52:24 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Blog, students, job, Careers, Tech Writer Voices, portfolio, getting a job http://odeo.com/episodes/25267152-Choosing-Between-Academic-and-Corporate-Life-Did-I-Make-the-Wrong-Choice Download MP3 Length: 15 min. For the past couple of days I’ve been in Idaho at a pre-professional writing conference at Brigham Young University – Idaho. The purpose of the writing conference is to bring in published novelists, poets, editors, and professional writers to give students a glimpse into the careers they plan to enter. This is my second year presenting to students about technical writing. You may remember my post last year about Debunking the Boredom Myth of Technical Writing, in which I tried to disabuse students of the idea that technical writing is nothing but boredom and drudgery. This year I focused on Seven Steps to Getting a Job in Technical Writing. But that’s not the focus of this post. This year the conference made me reflect on the academic life I chose not to follow and evaluate whether that choice was right. A little background. From 2002 to 2004, I taught writing courses at The American University in Cairo (in Egypt) with about 20 other composit... Download MP3 Length: 15 min. For the past couple of days I’ve been in Idaho at a pre-professional writing conference at Brigham Young University – Idaho. The purpose of the writing conference is to bring in published novelists, poets, editors, and professional writers to give students a glimpse into the careers they plan to enter. This is my second year presenting to students about technical writing. You may remember my post last year about Debunking the Boredom Myth of Technical Writing, in which I tried to disabuse students of the idea that technical writing is nothing but boredom and drudgery. This year I focused on Seven Steps to Getting a Job in Technical Writing. But that’s not the focus of this post. This year the conference made me reflect on the academic life I chose not to follow and evaluate whether that choice was right. A little background. From 2002 to 2004, I taught writing courses at The American University in Cairo (in Egypt) with about 20 other composition instructors. Among those instructors, I met Josh Allen and his wife Suzy, who quickly became our best friends in Egypt. I had so much in common with Josh – both of us were composition instructors. Both of us were Mormon (the only Mormon teachers at AUC). Both of us were married with children about the same ages. Both of us were first-timers in Egypt. Both of us shared a love of writing, literature, and the university setting. After a couple of years at AUC, I questioned whether teaching was my vocation. Grading was drudgery, composition syllabi were a bit dull, and my job seemed to have little future. I looked ahead at several options: I could remain a composition instructor, continuing with roughly the same pay and lifestyle, with little prospects of advancement, only to find that at age 40 I had no real career. I could get a PhD in literature and try to move up the academic scale as a professor. As a professor, I would need to publish scholarly essays regularly. Or I could reject both of those options and follow a prompting I kept feeling – to be the writer rather than teach writing. I chose the last option. After two years, I ended my teaching career at AUC and moved to Florida, where I turned to professional writing, first becoming a copywriter and then a technical writer. My colleague Josh took a different route. He left AUC at the same time I did, but he applied for a teaching position at BYU-Idaho, which recognized his MFA as an acceptable degree for teaching literature classes. He moved to Rexburg, Idaho, a small town that wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the college, and started his four-classes-a-semester schedule, comfortably settling into a spacious home with a garage the size of an airplane hangar. Every morning Josh wakes up early for his 8 a.m. classes, starts discussions about classic works such as My Antonia or The Catcher in the Rye or some novel by Henry James. He has one or two technical writing or composition classes a semester. He meets with students, reads at length in his office, and lives the academic life. The life of an academic seems rich to me. Not materially rich, but intellectually rich. Dozens of books line your shelves, you’re immersed in constant learning, you’re surrounded by ambitious, dreamy-eyed students who haven’t yet become jaded. You have summers off, during which you can bury yourself in the novel or short story collection you’re writing. Even during the semester, your schedule is flexible enough to come home in the afternoons. Being at this writing conference, surrounded by academics discussing recent books they’ve read, listening to a poet read his work, hearing a novelist discuss how she adds energy to her fiction, how she gets inside her characters’ heads to imagine how they would act in certain situations, made me remember my creative writing days at Columbia’s School of the Arts as both a student and graduate instructor. As a student, I spent much of my time reading and writing, cut off from the world around me. I had freedom to roam the lost books in the library, to open a blank page and fill it with everything and nothing. I rarely looked at a clock. I could latch onto an idea and pursue it wherever it would take me. Every week I wrote dozens of pages. Our classes met in workshop settings, where we talked about narrative structures and character significance and arc. I also taught composition courses to college freshmen and had freedom to assign my own essay prompts. I would spin controversial ideas for students to write about and then respond to their essays with copious feedback. Sometimes I assigned essays as prompts. I could have continued in that academic setting, perhaps pursuing a PhD and turning to others publications. I could have looked for a job at a small liberal arts school somewhere. Instead, I chose to become a technical writer. I figuratively turned in my university library card and stopped trying to publish creative works. I now wake up in the morning and drive to work, parking my car outside a shiny high-tech looking building. After riding the elevator to the third floor, I make my way to a cubicle where I dock my laptop, read and respond to emails in Microsoft Outlook, and work on help materials for a handful of software applications. I devote my time writing for users whom I will rarely meet. Did I choose the wrong route? Should I instead have pursued a teaching position in a small college in a sleepy nowhere town? Should I be waking up in the morning reading Henry James novels and preparing notes for an 8:00 a.m. lecture? I talked with Josh about company life versus academic life, and which one was better. Josh had previously spent a few years as a contract technical writer before teaching, but he found that documenting software all day left him with a sense of emptiness. It provided no thought-provoking discussions; it lacked immersion in good literature. The whole endeavor felt a bit worthless. It was just a job for a paycheck, with no intellectual engagement or inspiration. He had just returned from teaching a class on My Antonia when I met up with him. He had been discussing “the search for the American Dream” and how the idea plays out in Willa Cather’s plots. Josh has a sharp mind and can extract and analyze reasoning from any subject you bring to him. As we walked around the gardens of BYU Idaho’s campus, he asked what appeal the company life has for me. Why would anyone choose to work in a company rather than burying themselves in the classics and academic discussions? What value does the company life have for me? Honestly, I didn’t know. It troubled me. As I slept that night, I tried to figure out what had propelled me to move away from academia into the corporate sphere. Did I make the wrong choice? The next day we talked some more. I began to see an argument forming, but it wasn’t entirely clear. It wasn’t until I listened to a Book Lust podcast with Michael Perry, a nonfiction writer, that I began to understand. In an interview about his creative works, Nancy Pearl asks Perry: You’ve now written four books and they’re all about your life and your experiences in the world …. Talk about how that all came about. Michael responds: The reason the books are as they are, is that I was always living and working in a “real” place while I was writing. So when I had the opportunity to write books, I just wrote about what was around me. And part of that was being on the local volunteer fire department with my brothers and my mom, and being a resident in a small northern Wisconsin town, and now that I have a little family and we’ve moved to a farm and we’re raising our own food or most of it. I guess for me, if I’m going to write creative nonfiction essay style work, if there’s going to be any veracity to that work, it comes from actually living it. In other words, living and experiencing the world gives you content for your writing. It gives you substance to write about in a natural way. This substance is exactly what I lacked as a grad student in a creative writing program at Columbia. We had time to write, time to read, but no substance in our writing. Our essays ended up exhausting our personal experiences. Our lives seemed all we had to write about. I ended up writing missionary stories about my two years in Venezuela. Another student wrote about her dying mother with cancer, another about her stint as a nurse in a psychiatric ward, another about her sordid affairs with married men, another about her past relationship with a rich guy in Soho. While the essays had all the literary devices of narrative fiction, the writing lacked substance and information. It was too navel-gazing and self-centered. It was hard to get outside of our lives, trapped in the cloister of the university. It was almost as if our lives had been paused the minute we entered the writing program. We could only look back on what had taken place before. I listened to another podcast with writers who explained the same problem. One of the writers had a good friend who moved to Ireland so she could write. In Ireland, she hunkered down in solitude and wrote and wrote and wrote, but her writing lacked substance. The sentences were highly refined and polished, but boring. Those same events that seem to take us away from our writing are also what give us substance in our writing, or so the writers on the podcast explained. A writer needs to be immersed in the world to have something to write about. You can only experience and learn so much from within the walls of a classroom. This is one reason I like Ted Conover so much. Conover goes out into the world and lives and writes about it. For example, he spends a summer riding the rails with hoboes ( Rolling Nowhere ). Or he moves to Aspen to live among the rich (Whiteout). Or he becomes a prison guard at Sing Sing (Newjack). His living in the world, almost like a social anthropologist, provides him with material to write about. Conover explains, I feel a writer’s real job is to be out there with people who are strange to you. Could he have written any of his books while being cloistered in the university? His work is nonfiction, but even fiction writers can’t imagine everything sitting in a library. As much as I like Ted Conover’s immersive method, it seems a bit difficult for me. I can’t simply uproot and immerse myself in an unfamiliar setting. But entering the field of technical writing (rather than remaining in the university) has given me substance to write about. Immersion in projects within a corporate setting brings up all kinds of issues to write about — wikis, content strategy, community, DITA, usability, print versus online formats, quick reference guides, single sourcing, help authoring tools, the STC, presenting at conferences, context-sensitive help, podcasting, and so on. If you were to take away my experiences in the company setting, the thoughts and problems and ideas and situations that arise from being involved projects, you would also take away all the substance from my writing. I would be in the same situation I was in grad school, twiddling my thumbs looking for content from random personal experiences to string together. Having a career in the world gives me a framework of content to write about, which I can approach from a literary perspective. I can take a topic that might otherwise be dull and make a story out of it. I can approach an issue as a literary essay, mixing personal experience with information and reflection. The result won’t be navel-gazing and insubstantial. I’m not saying that academics can’t venture out into the real world. Nor am I saying that being a technical writer is the equivalent of an anthropological experience like Conover’s. I am saying that perhaps for a literary writer, it’s better to avoid the cloister — in whatever form, not just a university. Venturing into the world gives you something to write about. You can make other arguments about the value of company life over academic life. For example, living in the world allows you to carry out the ideas of the classroom. Or the world allows you to prove and evaluate what you read in the library. Or the world gives you an opportunity to serve others with the knowledge you acquire in the university. But for me, as a writer, it comes down to having substance to write about, and that substance isn’t always apparent inside the classroom. Some subjects will always remain at the university, I imagine. Arcane philosophical discussions, abstract discussions about the American Dream, or transformations of identity through the writing process in John Barth’s novels (my undergraduate thesis). But I am happy to leave those ideas in the classrooms. An idea that only has merit inside a classroom, that emerges from an assigned text, may be refreshing, but it is not the substance of my life. Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Localization World Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Microtype Alma Loveland, Designer Snagit from TechSmith Edit Me Download MP3 Length: 15 min. For the past couple of days I’ve been in Idaho at a pre-professional writing conference at Brigham Young University – Idaho. The purpose of the writing conference is to bring in published novelists, poets, editors, and professional writers to give students a glimpse into the careers they plan to enter. This is my second year presenting to students about technical writing. You may remember my post last year about Debunking the Boredom Myth of Technical Writing, in which I tried to disabuse students of the idea that technical writing is nothing but boredom and drudgery. This year I focused on Seven Steps to Getting a Job in Technical Writing. But that’s not the focus of this post. This year the conference made me reflect on the academic life I chose not to follow and evaluate whether that choice was right. A little background. From 2002 to 2004, I taught writing courses at The American University in Cairo (in Egypt) with about 20 other composition instructors. Among those instructors, I met Josh Allen and his wife Suzy, who quickly became our best friends in Egypt. I had so much in common with Josh – both of us were composition instructors. Both of us were Mormon (the only Mormon teachers at AUC). Both of us were married with children about the same ages. Both of us were first-timers in Egypt. Both of us shared a love of writing, literature, and the university setting. After a couple of years at AUC, I questioned whether teaching was my vocation. Grading was drudgery, composition syllabi were a bit dull, and my job seemed to have little future. I looked ahead at several options: I could remain a composition instructor, continuing with roughly the same pay and lifestyle, with little prospects of advancement, only to find that at age 40 I had no real career. I could get a PhD in literature and try to move up the academic scale as a professor. As a professor, I would need to publish scholarly essays regularly. Or I could reject both of those options and follow a prompting I kept feeling – to be the writer rather than teach writing. I chose the last option. After two years, I ended my teaching career at AUC and moved to Florida, where I turned to professional writing, first becoming a copywriter and then a technical writer. My colleague Josh took a different route. He left AUC at the same time I did, but he applied for a teaching position at BYU-Idaho, which recognized his MFA as an acceptable degree for teaching literature classes. He moved to Rexburg, Idaho, a small town that wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the college, and started his four-classes-a-semester schedule, comfortably settling into a spacious home with a garage the size of an airplane hangar. Every morning Josh wakes up early for his 8 a.m. classes, starts discussions about classic works such as My Antonia or The Catcher in the Rye or some novel by Henry James. He has one or two technical writing or composition classes a semester. He meets with students, reads at length in his office, and lives the academic life. The life of an academic seems rich to me. Not materially rich, but intellectually rich. Dozens of books line your shelves, you’re immersed in constant learning, you’re surrounded by ambitious, dreamy-eyed students who haven’t yet become jaded. You have summers off, during which you can bury yourself in the novel or short story collection you’re writing. Even during the semester, your schedule is flexible enough to come home in the afternoons. Being at this writing conference, surrounded by academics discussing recent books they’ve read, listening to a poet read his work, hearing a novelist discuss how she adds energy to her fiction, how she gets inside her characters’ heads to imagine how they would act in certain situations, made me remember my creative writing days at Columbia’s School of the Arts as both a student and graduate instructor. As a student, I spent much of my time reading and writing, cut off from the world around me. I had freedom to roam the lost books in the library, to open a blank page and fill it with everything and nothing. I rarely looked at a clock. I could latch onto an idea and pursue it wherever it would take me. Every week I wrote dozens of pages. Our classes met in workshop settings, where we talked about narrative structures and character significance and arc. I also taught composition courses to college freshmen and had freedom to assign my own essay prompts. I would spin controversial ideas for students to write about and then respond to their essays with copious feedback. Sometimes I assigned essays as prompts. I could have continued in that academic setting, perhaps pursuing a PhD and turning to others publications. I could have looked for a job at a small liberal arts school somewhere. Instead, I chose to become a technical writer. I figuratively turned in my university library card and stopped trying to publish creative works. I now wake up in the morning and drive to work, parking my car outside a shiny high-tech looking building. After riding the elevator to the third floor, I make my way to a cubicle where I dock my laptop, read and respond to emails in Microsoft Outlook, and work on help materials for a handful of software applications. I devote my time writing for users whom I will rarely meet. Did I choose the wrong route? Should I instead have pursued a teaching position in a small college in a sleepy nowhere town? Should I be waking up in the morning reading Henry James novels and preparing notes for an 8:00 a.m. lecture? I talked with Josh about company life versus academic life, and which one was better. Josh had previously spent a few years as a contract technical writer before teaching, but he found that documenting software all day left him with a sense of emptiness. It provided no thought-provoking discussions; it lacked immersion in good literature. The whole endeavor felt a bit worthless. It was just a job for a paycheck, with no intellectual engagement or inspiration. He had just returned from teaching a class on My Antonia when I met up with him. He had been discussing “the search for the American Dream” and how the idea plays out in Willa Cather’s plots. Josh has a sharp mind and can extract and analyze reasoning from any subject you bring to him. As we walked around the gardens of BYU Idaho’s campus, he asked what appeal the company life has for me. Why would anyone choose to work in a company rather than burying themselves in the classics and academic discussions? What value does the company life have for me? Honestly, I didn’t know. It troubled me. As I slept that night, I tried to figure out what had propelled me to move away from academia into the corporate sphere. Did I make the wrong choice? The next day we talked some more. I began to see an argument forming, but it wasn’t entirely clear. It wasn’t until I listened to a Book Lust podcast with Michael Perry, a nonfiction writer, that I began to understand. In an interview about his creative works, Nancy Pearl asks Perry: You’ve now written four books and they’re all about your life and your experiences in the world …. Talk about how that all came about. Michael responds: The reason the books are as they are, is that I was always living and working in a “real” place while I was writing. So when I had the opportunity to write books, I just wrote about what was around me. And part of that was being on the local volunteer fire department with my brothers and my mom, and being a resident in a small northern Wisconsin town, and now that I have a little family and we’ve moved to a farm and we’re raising our own food or most of it. I guess for me, if I’m going to write creative nonfiction essay style work, if there’s going to be any veracity to that work, it comes from actually living it. In other words, living and experiencing the world gives you content for your writing. It gives you substance to write about in a natural way. This substance is exactly what I lacked as a grad student in a creative writing program at Columbia. We had time to write, time to read, but no substance in our writing. Our essays ended up exhausting our personal experiences. Our lives seemed all we had to write about. I ended up writing missionary stories about my two years in Venezuela. Another student wrote about her dying mother with cancer, another about her stint as a nurse in a psychiatric ward, another about her sordid affairs with married men, another about her past relationship with a rich guy in Soho. While the essays had all the literary devices of narrative fiction, the writing lacked substance and information. It was too navel-gazing and self-centered. It was hard to get outside of our lives, trapped in the cloister of the university. It was almost as if our lives had been paused the minute we entered the writing program. We could only look back on what had taken place before. I listened to another podcast with writers who explained the same problem. One of the writers had a good friend who moved to Ireland so she could write. In Ireland, she hunkered down in solitude and wrote and wrote and wrote, but her writing lacked substance. The sentences were highly refined and polished, but boring. Those same events that seem to take us away from our writing are also what give us substance in our writing, or so the writers on the podcast explained. A writer needs to be immersed in the world to have something to write about. You can only experience and learn so much from within the walls of a classroom. This is one reason I like Ted Conover so much. Conover goes out into the world and lives and writes about it. For example, he spends a summer riding the rails with hoboes ( Rolling Nowhere ). Or he moves to Aspen to live among the rich (Whiteout). Or he becomes a prison guard at Sing Sing (Newjack). His living in the world, almost like a social anthropologist, provides him with material to write about. Conover explains, I feel a writer’s real job is to be out there with people who are strange to you. Could he have written any of his books while being cloistered in the university? His work is nonfiction, but even fiction writers can’t imagine everything sitting in a library. As much as I like Ted Conover’s immersive method, it seems a bit difficult for me. I can’t simply uproot and immerse myself in an unfamiliar setting. But entering the field of technical writing (rather than remaining in the university) has given me substance to write about. Immersion in projects within a corporate setting brings up all kinds of issues to write about — wikis, content strategy, community, DITA, usability, print versus online formats, quick reference guides, single sourcing, help authoring tools, the STC, presenting at conferences, context-sensitive help, podcasting, and so on. If you were to take away my experiences in the company setting, the thoughts and problems and ideas and situations that arise from being involved projects, you would also take away all the substance from my writing. I would be in the same situation I was in grad school, twiddling my thumbs looking for content from random personal experiences to string together. Having a career in the world gives me a framework of content to write about, which I can approach from a literary perspective. I can take a topic that might otherwise be dull and make a story out of it. I can approach an issue as a literary essay, mixing personal experience with information and reflection. The result won’t be navel-gazing and insubstantial. I’m not saying that academics can’t venture out into the real world. Nor am I saying that being a technical writer is the equivalent of an anthropological experience like Conover’s. I am saying that perhaps for a literary writer, it’s better to avoid the cloister — in whatever form, not just a university. Venturing into the world gives you something to write about. You can make other arguments about the value of company life over academic life. For example, living in the world allows you to carry out the ideas of the classroom. Or the world allows you to prove and evaluate what you read in the library. Or the world gives you an opportunity to serve others with the knowledge you acquire in the university. But for me, as a writer, it comes down to having substance to write about, and that substance isn’t always apparent inside the classroom. Some subjects will always remain at the university, I imagine. Arcane philosophical discussions, abstract discussions about the American Dream, or transformations of identity through the writing process in John Barth’s novels (my undergraduate thesis). But I am happy to leave those ideas in the classrooms. An idea that only has merit inside a classroom, that emerges from an assigned text, may be refreshing, but it is not the substance of my life. Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Localization World Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Microtype Alma Loveland, Designer Snagit from TechSmith Edit Me tag:odeo.com,2009-10-10,25267152 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:59:33 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Writing, Living, Careers, creativity, Tech Writer Voices, Technical Writing, substance, literary essays, academic life http://odeo.com/episodes/25215155-My-STC-Summit-Blogging-Presentation-Is-Free As you know, the sessions at the STC Summit in Atlanta last year were recorded. My blogging presentation, Introduction to Blogging: A New Technical Communicator Role, is the only recorded session you can listen to for free.  It’s labeled as the “Featured session – free of charge.” I didn’t even realize this until someone tweeted it this afternoon. I figure it means one of two things — either my presentation was so lame they couldn’t fathom actually charging for it. Or it was so cool they decided to use it to try to get people to buy the entire recorded Summit package. Either way, it’s a good hour and a half discussion of blogging. I talk about how “writing a product blog can help you connect and communicate with your users while simultaneously helping them move up to a more advanced level of product knowledge.” To view the audio synced with PowerPoint, click the View button at the link above. To download the MP3, click the ... As you know, the sessions at the STC Summit in Atlanta last year were recorded. My blogging presentation, Introduction to Blogging: A New Technical Communicator Role, is the only recorded session you can listen to for free.  It’s labeled as the “Featured session – free of charge.” I didn’t even realize this until someone tweeted it this afternoon. I figure it means one of two things — either my presentation was so lame they couldn’t fathom actually charging for it. Or it was so cool they decided to use it to try to get people to buy the entire recorded Summit package. Either way, it’s a good hour and a half discussion of blogging. I talk about how “writing a product blog can help you connect and communicate with your users while simultaneously helping them move up to a more advanced level of product knowledge.” To view the audio synced with PowerPoint, click the View button at the link above. To download the MP3, click the drop-down arrow in the upper-left and choose Downloads. To include this in my iTunes podcast feed, I also included the MP3 file here. My blogging presentation at STC Atlanta By the way, I’ve been listening to other recorded Summit sessions. There’s a ton of informative content available. Of course recorded presentations aren’t always as engaging as a podcast recording, especially when someone is clicking through 200+ slides and answering audience questions (that you can’t hear), but still, by and large the content is highly worthwhile. If it’s available to you, definitely listen to it. I’ve already listened to about 7-8 sessions. Just 80 more to go. Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Localization World Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Microtype Alma Loveland, Designer Snagit from TechSmith Edit Me As you know, the sessions at the STC Summit in Atlanta last year were recorded. My blogging presentation, Introduction to Blogging: A New Technical Communicator Role, is the only recorded session you can listen to for free.  It’s labeled as the “Featured session – free of charge.” I didn’t even realize this until someone tweeted it this afternoon. I figure it means one of two things — either my presentation was so lame they couldn’t fathom actually charging for it. Or it was so cool they decided to use it to try to get people to buy the entire recorded Summit package. Either way, it’s a good hour and a half discussion of blogging. I talk about how “writing a product blog can help you connect and communicate with your users while simultaneously helping them move up to a more advanced level of product knowledge.” To view the audio synced with PowerPoint, click the View button at the link above. To download the MP3, click the drop-down arrow in the upper-left and choose Downloads. To include this in my iTunes podcast feed, I also included the MP3 file here. My blogging presentation at STC Atlanta By the way, I’ve been listening to other recorded Summit sessions. There’s a ton of informative content available. Of course recorded presentations aren’t always as engaging as a podcast recording, especially when someone is clicking through 200+ slides and answering audience questions (that you can’t hear), but still, by and large the content is highly worthwhile. If it’s available to you, definitely listen to it. I’ve already listened to about 7-8 sessions. Just 80 more to go. Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Localization World Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Microtype Alma Loveland, Designer Snagit from TechSmith Edit Me tag:odeo.com,2009-10-01,25215155 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:30:16 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Blogging, Search Engine Optimization, SEO, creativity, Tech Writer Voices, endurance, Corporate Blogging, stc summit atlanta http://odeo.com/episodes/25171264-Information-Overload-%E2%80%94-Conversation-with-Ricardo-Amigo Download MP3 Length: 55 min. Dealing with information overload can be a huge stressor in life. Not only trying to keep up with the constant deluge of information that comes at you daily, but also managing that information in an organized way — so that you can find and implement it — can put your sanity in question. In this podcast, I talk with Ricardo Amigo, a translator in Costa Rica, about different ways to manage information overload. We cover a few of the following topics: Personal information management Keeping found things found Organizing by clips Organizing by wikis Other tools to deal with information overload Finding time to get things done Podcasts as a tool for keeping up Email jail Leadership in information overload To learn more about Ricardo Amigo, see his site, Amigo Audio. Special thanks to amigo for processing the audio for this podcast. Download MP3 Length: 55 min. Dealing with information overload can be a huge stressor in life. Not only trying to keep up with the constant deluge of information that comes at you daily, but also managing that information in an organized way — so that you can find and implement it — can put your sanity in question. In this podcast, I talk with Ricardo Amigo, a translator in Costa Rica, about different ways to manage information overload. We cover a few of the following topics: Personal information management Keeping found things found Organizing by clips Organizing by wikis Other tools to deal with information overload Finding time to get things done Podcasts as a tool for keeping up Email jail Leadership in information overload To learn more about Ricardo Amigo, see his site, Amigo Audio. Special thanks to amigo for processing the audio for this podcast. Download MP3 Length: 55 min. Dealing with information overload can be a huge stressor in life. Not only trying to keep up with the constant deluge of information that comes at you daily, but also managing that information in an organized way — so that you can find and implement it — can put your sanity in question. In this podcast, I talk with Ricardo Amigo, a translator in Costa Rica, about different ways to manage information overload. We cover a few of the following topics: Personal information management Keeping found things found Organizing by clips Organizing by wikis Other tools to deal with information overload Finding time to get things done Podcasts as a tool for keeping up Email jail Leadership in information overload To learn more about Ricardo Amigo, see his site, Amigo Audio. Special thanks to amigo for processing the audio for this podcast. tag:odeo.com,2009-09-23,25171264 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:22:04 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Tech Writer Voices http://odeo.com/episodes/25025155-Podcast-with-Anne-Gentle-about-her-Conversation-and-Community-book Download MP3 Length: 40 min. As a follow-up to my review of Anne Gentle’s book, Conversation and Community: The Social Web for Documentation , I also interviewed her for a podcast. Now you can listen to Anne talk about some of the concepts in her book in a more personal way through the headphones of your iPod. In this 40 minute podcast, we cover questions such as the following: What’s the first step in connecting with your users? Why are wikis used more internally than externally? How can you build trust with users? What’s the 90-9-1 percent rule and how can you change the 1 percent part? What three steps can you follow for any strategy with social media? What is “read wear” and how can you make that content more visible? What happens when you break the listen-participate-share-then-lead model? How can you use Twitter into your documentation strategy? What mindset is antithetical to building conversations and communities with your users? Additional Reso... Download MP3 Length: 40 min. As a follow-up to my review of Anne Gentle’s book, Conversation and Community: The Social Web for Documentation , I also interviewed her for a podcast. Now you can listen to Anne talk about some of the concepts in her book in a more personal way through the headphones of your iPod. In this 40 minute podcast, we cover questions such as the following: What’s the first step in connecting with your users? Why are wikis used more internally than externally? How can you build trust with users? What’s the 90-9-1 percent rule and how can you change the 1 percent part? What three steps can you follow for any strategy with social media? What is “read wear” and how can you make that content more visible? What happens when you break the listen-participate-share-then-lead model? How can you use Twitter into your documentation strategy? What mindset is antithetical to building conversations and communities with your users? Additional Resources Companion site to Conversation and Community on XML Press Anne Gentle’s blog XML Press Tweets converted into T-shirt themes Posts about Participation Inequality (the 90-9-1 rule) Sarrah Maddox blog Stewart Mader Review by Jefro Review from Sarah Maddox. (Sarah’s post also lists other reviews.) To contact Anne, see the contact button on her blog, Just Write Click. Download MP3 Length: 40 min. As a follow-up to my review of Anne Gentle’s book, Conversation and Community: The Social Web for Documentation , I also interviewed her for a podcast. Now you can listen to Anne talk about some of the concepts in her book in a more personal way through the headphones of your iPod. In this 40 minute podcast, we cover questions such as the following: What’s the first step in connecting with your users? Why are wikis used more internally than externally? How can you build trust with users? What’s the 90-9-1 percent rule and how can you change the 1 percent part? What three steps can you follow for any strategy with social media? What is “read wear” and how can you make that content more visible? What happens when you break the listen-participate-share-then-lead model? How can you use Twitter into your documentation strategy? What mindset is antithetical to building conversations and communities with your users? Additional Resources Companion site to Conversation and Community on XML Press Anne Gentle’s blog XML Press Tweets converted into T-shirt themes Posts about Participation Inequality (the 90-9-1 rule) Sarrah Maddox blog Stewart Mader Review by Jefro Review from Sarah Maddox. (Sarah’s post also lists other reviews.) To contact Anne, see the contact button on her blog, Just Write Click. tag:odeo.com,2009-08-26,25025155 Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:39:41 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Web 2.0, twitter, Social networking, social media, conversation, Community, Tech Writer Voices, wikis, Stewart Mader, Anne Gentle, sarah maddox http://odeo.com/episodes/24965897-Carcast-Friday-Thoughts-on-Reading-Publish2-and-Writer-River Download MP3 Length: 25 min. I recorded a carcast on the way home this evening. In the carcast, I explain how I’ve changed Writer River to incorporate Publish2.com’s link sharing technology. Using Publish2, you add links to your blog, twitter account, and a technical communication newsgroup at the same time. Publish2 provides a robust platform for managing and publishing your links. I also talk about why I’m interested in Writer River and the purpose behind link blogging. Related Posts: Become a Link Journalist for Writer River My First Carcast: Driving Home from Vancouver After the Doc Train Conference New York Times Starts a "What We're Reading" Section Location is everything when it comes to getting information from SMEs — Carcast Podcast -- Blogging for Technical Communicators Webinar (Part 1) Download MP3 Length: 25 min. I recorded a carcast on the way home this evening. In the carcast, I explain how I’ve changed Writer River to incorporate Publish2.com’s link sharing technology. Using Publish2, you add links to your blog, twitter account, and a technical communication newsgroup at the same time. Publish2 provides a robust platform for managing and publishing your links. I also talk about why I’m interested in Writer River and the purpose behind link blogging. Related Posts: Become a Link Journalist for Writer River My First Carcast: Driving Home from Vancouver After the Doc Train Conference New York Times Starts a "What We're Reading" Section Location is everything when it comes to getting information from SMEs — Carcast Podcast -- Blogging for Technical Communicators Webinar (Part 1) Download MP3 Length: 25 min. I recorded a carcast on the way home this evening. In the carcast, I explain how I’ve changed Writer River to incorporate Publish2.com’s link sharing technology. Using Publish2, you add links to your blog, twitter account, and a technical communication newsgroup at the same time. Publish2 provides a robust platform for managing and publishing your links. I also talk about why I’m interested in Writer River and the purpose behind link blogging. Related Posts: Become a Link Journalist for Writer River My First Carcast: Driving Home from Vancouver After the Doc Train Conference New York Times Starts a "What We're Reading" Section Location is everything when it comes to getting information from SMEs — Carcast Podcast -- Blogging for Technical Communicators Webinar (Part 1) tag:odeo.com,2009-08-14,24965897 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:21:49 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts reading, Tech Writer Voices, carcast, publish2, link blogging, writer river http://odeo.com/episodes/24873894-Podcast-on-Content-Strategy-Interview-with-Rahel-Bailie Download MP3 Length: 50 min. In this podcast, Rahel Bailie, a content strategist from Vancouver, B.C., talks about content strategy in the context of technical communication. I briefly alluded to my conversation with Rahel in my post last week titled  Three Questions to Start Thinking Like a Content Strategist. In this podcast, Rahel goes into much more depth. Rahel starts by defining content strategy as a “repeatable process or methodology for managing your content within the entire content life cycle.” She says a content strategist analyzes who the users are, what they need, and how these needs fit with the the organization’s needs and goals. The content strategist uses this information to determine the architecture and interactions of the content as well as the model for implementation. To learn more about Rahel Bailie and content strategy, see her site, Intentional Design. Download MP3 Length: 50 min. In this podcast, Rahel Bailie, a content strategist from Vancouver, B.C., talks about content strategy in the context of technical communication. I briefly alluded to my conversation with Rahel in my post last week titled  Three Questions to Start Thinking Like a Content Strategist. In this podcast, Rahel goes into much more depth. Rahel starts by defining content strategy as a “repeatable process or methodology for managing your content within the entire content life cycle.” She says a content strategist analyzes who the users are, what they need, and how these needs fit with the the organization’s needs and goals. The content strategist uses this information to determine the architecture and interactions of the content as well as the model for implementation. To learn more about Rahel Bailie and content strategy, see her site, Intentional Design. Download MP3 Length: 50 min. In this podcast, Rahel Bailie, a content strategist from Vancouver, B.C., talks about content strategy in the context of technical communication. I briefly alluded to my conversation with Rahel in my post last week titled  Three Questions to Start Thinking Like a Content Strategist. In this podcast, Rahel goes into much more depth. Rahel starts by defining content strategy as a “repeatable process or methodology for managing your content within the entire content life cycle.” She says a content strategist analyzes who the users are, what they need, and how these needs fit with the the organization’s needs and goals. The content strategist uses this information to determine the architecture and interactions of the content as well as the model for implementation. To learn more about Rahel Bailie and content strategy, see her site, Intentional Design. tag:odeo.com,2009-07-27,24873894 Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:20:39 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts content management, Tech Writer Voices, Rahel Bailie, content strategy, user interaction http://odeo.com/episodes/24734358-Forms-that-Work-%E2%80%93-Interview-with-Caroline-Jarrett-podcast Download MP3 Length: 11 min. Forms that Work In this podcast, Caroline Jarret talks about her new book, Forms that Work: Designing Web Forms for Usability, which she co-authored with Gerry Gaffney. Forms she discusses go beyond merely the type of IRS forms you fill out at tax time. Every website usually has some online form to collect information from users, from registration information to subscription information to purchasing information. Caroline talks about the perceived value users must feel in order to part with their precious personal information. She explores why people dislike forms, and how companies can get around these dislikes to increase the usability of their forms, moving beyond appearance and layout and instead focusing more on relationships and conversation. See the companion website to Forms That Work. Buy Forms That Work: Designing web forms for usability from Amazon. Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Mark Logic Adobe Technical Communication Suite Do... Download MP3 Length: 11 min. Forms that Work In this podcast, Caroline Jarret talks about her new book, Forms that Work: Designing Web Forms for Usability, which she co-authored with Gerry Gaffney. Forms she discusses go beyond merely the type of IRS forms you fill out at tax time. Every website usually has some online form to collect information from users, from registration information to subscription information to purchasing information. Caroline talks about the perceived value users must feel in order to part with their precious personal information. She explores why people dislike forms, and how companies can get around these dislikes to increase the usability of their forms, moving beyond appearance and layout and instead focusing more on relationships and conversation. See the companion website to Forms That Work. Buy Forms That Work: Designing web forms for usability from Amazon. Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Mark Logic Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Simplifying Complexity Alma Loveland, Designer Snagit from TechSmith Download MP3 Length: 11 min. Forms that Work In this podcast, Caroline Jarret talks about her new book, Forms that Work: Designing Web Forms for Usability, which she co-authored with Gerry Gaffney. Forms she discusses go beyond merely the type of IRS forms you fill out at tax time. Every website usually has some online form to collect information from users, from registration information to subscription information to purchasing information. Caroline talks about the perceived value users must feel in order to part with their precious personal information. She explores why people dislike forms, and how companies can get around these dislikes to increase the usability of their forms, moving beyond appearance and layout and instead focusing more on relationships and conversation. See the companion website to Forms That Work. Buy Forms That Work: Designing web forms for usability from Amazon. Blog Sponsors Webworks Dr.Explain Scriptorium Mark Logic Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Simplifying Complexity Alma Loveland, Designer Snagit from TechSmith tag:odeo.com,2009-06-20,24734358 Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:37:30 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts usability, forms, Tech Writer Voices, web usability, stc conference, caroline jarrett http://odeo.com/episodes/24704123-Blogging-Podcasting-and-Screencasting-Eight-Characteristics-to-Attract-Devoted-Followers-Part-2 Download MP3 Length: 35 min. This is part II of the Blogging, Podcasting, and Screencasting presentation that I gave to the TransAlpine conference in Vienna in June 2009. For more details about the podcast, see the first write-up. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, listen to that first (unless you prefer to arrive en media res). Here’s the accompanying PowerPoint. If you’re wondering why I didn’t just combine the two audio files in the same post, iTunes doesn’t read the second audio file that way. Also, most people’s attention spans tend to time out after an hour. As always, I love to hear feedback, so if you enjoyed listening to the presentation, drop me a line or leave a comment. Thanks. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Alma Loveland, Designer Download MP3 Length: 35 min. This is part II of the Blogging, Podcasting, and Screencasting presentation that I gave to the TransAlpine conference in Vienna in June 2009. For more details about the podcast, see the first write-up. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, listen to that first (unless you prefer to arrive en media res). Here’s the accompanying PowerPoint. If you’re wondering why I didn’t just combine the two audio files in the same post, iTunes doesn’t read the second audio file that way. Also, most people’s attention spans tend to time out after an hour. As always, I love to hear feedback, so if you enjoyed listening to the presentation, drop me a line or leave a comment. Thanks. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Alma Loveland, Designer Download MP3 Length: 35 min. This is part II of the Blogging, Podcasting, and Screencasting presentation that I gave to the TransAlpine conference in Vienna in June 2009. For more details about the podcast, see the first write-up. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, listen to that first (unless you prefer to arrive en media res). Here’s the accompanying PowerPoint. If you’re wondering why I didn’t just combine the two audio files in the same post, iTunes doesn’t read the second audio file that way. Also, most people’s attention spans tend to time out after an hour. As always, I love to hear feedback, so if you enjoyed listening to the presentation, drop me a line or leave a comment. Thanks. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Alma Loveland, Designer tag:odeo.com,2009-06-14,24704123 Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:52:02 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Voice, Search Engine Optimization, vienna, interaction, Tech Writer Voices, Visibility, transalpine conference, casual subscribers, regularity, devoted followers http://odeo.com/episodes/24704124-Blogging-Podcasting-and-Screencasting-Eight-Characteristics-to-Attract-Devoted-Followers-Part-I Download MP3 Length: 50 min. This podcast is a recording of the Blogging, Podcasting, and Screencasting presentation that I gave to the TransAlpine conference in Vienna in June 2009. In the presentation, I explore what well-known bloggers, podcasters, and screencasters do to inspire readers to become devoted followers rather than just casual subscribers. Devoted followers stay updated with each new post, podcast, or screencast, eagerly awaiting the next new one. They’re intimately familiar with your content and either comment regularly or regularly return to your site. In contrast, casual subscribers may check out the site from time to time (if they even remember the title), but they feel no loyalty to the blogger/podcaster/screencaster. Months could pass without an update and they wouldn’t notice. Rather than explore blogs, podcasts, and screencasts as separate media with their own unique characteristics, I group them together and explore eight common characteristics th... Download MP3 Length: 50 min. This podcast is a recording of the Blogging, Podcasting, and Screencasting presentation that I gave to the TransAlpine conference in Vienna in June 2009. In the presentation, I explore what well-known bloggers, podcasters, and screencasters do to inspire readers to become devoted followers rather than just casual subscribers. Devoted followers stay updated with each new post, podcast, or screencast, eagerly awaiting the next new one. They’re intimately familiar with your content and either comment regularly or regularly return to your site. In contrast, casual subscribers may check out the site from time to time (if they even remember the title), but they feel no loyalty to the blogger/podcaster/screencaster. Months could pass without an update and they wouldn’t notice. Rather than explore blogs, podcasts, and screencasts as separate media with their own unique characteristics, I group them together and explore eight common characteristics that make blogs/podcasts/screencasts successful: relevance, story, appropriate revealing, voice, readability, visibility, interaction, and regularity. If you want to follow the PowerPoint, download it here. It’s not sync’ed with the audio, so you just have to guess where I am (but the PowerPoint is mostly visual anyway, since that’s my PowerPoint style). Also, because of the length (90 minutes overall), I divided the podcast into two parts. This is part 1. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Alma Loveland, Designer Download MP3 Length: 50 min. This podcast is a recording of the Blogging, Podcasting, and Screencasting presentation that I gave to the TransAlpine conference in Vienna in June 2009. In the presentation, I explore what well-known bloggers, podcasters, and screencasters do to inspire readers to become devoted followers rather than just casual subscribers. Devoted followers stay updated with each new post, podcast, or screencast, eagerly awaiting the next new one. They’re intimately familiar with your content and either comment regularly or regularly return to your site. In contrast, casual subscribers may check out the site from time to time (if they even remember the title), but they feel no loyalty to the blogger/podcaster/screencaster. Months could pass without an update and they wouldn’t notice. Rather than explore blogs, podcasts, and screencasts as separate media with their own unique characteristics, I group them together and explore eight common characteristics that make blogs/podcasts/screencasts successful: relevance, story, appropriate revealing, voice, readability, visibility, interaction, and regularity. If you want to follow the PowerPoint, download it here. It’s not sync’ed with the audio, so you just have to guess where I am (but the PowerPoint is mostly visual anyway, since that’s my PowerPoint style). Also, because of the length (90 minutes overall), I divided the podcast into two parts. This is part 1. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Alma Loveland, Designer tag:odeo.com,2009-06-14,24704124 Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:44:45 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Web 2.0, relevance, story, Voice, Search Engine Optimization, Focus, vienna, interaction, Tech Writer Voices, transparency, Visibility, casual subscribers, regularity, devoted followers, translapine http://odeo.com/episodes/24614378-Anne-Gentle-on-her-Forthcoming-Book-Conversation-and-Community-The-Social-Web-for-Documentation Download MP3 Length: 9 min. In this podcast, I talk with Anne Gentle about her forthcoming book, Conversation and Community: The Social Web for Documentation. Anne explains how we’ve transitioned from the Age of Information to the Age of Interaction, using social web tools to find the information we need. She builds on her experiences with One Laptop per Child, Book Sprints, and her experiences as a corporate blogger for BMC software. In her book, she talks about the future of documentation, the writer’s role, community and documentation, commenting and connecting with users, structured authoring with wikis, and more. The book will be published by mid-summer 2009. Keep updated about the release of Ann’s book by following her blog, JustWriteClick.com. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Alma Loveland, Designer Download MP3 Length: 9 min. In this podcast, I talk with Anne Gentle about her forthcoming book, Conversation and Community: The Social Web for Documentation. Anne explains how we’ve transitioned from the Age of Information to the Age of Interaction, using social web tools to find the information we need. She builds on her experiences with One Laptop per Child, Book Sprints, and her experiences as a corporate blogger for BMC software. In her book, she talks about the future of documentation, the writer’s role, community and documentation, commenting and connecting with users, structured authoring with wikis, and more. The book will be published by mid-summer 2009. Keep updated about the release of Ann’s book by following her blog, JustWriteClick.com. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Alma Loveland, Designer Download MP3 Length: 9 min. In this podcast, I talk with Anne Gentle about her forthcoming book, Conversation and Community: The Social Web for Documentation. Anne explains how we’ve transitioned from the Age of Information to the Age of Interaction, using social web tools to find the information we need. She builds on her experiences with One Laptop per Child, Book Sprints, and her experiences as a corporate blogger for BMC software. In her book, she talks about the future of documentation, the writer’s role, community and documentation, commenting and connecting with users, structured authoring with wikis, and more. The book will be published by mid-summer 2009. Keep updated about the release of Ann’s book by following her blog, JustWriteClick.com. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Alma Loveland, Designer tag:odeo.com,2009-05-27,24614378 Wed, 27 May 2009 06:00:39 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts interaction, social web, Tech Writer Voices, wikis, richard hamilton, structured authoring, xml press, Anne Gentle, age of information http://odeo.com/episodes/24608264-STC-Toronto%E2%80%99s-New-Five-and-Five-Chapter-Model Download MP3 Length: 26 min. In this podcast, I talk with Anna Parker Richards, incoming president of the STC Toronto chapter, about their event-driven chapter model, in which they replace regular meetings with periodic all-day events, charging between $50 to $150 per person. They haven’t entirely discarded meetings in favor of events, but have instead supplemented the events with social gatherings. Their new model, the Five and Five Model, has five events and five socials throughout the year. Each of their events has a specific focus, such as Career Day (targeted to students), a Tech Trends Evening, Education Day, Management Day, and an Annual General Meeting. If you’re looking to put new life into your chapter, try modeling your program after STC Toronto. Download MP3 Length: 26 min. In this podcast, I talk with Anna Parker Richards, incoming president of the STC Toronto chapter, about their event-driven chapter model, in which they replace regular meetings with periodic all-day events, charging between $50 to $150 per person. They haven’t entirely discarded meetings in favor of events, but have instead supplemented the events with social gatherings. Their new model, the Five and Five Model, has five events and five socials throughout the year. Each of their events has a specific focus, such as Career Day (targeted to students), a Tech Trends Evening, Education Day, Management Day, and an Annual General Meeting. If you’re looking to put new life into your chapter, try modeling your program after STC Toronto. Download MP3 Length: 26 min. In this podcast, I talk with Anna Parker Richards, incoming president of the STC Toronto chapter, about their event-driven chapter model, in which they replace regular meetings with periodic all-day events, charging between $50 to $150 per person. They haven’t entirely discarded meetings in favor of events, but have instead supplemented the events with social gatherings. Their new model, the Five and Five Model, has five events and five socials throughout the year. Each of their events has a specific focus, such as Career Day (targeted to students), a Tech Trends Evening, Education Day, Management Day, and an Annual General Meeting. If you’re looking to put new life into your chapter, try modeling your program after STC Toronto. tag:odeo.com,2009-05-25,24608264 Mon, 25 May 2009 21:19:59 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts president, Dead, toronto, Tech Writer Voices, STC, enthusiasm http://odeo.com/episodes/24608265-Richard-Hamilton%E2%80%99s-XML-Press-Imprint Download MP3 Length: 9 min. In this podcast, I talk with Richard Hamilton about his new publishing imprint, XML Press. Richard started XML Press to serve the needs of technical communicators, publishing books on topics that may not get traction from large publishing houses due to the limited audience, but which perfectly fit the smaller, niche technical communication audience. Focusing on practical topics that technical communicators can use to improve their jobs, XML Press already has three books available: Managing Writers: A Real World Guide to Managing Technical Documentation, by Richard Hamilton Wiki: Grow Your Own for Fun and Profit, by Alan L. Porter Conversation and Community: The Social Web for Documentation, by Ann Gentle (coming out soon) Richard is looking for topics related to technical communication and XML. If you’re looking to write a book on technical communication, be sure to check out XML Press. Richard also has a blog called Managing Writers. Blog Sponsors Script... Download MP3 Length: 9 min. In this podcast, I talk with Richard Hamilton about his new publishing imprint, XML Press. Richard started XML Press to serve the needs of technical communicators, publishing books on topics that may not get traction from large publishing houses due to the limited audience, but which perfectly fit the smaller, niche technical communication audience. Focusing on practical topics that technical communicators can use to improve their jobs, XML Press already has three books available: Managing Writers: A Real World Guide to Managing Technical Documentation, by Richard Hamilton Wiki: Grow Your Own for Fun and Profit, by Alan L. Porter Conversation and Community: The Social Web for Documentation, by Ann Gentle (coming out soon) Richard is looking for topics related to technical communication and XML. If you’re looking to write a book on technical communication, be sure to check out XML Press. Richard also has a blog called Managing Writers. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Alma Loveland, Designer Download MP3 Length: 9 min. In this podcast, I talk with Richard Hamilton about his new publishing imprint, XML Press. Richard started XML Press to serve the needs of technical communicators, publishing books on topics that may not get traction from large publishing houses due to the limited audience, but which perfectly fit the smaller, niche technical communication audience. Focusing on practical topics that technical communicators can use to improve their jobs, XML Press already has three books available: Managing Writers: A Real World Guide to Managing Technical Documentation, by Richard Hamilton Wiki: Grow Your Own for Fun and Profit, by Alan L. Porter Conversation and Community: The Social Web for Documentation, by Ann Gentle (coming out soon) Richard is looking for topics related to technical communication and XML. If you’re looking to write a book on technical communication, be sure to check out XML Press. Richard also has a blog called Managing Writers. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Alma Loveland, Designer tag:odeo.com,2009-05-25,24608265 Mon, 25 May 2009 20:51:45 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Publishing, Tech Writer Voices, richard hamilton, Alan Porter, xml press, Anne Gentle, technical communicators http://odeo.com/episodes/24594443-Converting-Readers-from-Casual-Subscribers-to-Devoted-Followers Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 14 min. At the STC Summit, I ran into someone from Australia who follows my wife’s blog fairly regularly and had even brought gifts for her and the kids. It made me reflect on blog subscribers, and how you convert readers from being occasional readers to devoted fans. In this podcast, Kirsty Taylor talks about what she finds appealing about Seagull Fountain (my wife’s blog) and other blogs she follows. Kirsty explains that, for her, blogs become powerful when they speak to her heart, make her reflect, and reveal authentically from the blogger’s life in an appropriate way. We also talk about transparency, authenticity, the use of pseudonyms, the portrayal of reality, and the importance of making personal connections. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 14 min. At the STC Summit, I ran into someone from Australia who follows my wife’s blog fairly regularly and had even brought gifts for her and the kids. It made me reflect on blog subscribers, and how you convert readers from being occasional readers to devoted fans. In this podcast, Kirsty Taylor talks about what she finds appealing about Seagull Fountain (my wife’s blog) and other blogs she follows. Kirsty explains that, for her, blogs become powerful when they speak to her heart, make her reflect, and reveal authentically from the blogger’s life in an appropriate way. We also talk about transparency, authenticity, the use of pseudonyms, the portrayal of reality, and the importance of making personal connections. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 14 min. At the STC Summit, I ran into someone from Australia who follows my wife’s blog fairly regularly and had even brought gifts for her and the kids. It made me reflect on blog subscribers, and how you convert readers from being occasional readers to devoted fans. In this podcast, Kirsty Taylor talks about what she finds appealing about Seagull Fountain (my wife’s blog) and other blogs she follows. Kirsty explains that, for her, blogs become powerful when they speak to her heart, make her reflect, and reveal authentically from the blogger’s life in an appropriate way. We also talk about transparency, authenticity, the use of pseudonyms, the portrayal of reality, and the importance of making personal connections. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity tag:odeo.com,2009-05-21,24594443 Thu, 21 May 2009 21:36:58 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Blogging, Authenticity, Tech Writer Voices, transparency, followers http://odeo.com/episodes/24586533-Madcap%E2%80%99s-Flare-DITA-Solution-podcast Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 7 min. In this podcast, Mike Hamilton of Madcap Software talks about their phased approach to handling DITA with Flare. In Phase I, you’ll have the ability to import DITA topics and export to webhelp and other targets. In this sense, Flare functions as a transform engine. In Phase 2, you can use Flare for native DITA authoring. Phase 1 is on the cusp of release, but Phase II won’t be available until quarter one of next year. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Microtype Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 7 min. In this podcast, Mike Hamilton of Madcap Software talks about their phased approach to handling DITA with Flare. In Phase I, you’ll have the ability to import DITA topics and export to webhelp and other targets. In this sense, Flare functions as a transform engine. In Phase 2, you can use Flare for native DITA authoring. Phase 1 is on the cusp of release, but Phase II won’t be available until quarter one of next year. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Microtype Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 7 min. In this podcast, Mike Hamilton of Madcap Software talks about their phased approach to handling DITA with Flare. In Phase I, you’ll have the ability to import DITA topics and export to webhelp and other targets. In this sense, Flare functions as a transform engine. In Phase 2, you can use Flare for native DITA authoring. Phase 1 is on the cusp of release, but Phase II won’t be available until quarter one of next year. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Microtype tag:odeo.com,2009-05-20,24586533 Wed, 20 May 2009 06:00:07 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Tech Writer Voices, MadCap Software, Flare, Mike Hamilton, DITA http://odeo.com/episodes/24589585-The-State-of-Structured-Authoring-in-Technical-Communication-podcast Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 11 min. In this podcast, Sarah O’Keefe of Scriptorium Publishing explains the results of their recent survey about the state of structured authoring in technical communication. In the survey, they found that 84% of respondents are either thinking of moving to structured authoring, are in the process of moving to structured authoring, have already adopted structured authoring, or are undecided. Only 16% of respondents said they were not moving to structured authoring. She also discusses other survey results, such as the adoption of DITA and mistakes people make in moving to structured authoring. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Microtype Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 11 min. In this podcast, Sarah O’Keefe of Scriptorium Publishing explains the results of their recent survey about the state of structured authoring in technical communication. In the survey, they found that 84% of respondents are either thinking of moving to structured authoring, are in the process of moving to structured authoring, have already adopted structured authoring, or are undecided. Only 16% of respondents said they were not moving to structured authoring. She also discusses other survey results, such as the adoption of DITA and mistakes people make in moving to structured authoring. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Microtype Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 11 min. In this podcast, Sarah O’Keefe of Scriptorium Publishing explains the results of their recent survey about the state of structured authoring in technical communication. In the survey, they found that 84% of respondents are either thinking of moving to structured authoring, are in the process of moving to structured authoring, have already adopted structured authoring, or are undecided. Only 16% of respondents said they were not moving to structured authoring. She also discusses other survey results, such as the adoption of DITA and mistakes people make in moving to structured authoring. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Microtype tag:odeo.com,2009-05-19,24589585 Tue, 19 May 2009 22:16:53 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Tech Writer Voices, DITA, Sarah O'Keefe, structured authoring, scriptorium http://odeo.com/episodes/24571955-John-Hedtke-on-Disaster-Preparedness-and-Book-Publishing Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 9 min. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Disaster Preparedness is John Hedtke’s latest book—the 26th book he’s written. In it, Hedtke explains that although most people think disasters are only major catastrophes, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, or floods, actually a disaster occurs whenever your needs exceed your resources and your ability to respond, and the normal processes of your life are disrupted. In this interview, I also ask John about book publishing—what his writing routine is, what advice he has for writers, and what keeps him motivated. See John Hedtke’s site. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Microtype Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 9 min. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Disaster Preparedness is John Hedtke’s latest book—the 26th book he’s written. In it, Hedtke explains that although most people think disasters are only major catastrophes, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, or floods, actually a disaster occurs whenever your needs exceed your resources and your ability to respond, and the normal processes of your life are disrupted. In this interview, I also ask John about book publishing—what his writing routine is, what advice he has for writers, and what keeps him motivated. See John Hedtke’s site. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Microtype Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 9 min. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Disaster Preparedness is John Hedtke’s latest book—the 26th book he’s written. In it, Hedtke explains that although most people think disasters are only major catastrophes, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, or floods, actually a disaster occurs whenever your needs exceed your resources and your ability to respond, and the normal processes of your life are disrupted. In this interview, I also ask John about book publishing—what his writing routine is, what advice he has for writers, and what keeps him motivated. See John Hedtke’s site. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Microtype tag:odeo.com,2009-05-16,24571955 Sat, 16 May 2009 21:19:02 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts book publishing, Disasters, Tech Writer Voices, Preparedness, john hedtke http://odeo.com/episodes/24561164-GUI-Magnets-%E2%80%94-Prototyping-User-Interfaces-with-Simple-Magnets GUI Mags Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 6 min. GuiMags was a vendor booth at the STC Summit that caught my attention. I’m often running into people who want me to create WordPress templates to match their websites. Creating these templates is somewhat tedious for me, and it can take 1-2 days of work and haggling with CSS to get it to look right. These GuiMags guys gave me a glimpse at a simpler model. GuiMags (graphical user interface magnets) provides a quick way to prototype software interfaces and websites without having to step into code. You can work with a customer to get the basic features and design using simple magnets on a grid board, making changes immediately in meetings with customers. After you settle on a design, you can then outsource the labor to international developers to create the templates cheaply. You don’t even have to touch a computer to create prototypes. To learn more about the GuiMags, see GuiMags.com... GUI Mags Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 6 min. GuiMags was a vendor booth at the STC Summit that caught my attention. I’m often running into people who want me to create WordPress templates to match their websites. Creating these templates is somewhat tedious for me, and it can take 1-2 days of work and haggling with CSS to get it to look right. These GuiMags guys gave me a glimpse at a simpler model. GuiMags (graphical user interface magnets) provides a quick way to prototype software interfaces and websites without having to step into code. You can work with a customer to get the basic features and design using simple magnets on a grid board, making changes immediately in meetings with customers. After you settle on a design, you can then outsource the labor to international developers to create the templates cheaply. You don’t even have to touch a computer to create prototypes. To learn more about the GuiMags, see GuiMags.com. Picture of me and Efraim Meulenberg of GuiMags Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Chicago Doc Train DITA, Indianapolis Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity The Conference for Software User Assistance Soundsoap from BIAS Microtype GUI Mags Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 6 min. GuiMags was a vendor booth at the STC Summit that caught my attention. I’m often running into people who want me to create WordPress templates to match their websites. Creating these templates is somewhat tedious for me, and it can take 1-2 days of work and haggling with CSS to get it to look right. These GuiMags guys gave me a glimpse at a simpler model. GuiMags (graphical user interface magnets) provides a quick way to prototype software interfaces and websites without having to step into code. You can work with a customer to get the basic features and design using simple magnets on a grid board, making changes immediately in meetings with customers. After you settle on a design, you can then outsource the labor to international developers to create the templates cheaply. You don’t even have to touch a computer to create prototypes. To learn more about the GuiMags, see GuiMags.com. Picture of me and Efraim Meulenberg of GuiMags Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Chicago Doc Train DITA, Indianapolis Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity The Conference for Software User Assistance Soundsoap from BIAS Microtype tag:odeo.com,2009-05-13,24561164 Wed, 13 May 2009 21:54:58 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Web 2.0, Tech Writer Voices, web design, GUI magnets http://odeo.com/episodes/24561173-James-Bond-The-History-of-the-Illustrated-007-Podcast-with-Alan-Porter James Bond: The History of the Illustrated 007 Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 7 min. James Bond: The History of the Illustrated 007 is Alan Porter’s latest book. Alan Porter is vice president of Operations at Webworks, and I’ve interviewed him before about their extensive use of wikis. Obviously James Bond isn’t a person that comes to mind when we think of technical communicators, but Alan explains  the appeal of the Bond character from a technical writer’s perspective. I had the chance to flip through the James Bond book at the STC Summit bookstore, and I was impressed by the quality. Full color pages, large format, insightful commentary on each page. This book would make an interesting read, especially given the longstanding appeal of Bond in comics, novels, and movies. Buy James Bond: The History of the Illustrated 007 from Amazon. View Alan Porter’s blog Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Chi... James Bond: The History of the Illustrated 007 Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 7 min. James Bond: The History of the Illustrated 007 is Alan Porter’s latest book. Alan Porter is vice president of Operations at Webworks, and I’ve interviewed him before about their extensive use of wikis. Obviously James Bond isn’t a person that comes to mind when we think of technical communicators, but Alan explains  the appeal of the Bond character from a technical writer’s perspective. I had the chance to flip through the James Bond book at the STC Summit bookstore, and I was impressed by the quality. Full color pages, large format, insightful commentary on each page. This book would make an interesting read, especially given the longstanding appeal of Bond in comics, novels, and movies. Buy James Bond: The History of the Illustrated 007 from Amazon. View Alan Porter’s blog Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Chicago Doc Train DITA, Indianapolis Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity The Conference for Software User Assistance Soundsoap from BIAS Microtype James Bond: The History of the Illustrated 007 Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 7 min. James Bond: The History of the Illustrated 007 is Alan Porter’s latest book. Alan Porter is vice president of Operations at Webworks, and I’ve interviewed him before about their extensive use of wikis. Obviously James Bond isn’t a person that comes to mind when we think of technical communicators, but Alan explains  the appeal of the Bond character from a technical writer’s perspective. I had the chance to flip through the James Bond book at the STC Summit bookstore, and I was impressed by the quality. Full color pages, large format, insightful commentary on each page. This book would make an interesting read, especially given the longstanding appeal of Bond in comics, novels, and movies. Buy James Bond: The History of the Illustrated 007 from Amazon. View Alan Porter’s blog Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Chicago Doc Train DITA, Indianapolis Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity The Conference for Software User Assistance Soundsoap from BIAS Microtype tag:odeo.com,2009-05-11,24561173 Mon, 11 May 2009 21:23:49 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Comic Books, Comics, james bond, Tech Writer Voices, WebWorks, 007, Alan Porter http://odeo.com/episodes/24561174-Ginny-Redish-%E2%80%94-Letting-Go-of-the-Words-Podcast-Interview-at-STC-Summit Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 8 min. Ginny Redish -- Letting Go of the Words Ginny Redish has just written a new book, Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works. I had a chance to meet up with Ginny at the STC Summit and interviewed her briefly about her new book. Redish told me,  “Every use of your website is a conversation started by the site visitor.” Here’s an extended description: People come to web sites for the content — for the information that answers their questions and lets them complete their tasks. In Letting Go of the Words, Ginny Redish provides easy-to-read guidelines with many full-color examples to help you plan, organize, write, and revise web content so that it is easy to find and easy to use. You can buy the book here. It really is in full color with a lot of attractive diagrams and illustrations. I haven’t read it yet, but the writing-as-conversation metaphor is appealing. T... Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 8 min. Ginny Redish -- Letting Go of the Words Ginny Redish has just written a new book, Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works. I had a chance to meet up with Ginny at the STC Summit and interviewed her briefly about her new book. Redish told me,  “Every use of your website is a conversation started by the site visitor.” Here’s an extended description: People come to web sites for the content — for the information that answers their questions and lets them complete their tasks. In Letting Go of the Words, Ginny Redish provides easy-to-read guidelines with many full-color examples to help you plan, organize, write, and revise web content so that it is easy to find and easy to use. You can buy the book here. It really is in full color with a lot of attractive diagrams and illustrations. I haven’t read it yet, but the writing-as-conversation metaphor is appealing. The basic idea, I believe, is to anticipate the reader’s questions and then construct your writing as a response. This type of writing focuses you on your audience and gets you thinking about the specific questions, concerns, issues, and other problems your users might have. Each sentence you write should somehow answers those questions — you construct the conversation. Sounds like a brilliant technique, though I’ve never fully implemented it. More Resources about Ginny Redish and Letting Go of the Words Other interviews about Letting Go of the Words Ginny’s blog listing articles related to the book Ginny Redish’s website Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Chicago Doc Train DITA, Indianapolis Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity The Conference for Software User Assistance Soundsoap from BIAS Microtype Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 8 min. Ginny Redish -- Letting Go of the Words Ginny Redish has just written a new book, Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works. I had a chance to meet up with Ginny at the STC Summit and interviewed her briefly about her new book. Redish told me,  “Every use of your website is a conversation started by the site visitor.” Here’s an extended description: People come to web sites for the content — for the information that answers their questions and lets them complete their tasks. In Letting Go of the Words, Ginny Redish provides easy-to-read guidelines with many full-color examples to help you plan, organize, write, and revise web content so that it is easy to find and easy to use. You can buy the book here. It really is in full color with a lot of attractive diagrams and illustrations. I haven’t read it yet, but the writing-as-conversation metaphor is appealing. The basic idea, I believe, is to anticipate the reader’s questions and then construct your writing as a response. This type of writing focuses you on your audience and gets you thinking about the specific questions, concerns, issues, and other problems your users might have. Each sentence you write should somehow answers those questions — you construct the conversation. Sounds like a brilliant technique, though I’ve never fully implemented it. More Resources about Ginny Redish and Letting Go of the Words Other interviews about Letting Go of the Words Ginny’s blog listing articles related to the book Ginny Redish’s website Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Chicago Doc Train DITA, Indianapolis Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity The Conference for Software User Assistance Soundsoap from BIAS Microtype tag:odeo.com,2009-05-05,24561174 Tue, 05 May 2009 19:58:06 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts web, conversation, Tech Writer Voices, Letting Go of the Words, Ginny Redish, concision http://odeo.com/episodes/24354457-Introduction-to-Technical-Writing-podcast Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 43 min. In this podcast, I talk with Ricardo Amigo, a translator and podcaster in Mexico City and Costa Rica, about the field of technical writing. This podcast is more of a reverse interview. Instead of me asking the questions, Ricardo interviews me. The general topic is the field of technical writing, including all of the following: My path into technical writing Structured authoring XML and DITA Information architecture Usability — for documentation and software interfaces Publication formats for help material Breaking into technical writing Tools for help authoring The growth of technical writing Creativity and technical writing A typical day as a technical writer Translation techniques and tools Simplified technical English Ricardo’s company is called Amigo Audio, and they principally do translation. For example, if you need your manual or software interface translated, Amigo Audio can help. Y... Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 43 min. In this podcast, I talk with Ricardo Amigo, a translator and podcaster in Mexico City and Costa Rica, about the field of technical writing. This podcast is more of a reverse interview. Instead of me asking the questions, Ricardo interviews me. The general topic is the field of technical writing, including all of the following: My path into technical writing Structured authoring XML and DITA Information architecture Usability — for documentation and software interfaces Publication formats for help material Breaking into technical writing Tools for help authoring The growth of technical writing Creativity and technical writing A typical day as a technical writer Translation techniques and tools Simplified technical English Ricardo’s company is called Amigo Audio, and they principally do translation. For example, if you need your manual or software interface translated, Amigo Audio can help. You can contact Ricardo Amigo at sinpapel@yahoo.com. Additionally, you can read more about their translation services at Amigo Audio. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity WritersUA Conference Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 43 min. In this podcast, I talk with Ricardo Amigo, a translator and podcaster in Mexico City and Costa Rica, about the field of technical writing. This podcast is more of a reverse interview. Instead of me asking the questions, Ricardo interviews me. The general topic is the field of technical writing, including all of the following: My path into technical writing Structured authoring XML and DITA Information architecture Usability — for documentation and software interfaces Publication formats for help material Breaking into technical writing Tools for help authoring The growth of technical writing Creativity and technical writing A typical day as a technical writer Translation techniques and tools Simplified technical English Ricardo’s company is called Amigo Audio, and they principally do translation. For example, if you need your manual or software interface translated, Amigo Audio can help. You can contact Ricardo Amigo at sinpapel@yahoo.com. Additionally, you can read more about their translation services at Amigo Audio. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity WritersUA Conference tag:odeo.com,2009-03-24,24354457 Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:00:33 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Technology, flash, tools, usability, creativity, xml, Tech Writer Voices, information architecture, formats, DITA, e-book readers, WordPress.tv, growth rate, structured authoring, Webhelp, mailchimp http://odeo.com/episodes/24349926-Managing-Writers-Interview-with-Richard-Hamilton-podcast Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 35 min. Managing Writers Richard Hamilton is the author of Managing Writers: A Real World Guide to Managing Technical Documentation. His book, published in 2009, is one of the few books written specifically for managers that addresses the diversity of issues that managers face today – everything from hiring and firing to motivating, metrics, outsourcing, localization, content management, and more. Richard describes the book as follows: Managing Writers is a practical guide to managing technical documentation projects in the real world. It is informal, but concise, using examples from the author’s experience working with and managing technical writers. It looks beyond big project, big team methodologies to the issues faced by smaller, less well-funded projects. I actually met Richard Hamilton at Doc Train West 2008. At the time, he was still writing his book, but he handed me a brochure describing the boo... Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 35 min. Managing Writers Richard Hamilton is the author of Managing Writers: A Real World Guide to Managing Technical Documentation. His book, published in 2009, is one of the few books written specifically for managers that addresses the diversity of issues that managers face today – everything from hiring and firing to motivating, metrics, outsourcing, localization, content management, and more. Richard describes the book as follows: Managing Writers is a practical guide to managing technical documentation projects in the real world. It is informal, but concise, using examples from the author’s experience working with and managing technical writers. It looks beyond big project, big team methodologies to the issues faced by smaller, less well-funded projects. I actually met Richard Hamilton at Doc Train West 2008. At the time, he was still writing his book, but he handed me a brochure describing the book title and its contents. I’m glad to see that some months after our conversation, he published it. A few weeks ago, Richard sent me a review copy, so I decided to interview him for a podcast. In our conversation, we cover the following: Hiring and firing employees What to look for in resumes Danger points in interviews Motivating your team Rating and ranking Overcoming differences about tools Measuring success with metrics The importance of documentation plans Getting involved early in the software development process Ensuring proper allocation and balance across your team Evaluating whether writers need managers For more information, see Richard Hamilton’s book, Managing Writers. You can also read Richard Hamilton’s blog. He has made a sample chapter available here: What Doc Managers Look for in a Resume. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity WritersUA Conference Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 35 min. Managing Writers Richard Hamilton is the author of Managing Writers: A Real World Guide to Managing Technical Documentation. His book, published in 2009, is one of the few books written specifically for managers that addresses the diversity of issues that managers face today – everything from hiring and firing to motivating, metrics, outsourcing, localization, content management, and more. Richard describes the book as follows: Managing Writers is a practical guide to managing technical documentation projects in the real world. It is informal, but concise, using examples from the author’s experience working with and managing technical writers. It looks beyond big project, big team methodologies to the issues faced by smaller, less well-funded projects. I actually met Richard Hamilton at Doc Train West 2008. At the time, he was still writing his book, but he handed me a brochure describing the book title and its contents. I’m glad to see that some months after our conversation, he published it. A few weeks ago, Richard sent me a review copy, so I decided to interview him for a podcast. In our conversation, we cover the following: Hiring and firing employees What to look for in resumes Danger points in interviews Motivating your team Rating and ranking Overcoming differences about tools Measuring success with metrics The importance of documentation plans Getting involved early in the software development process Ensuring proper allocation and balance across your team Evaluating whether writers need managers For more information, see Richard Hamilton’s book, Managing Writers. You can also read Richard Hamilton’s blog. He has made a sample chapter available here: What Doc Managers Look for in a Resume. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity WritersUA Conference tag:odeo.com,2009-03-23,24349926 Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:13:38 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts hiring, management, Resumes, motivation, Tech Writer Voices, metrics, doc train west, Ranking, firing, software development process, richard hamilton, managing writers http://odeo.com/episodes/24308943-Jane%E2%80%99s-Presentation-Twitter-for-Business-podcast Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 20 min. Last week Jane presented on Twitter to a group of business students at Brigham Young University — Provo. This podcast is a recording of her presentation. For more information (beyond the podcast), see her online handout. Twitter for Business Resources about Jane Jane’s blog: http://whataboutmomblog.com Jane on Twitter: http://twitter.com/whataboutmom Jane’s email: whataboutmom@gmail.com Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity WritersUA Conference Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 20 min. Last week Jane presented on Twitter to a group of business students at Brigham Young University — Provo. This podcast is a recording of her presentation. For more information (beyond the podcast), see her online handout. Twitter for Business Resources about Jane Jane’s blog: http://whataboutmomblog.com Jane on Twitter: http://twitter.com/whataboutmom Jane’s email: whataboutmom@gmail.com Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity WritersUA Conference Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 20 min. Last week Jane presented on Twitter to a group of business students at Brigham Young University — Provo. This podcast is a recording of her presentation. For more information (beyond the podcast), see her online handout. Twitter for Business Resources about Jane Jane’s blog: http://whataboutmomblog.com Jane on Twitter: http://twitter.com/whataboutmom Jane’s email: whataboutmom@gmail.com Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity WritersUA Conference tag:odeo.com,2009-03-15,24308943 Sun, 15 Mar 2009 13:29:45 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Blogging, Tech Writer Voices http://odeo.com/episodes/24238387-Podcast-%E2%80%94-Blogging-for-Technical-Communicators-Webinar-Part-2 Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 40 min. This is the second half of the Blogging for Technical Communicators webinar that I gave to the STC-Rocky Mountain chapter on February 19, 2009. Note: Make sure you listen to Part 1 first. Otherwise you’ll come into this podcast in media res. Topics covered in this half of the podcast include the following: How Your Audience Consumes Blog Information Key Elements of Blog Appeal: Story, Voice, Transparency, Honesty Making the 652 Posts Findable on Your Blog Comments — and What to Do With Them What Happens to You When You Blog Questions Everyone Asks About WordPress Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks WritersUA Microtype: Framemaker and Acrobat Web-based Training Simplifying Complexity: Information and Resources from VanArsdall InfoDesign” Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 40 min. This is the second half of the Blogging for Technical Communicators webinar that I gave to the STC-Rocky Mountain chapter on February 19, 2009. Note: Make sure you listen to Part 1 first. Otherwise you’ll come into this podcast in media res. Topics covered in this half of the podcast include the following: How Your Audience Consumes Blog Information Key Elements of Blog Appeal: Story, Voice, Transparency, Honesty Making the 652 Posts Findable on Your Blog Comments — and What to Do With Them What Happens to You When You Blog Questions Everyone Asks About WordPress Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks WritersUA Microtype: Framemaker and Acrobat Web-based Training Simplifying Complexity: Information and Resources from VanArsdall InfoDesign” Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 40 min. This is the second half of the Blogging for Technical Communicators webinar that I gave to the STC-Rocky Mountain chapter on February 19, 2009. Note: Make sure you listen to Part 1 first. Otherwise you’ll come into this podcast in media res. Topics covered in this half of the podcast include the following: How Your Audience Consumes Blog Information Key Elements of Blog Appeal: Story, Voice, Transparency, Honesty Making the 652 Posts Findable on Your Blog Comments — and What to Do With Them What Happens to You When You Blog Questions Everyone Asks About WordPress Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks WritersUA Microtype: Framemaker and Acrobat Web-based Training Simplifying Complexity: Information and Resources from VanArsdall InfoDesign” tag:odeo.com,2009-03-03,24238387 Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:02:45 -0800 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts story, Comments, Voice, audience, wordpress, Tech Writer Voices, transparency, Visibility http://odeo.com/episodes/24238390-Podcast-%E2%80%94-Blogging-for-Technical-Communicators-Webinar-Part-1 Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 30 min. This podcast is a recording of the Blogging for Technical Communicators webinar that I gave to the STC-Rocky Mountain chapter on February 19, 2009. I split the recording into two parts due to length. This first half covers the following four topics: The Blog as an Expected Format Why Bother to Blog? Search Engine Optimization: The #1 Perceived Value of Blogging The Most Difficult Part of Blogging: Generating Content Regularly Note: After you listen to Part 1, be sure to continue to Part 2. Links Mentioned in the Webinar At some point during the webinar (either first or second part) I mentioned the following sites. Here are links to each: Writer River All in One SEO pack WordPress plugin Self-hosted WordPress Freely hosted WordPress Sharon Burton’s Blog Twitter Digg Stumble Upon Delicious WordPress Consulting Whataboutmomblog.com Zyblog Social plugin John Hewitt’s Poewar.com Erasmus WordPres... Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 30 min. This podcast is a recording of the Blogging for Technical Communicators webinar that I gave to the STC-Rocky Mountain chapter on February 19, 2009. I split the recording into two parts due to length. This first half covers the following four topics: The Blog as an Expected Format Why Bother to Blog? Search Engine Optimization: The #1 Perceived Value of Blogging The Most Difficult Part of Blogging: Generating Content Regularly Note: After you listen to Part 1, be sure to continue to Part 2. Links Mentioned in the Webinar At some point during the webinar (either first or second part) I mentioned the following sites. Here are links to each: Writer River All in One SEO pack WordPress plugin Self-hosted WordPress Freely hosted WordPress Sharon Burton’s Blog Twitter Digg Stumble Upon Delicious WordPress Consulting Whataboutmomblog.com Zyblog Social plugin John Hewitt’s Poewar.com Erasmus WordPress Weekly Google Reader Twitterfeed Feedburner Penelope Trunk, The Brazen Careerist, “How to build a career as an artist” Poewar’s series on his career as a technical communicator Webworks Lorelle.wordpress.com Akismet The Content Wrangler What would Seth Godin do plugin ITauthor podcast Where to find cool looking WordPress themes What plugins to use Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks WritersUA Microtype: Framemaker and Acrobat Web-based Training Simplifying Complexity: Information and Resources from VanArsdall InfoDesign” Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 30 min. This podcast is a recording of the Blogging for Technical Communicators webinar that I gave to the STC-Rocky Mountain chapter on February 19, 2009. I split the recording into two parts due to length. This first half covers the following four topics: The Blog as an Expected Format Why Bother to Blog? Search Engine Optimization: The #1 Perceived Value of Blogging The Most Difficult Part of Blogging: Generating Content Regularly Note: After you listen to Part 1, be sure to continue to Part 2. Links Mentioned in the Webinar At some point during the webinar (either first or second part) I mentioned the following sites. Here are links to each: Writer River All in One SEO pack WordPress plugin Self-hosted WordPress Freely hosted WordPress Sharon Burton’s Blog Twitter Digg Stumble Upon Delicious WordPress Consulting Whataboutmomblog.com Zyblog Social plugin John Hewitt’s Poewar.com Erasmus WordPress Weekly Google Reader Twitterfeed Feedburner Penelope Trunk, The Brazen Careerist, “How to build a career as an artist” Poewar’s series on his career as a technical communicator Webworks Lorelle.wordpress.com Akismet The Content Wrangler What would Seth Godin do plugin ITauthor podcast Where to find cool looking WordPress themes What plugins to use Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks WritersUA Microtype: Framemaker and Acrobat Web-based Training Simplifying Complexity: Information and Resources from VanArsdall InfoDesign” tag:odeo.com,2009-03-03,24238390 Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:55:47 -0800 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Blogging, Search Engine Optimization, SEO, Tech Writer Voices, content generation http://odeo.com/episodes/24608266-Emotional-States-of-Computer-Users-in-Times-of-Frustration The other day I came home to find Jane rather frustrated at the computer. She’d just ordered $40 worth of books from Half.com, but realized — two weeks after completing the order — that they were sent to an old email address with an unknown shipping address. The half.com address was apparently a Windows Live ID, but she couldn’t remember any login information about it, nor could she retrieve the password, so she was having a terrible time. Frustration I had a video camera handy and recorded the experience because I believe that as help authors, we too frequently forget the state of mind of computer users when they need help. Her typing becomes more rapid and hurried. Little things around her (for example, her children, cookies) become more annoying and increase her stress level. She types away in disbelief and seems to keep trying the same thing over and over. Nothing on the help screen indicates that there’s an answer to her problem. She shakes her hea... The other day I came home to find Jane rather frustrated at the computer. She’d just ordered $40 worth of books from Half.com, but realized — two weeks after completing the order — that they were sent to an old email address with an unknown shipping address. The half.com address was apparently a Windows Live ID, but she couldn’t remember any login information about it, nor could she retrieve the password, so she was having a terrible time. Frustration I had a video camera handy and recorded the experience because I believe that as help authors, we too frequently forget the state of mind of computer users when they need help. Her typing becomes more rapid and hurried. Little things around her (for example, her children, cookies) become more annoying and increase her stress level. She types away in disbelief and seems to keep trying the same thing over and over. Nothing on the help screen indicates that there’s an answer to her problem. She shakes her head every now and then. She’s tense. She repeatedly jerks her head. She looks up and squeezes her hands. She’s running out of options. She throws things. The littlest disturbances set her off. Her stress level continues to escalate. In moments like these, what might she do for help? Search for it? Click a relevant-looking help button? Call tech support? Call me? Yell at someone? If there’s one undeniable characteristic of the frustrated computer user, it’s that her patience is gone. She will not be slowly flipping through the  user manual. Notice her jerky movements. If she turns to the help (which she doesn’t here), she’ll search for keywords, skim rapidly, click quickly from topic to topic. She’ll look for topics with clear flags for help – “Troubleshooting Passwords,” “Can’t Remember Your Login?”, “Stuck? Click Here,” etc. She won’t give any help page but 2-3 seconds of a glance to see if it has the information. She’s in a hurry and she’s desperate for the information, as if there’s a ticking time bomb in the house about to go off. As we write for users in this state of mind, we have to remember the hurry. Avoid long chunks of text. Avoid long topics. Make your topics findable in searches. Make your start page show the top ten list problems users encounter. Provide contact information for live help, if possible. Get right to the point in your text, without making the reader sort through fluff and meaningless introductory material. Provide answers to problems, not long descriptions of menu bars. After Jane’s emotions settled down, I asked her why she didn’t turn to the documentation for help. She did, sort of. But, she explained, “If there’s not a real person who can cry while I’m mean to them, where is the incentive to fix it?” Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Alma Loveland, Designer The other day I came home to find Jane rather frustrated at the computer. She’d just ordered $40 worth of books from Half.com, but realized — two weeks after completing the order — that they were sent to an old email address with an unknown shipping address. The half.com address was apparently a Windows Live ID, but she couldn’t remember any login information about it, nor could she retrieve the password, so she was having a terrible time. Frustration I had a video camera handy and recorded the experience because I believe that as help authors, we too frequently forget the state of mind of computer users when they need help. Her typing becomes more rapid and hurried. Little things around her (for example, her children, cookies) become more annoying and increase her stress level. She types away in disbelief and seems to keep trying the same thing over and over. Nothing on the help screen indicates that there’s an answer to her problem. She shakes her head every now and then. She’s tense. She repeatedly jerks her head. She looks up and squeezes her hands. She’s running out of options. She throws things. The littlest disturbances set her off. Her stress level continues to escalate. In moments like these, what might she do for help? Search for it? Click a relevant-looking help button? Call tech support? Call me? Yell at someone? If there’s one undeniable characteristic of the frustrated computer user, it’s that her patience is gone. She will not be slowly flipping through the  user manual. Notice her jerky movements. If she turns to the help (which she doesn’t here), she’ll search for keywords, skim rapidly, click quickly from topic to topic. She’ll look for topics with clear flags for help – “Troubleshooting Passwords,” “Can’t Remember Your Login?”, “Stuck? Click Here,” etc. She won’t give any help page but 2-3 seconds of a glance to see if it has the information. She’s in a hurry and she’s desperate for the information, as if there’s a ticking time bomb in the house about to go off. As we write for users in this state of mind, we have to remember the hurry. Avoid long chunks of text. Avoid long topics. Make your topics findable in searches. Make your start page show the top ten list problems users encounter. Provide contact information for live help, if possible. Get right to the point in your text, without making the reader sort through fluff and meaningless introductory material. Provide answers to problems, not long descriptions of menu bars. After Jane’s emotions settled down, I asked her why she didn’t turn to the documentation for help. She did, sort of. But, she explained, “If there’s not a real person who can cry while I’m mean to them, where is the incentive to fix it?” Blog Sponsors Scriptorium e-Spirit–Content Integration Adobe Technical Communication Suite Doc-to-Help Webworks Dr.Explain Simplifying Complexity Alma Loveland, Designer tag:odeo.com,2009-03-02,24608266 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 01:30:32 -0800 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts video, Videocasts, usability, frustration, Tech Writer Voices, Technical Writing, findability, emotional states http://odeo.com/episodes/24065761-Documentation-Review-Techniques-videocast I believe that in order to learn something, you have to do it, for the most part. So forgive me if my first dozen videocasts here are experimental, because I’m learning. I’m finding that video is a little trickier than I thought. To create video, you first need some type of video camera (obviously). I have a Sony handycam camcorder that I bought in 2000 and never really used much — until now. It records on miniDV tapes rather than a hard drive, and I can only transfer captured video via a firewire cable to my computer. In 2000, we paid about $600 for the camcorder. Now I believe I could walk into any pawn shop and get the same camera for $60. There is so much to video. What program to use, what format to publish it, the video service, getting video in iTunes, and so on. This is my video learning phase, so bear with me. Just last night, while exploring the little hidden compartments on the camcorder, I discovered the microphone port I’d been looking for. It accepts a 1/8th inch... I believe that in order to learn something, you have to do it, for the most part. So forgive me if my first dozen videocasts here are experimental, because I’m learning. I’m finding that video is a little trickier than I thought. To create video, you first need some type of video camera (obviously). I have a Sony handycam camcorder that I bought in 2000 and never really used much — until now. It records on miniDV tapes rather than a hard drive, and I can only transfer captured video via a firewire cable to my computer. In 2000, we paid about $600 for the camcorder. Now I believe I could walk into any pawn shop and get the same camera for $60. There is so much to video. What program to use, what format to publish it, the video service, getting video in iTunes, and so on. This is my video learning phase, so bear with me. Just last night, while exploring the little hidden compartments on the camcorder, I discovered the microphone port I’d been looking for. It accepts a 1/8th inch microphone jack. Unfortunately I discovered the microphone port after I recorded the video. A little explanation about the videos. There are two videos, answering two reader’s questions. The first reader writes, I’m getting ready to publish my Manuals and was wondering if you go through a process of review, a checklist before you publish your manuals. If you do, it’d be great if you could share it. I’m sure your other readers would greatly benefit from it. Here’s my videocast response: (iPod format) Another reader asks a related question: In my organization, we have a set of controlled documentation. Changes that need to be made are requested through an Engineering Change Notification application. As part of our process, we mark the requested changes in the document with red text and a black change bar along the left margin. We are reviewing our process, and are looking for better ways (if any) to mark changes in the document. Here’s my videocast response: (iPod format) These videos are actually my second recording. I initially tried recording at about 6 p.m., which is prime family time in the Johnson household. I learned that trying to record while family is up and about is challenging. My oldest daughter made rabbit ears behind me, Jane made cookies and clanked dishes, my four-year-old grabbed the camera and drove a stroller around the kitchen. I started over a few times and finally made it through an entire recording, but there were too many distractions. If you prefer to listen to these videocasts as a single MP3 file in your iPod instead, here’s an MP3 recording of much better quality. Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 14 min. If you have any comments about documentation review techniques or tips for creating videocasts, please leave your comments below. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity I believe that in order to learn something, you have to do it, for the most part. So forgive me if my first dozen videocasts here are experimental, because I’m learning. I’m finding that video is a little trickier than I thought. To create video, you first need some type of video camera (obviously). I have a Sony handycam camcorder that I bought in 2000 and never really used much — until now. It records on miniDV tapes rather than a hard drive, and I can only transfer captured video via a firewire cable to my computer. In 2000, we paid about $600 for the camcorder. Now I believe I could walk into any pawn shop and get the same camera for $60. There is so much to video. What program to use, what format to publish it, the video service, getting video in iTunes, and so on. This is my video learning phase, so bear with me. Just last night, while exploring the little hidden compartments on the camcorder, I discovered the microphone port I’d been looking for. It accepts a 1/8th inch microphone jack. Unfortunately I discovered the microphone port after I recorded the video. A little explanation about the videos. There are two videos, answering two reader’s questions. The first reader writes, I’m getting ready to publish my Manuals and was wondering if you go through a process of review, a checklist before you publish your manuals. If you do, it’d be great if you could share it. I’m sure your other readers would greatly benefit from it. Here’s my videocast response: (iPod format) Another reader asks a related question: In my organization, we have a set of controlled documentation. Changes that need to be made are requested through an Engineering Change Notification application. As part of our process, we mark the requested changes in the document with red text and a black change bar along the left margin. We are reviewing our process, and are looking for better ways (if any) to mark changes in the document. Here’s my videocast response: (iPod format) These videos are actually my second recording. I initially tried recording at about 6 p.m., which is prime family time in the Johnson household. I learned that trying to record while family is up and about is challenging. My oldest daughter made rabbit ears behind me, Jane made cookies and clanked dishes, my four-year-old grabbed the camera and drove a stroller around the kitchen. I started over a few times and finally made it through an entire recording, but there were too many distractions. If you prefer to listen to these videocasts as a single MP3 file in your iPod instead, here’s an MP3 recording of much better quality. Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 14 min. If you have any comments about documentation review techniques or tips for creating videocasts, please leave your comments below. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity tag:odeo.com,2009-02-05,24065761 Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:57:29 -0800 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts video, Tech Writer Voices, editorial review, Ask Me Videocasts, editing process, documentation review http://odeo.com/episodes/24007125-Podcast-Make-Your-Help-Indispensable-Safeguard-Your-Job Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 30 min. In this podcast, I talk with Mike Hughes, second vice president of the STC, about his latest UXMatters article, “Straight Talk: Surviving Tough Times as a User Assistance Writer.” We talk about how to make help more valuable, more worthwhile and user-focused, so you don’t lose your job when companies begin laying off employees based on lack of value. Here are a few other topics we cover in this podcast: Where help must appear to be used, and how to pitch it to the user Why documenting everything is sometimes the worst thing you can do What it means to make your help “a mile wide and thirty seconds deep” How identifying points of pain and information gaps can help you avoid writing obvious instructions Why tools and technologies can distract you from the content About Mike Hughes Mike is a seasoned technical communicator with 20 plus years of experience. He currently works ... Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 30 min. In this podcast, I talk with Mike Hughes, second vice president of the STC, about his latest UXMatters article, “Straight Talk: Surviving Tough Times as a User Assistance Writer.” We talk about how to make help more valuable, more worthwhile and user-focused, so you don’t lose your job when companies begin laying off employees based on lack of value. Here are a few other topics we cover in this podcast: Where help must appear to be used, and how to pitch it to the user Why documenting everything is sometimes the worst thing you can do What it means to make your help “a mile wide and thirty seconds deep” How identifying points of pain and information gaps can help you avoid writing obvious instructions Why tools and technologies can distract you from the content About Mike Hughes Mike is a seasoned technical communicator with 20 plus years of experience. He currently works for IBM Internet Security Systems as a user assistance architect. He holds a PhD in Instructional Technology from the University of Georgia and a Masters in Technical and Professional Communication from Southern Polytechnic State University. Mike also contributes regular columns to UX Matters and writes a blog at http://user-assistance.blogspot.com. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 30 min. In this podcast, I talk with Mike Hughes, second vice president of the STC, about his latest UXMatters article, “Straight Talk: Surviving Tough Times as a User Assistance Writer.” We talk about how to make help more valuable, more worthwhile and user-focused, so you don’t lose your job when companies begin laying off employees based on lack of value. Here are a few other topics we cover in this podcast: Where help must appear to be used, and how to pitch it to the user Why documenting everything is sometimes the worst thing you can do What it means to make your help “a mile wide and thirty seconds deep” How identifying points of pain and information gaps can help you avoid writing obvious instructions Why tools and technologies can distract you from the content About Mike Hughes Mike is a seasoned technical communicator with 20 plus years of experience. He currently works for IBM Internet Security Systems as a user assistance architect. He holds a PhD in Instructional Technology from the University of Georgia and a Masters in Technical and Professional Communication from Southern Polytechnic State University. Mike also contributes regular columns to UX Matters and writes a blog at http://user-assistance.blogspot.com. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity tag:odeo.com,2009-01-31,24007125 Sat, 31 Jan 2009 20:58:36 -0800 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts tools, job, Technologies, value, users, Tech Writer Voices, worthwhile http://odeo.com/episodes/23893641-Screencasting-%E2%80%94-Workflow-and-Presentation-by-Collin-Turner-Podcast Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 65 min. Screencasting Presentation Summary In this podcast, Collin Turner presents on “Screencasting — Workflow and Presentation” to the Intermountain STC chapter in Utah. Here’s the presentation summary: Screencasting (when applied properly) is a valuable tool whose popularity is gaining traction. Most available software is accessible and easy to use. You can make or break a screencast before you ever capture a single screen. This presentation covers the basics of screencasting from concept to publication. This is not a presentation on software … this is all about planning and workflow! Collin breaks the process of creating screencasts into five accessible phases: Concept Pre-production Production Post-production Publication/launch View the accompanying Zoho presentation slides. You can also see a presentation outline here. About Collin Turner Collin Turner is a technical communicator,... Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 65 min. Screencasting Presentation Summary In this podcast, Collin Turner presents on “Screencasting — Workflow and Presentation” to the Intermountain STC chapter in Utah. Here’s the presentation summary: Screencasting (when applied properly) is a valuable tool whose popularity is gaining traction. Most available software is accessible and easy to use. You can make or break a screencast before you ever capture a single screen. This presentation covers the basics of screencasting from concept to publication. This is not a presentation on software … this is all about planning and workflow! Collin breaks the process of creating screencasts into five accessible phases: Concept Pre-production Production Post-production Publication/launch View the accompanying Zoho presentation slides. You can also see a presentation outline here. About Collin Turner Collin Turner is a technical communicator, sometimes author, editor and photographer usually found deep within the workings of APIs, writing manuals or managing projects. Screen casting is one of his latest focus points during a 15-year career in the field. You can find him online at www.collinturner.com. Links Intermountain STC chapter. Collin turner (See a flyer about the presentation here.) Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 65 min. Screencasting Presentation Summary In this podcast, Collin Turner presents on “Screencasting — Workflow and Presentation” to the Intermountain STC chapter in Utah. Here’s the presentation summary: Screencasting (when applied properly) is a valuable tool whose popularity is gaining traction. Most available software is accessible and easy to use. You can make or break a screencast before you ever capture a single screen. This presentation covers the basics of screencasting from concept to publication. This is not a presentation on software … this is all about planning and workflow! Collin breaks the process of creating screencasts into five accessible phases: Concept Pre-production Production Post-production Publication/launch View the accompanying Zoho presentation slides. You can also see a presentation outline here. About Collin Turner Collin Turner is a technical communicator, sometimes author, editor and photographer usually found deep within the workings of APIs, writing manuals or managing projects. Screen casting is one of his latest focus points during a 15-year career in the field. You can find him online at www.collinturner.com. Links Intermountain STC chapter. Collin turner (See a flyer about the presentation here.) Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity tag:odeo.com,2009-01-17,23893641 Sat, 17 Jan 2009 11:40:34 -0800 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts ipod, iTunes, Videocasts, quicktime, Tech Writer Voices, Camtasia Studio, Video Tutorials, collin turner, Captivate, screencasting, storyboarding http://odeo.com/episodes/23880596-A-Technical-Writer-with-Extra-Privileges-Responding-to-a-Question-about-Roles-Videocast Jim from Iowa writes: I was doing some career research involving technical writing and stumbled upon your website.  I had a question about that sort of thing, and you seem like a good person to ask. To be frank, I have two main interests–writing and technology.  I love to read and write, but I also love engineering, working with computers, etc.  So, I guess at this point, one would say technical writing is the logical career choice.  Yeah … but I’m not sure if that would satisfy my tech cravings.  I realize you’ve mentioned things along this line in your previous posts.  But let me explain a little further …. Let’s say I get schooling in engineering and, say, English.  Would I be able to be a technical writer who also had some extra privileges?  And by that I mean helping with the design process, helping with whatever problem is trying to be solved or whatever item is trying to be created, etc.  What do you think? Thanks, Jim Thanks for submitting... Jim from Iowa writes: I was doing some career research involving technical writing and stumbled upon your website.  I had a question about that sort of thing, and you seem like a good person to ask. To be frank, I have two main interests–writing and technology.  I love to read and write, but I also love engineering, working with computers, etc.  So, I guess at this point, one would say technical writing is the logical career choice.  Yeah … but I’m not sure if that would satisfy my tech cravings.  I realize you’ve mentioned things along this line in your previous posts.  But let me explain a little further …. Let’s say I get schooling in engineering and, say, English.  Would I be able to be a technical writer who also had some extra privileges?  And by that I mean helping with the design process, helping with whatever problem is trying to be solved or whatever item is trying to be created, etc.  What do you think? Thanks, Jim Thanks for submitting your question, Jim. I responded in a videocast below. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity Jim from Iowa writes: I was doing some career research involving technical writing and stumbled upon your website.  I had a question about that sort of thing, and you seem like a good person to ask. To be frank, I have two main interests–writing and technology.  I love to read and write, but I also love engineering, working with computers, etc.  So, I guess at this point, one would say technical writing is the logical career choice.  Yeah … but I’m not sure if that would satisfy my tech cravings.  I realize you’ve mentioned things along this line in your previous posts.  But let me explain a little further …. Let’s say I get schooling in engineering and, say, English.  Would I be able to be a technical writer who also had some extra privileges?  And by that I mean helping with the design process, helping with whatever problem is trying to be solved or whatever item is trying to be created, etc.  What do you think? Thanks, Jim Thanks for submitting your question, Jim. I responded in a videocast below. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity tag:odeo.com,2009-01-14,23880596 Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:30:32 -0800 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Technology, Design, Computers, development, engineering, english, desire, Tech Writer Voices, Technical Writing, roles, privileges, Answering Questions, Ask Me Videocasts http://odeo.com/episodes/23860186-Top-Technical-Communication-News-for-January-2009 Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 12 min. In this podcast, I cover the top 10 technical communication news items during the past month. This is a different type of podcast than I’ve normally done. The show notes below are excerpts of what I cover, but without any commentary. 1. Techcomm toolbox One of the most common questions heard on many forums is “What tool do you use for [purpose]?” Answers vary, of course, because everyone has their own favorites and some folks will even answer that the right tool is “the one that best meets your needs”. Sometimes, many people will answer that you need to look at the different tools, download trial versions, and test. But where is the list of tools to choose from? It’s here at TechComm Toolbox, your online resource for all applications, services, consultantsm, and trainers related to technical communication. 2. Emergence of STC groups on twitter More and more STC groups are joining and participatin... Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 12 min. In this podcast, I cover the top 10 technical communication news items during the past month. This is a different type of podcast than I’ve normally done. The show notes below are excerpts of what I cover, but without any commentary. 1. Techcomm toolbox One of the most common questions heard on many forums is “What tool do you use for [purpose]?” Answers vary, of course, because everyone has their own favorites and some folks will even answer that the right tool is “the one that best meets your needs”. Sometimes, many people will answer that you need to look at the different tools, download trial versions, and test. But where is the list of tools to choose from? It’s here at TechComm Toolbox, your online resource for all applications, services, consultantsm, and trainers related to technical communication. 2. Emergence of STC groups on twitter More and more STC groups are joining and participating on Twitter: stcaccess, stcchicago, stchouston, stcboston, stcintermtn. Also, Writer River now has a Twitter feed: writerriver. 3. WritersUA Salary survey and tools survey going on The WritersUA Tools Survey is underway. The survey is designed to provide our community with a guide to the relative popularity and satisfaction of a number of tools. … The Salary Survey provides a look at the various factors that contribute to higher salaries in the software user assistance community. 4. Jing Pro Released Jing Pro brings you simply the best-in-class experience for quick visual online conversation. Imagine everything you already know and love about Jing, then add: * HD quality video for the web * Direct output to YouTube * No more branding on the end of your videos. 5. I’m a tech writer photo gallery Technical Writers (aka Technical Authors, Content Wranglers and Documentation Managers) have an unfair image. This project aims to challenge this image, by showing technical writers in a different light. The photos below are of technical communications professionals, doing a variety of activities.If you are involved in technical writing and you’d like to be included, contact us and send us a photo, together with your name and location. 6. STC to record and make available the entire Summit Beginning this year at the Summit in Atlanta, STC will capture the content (audio and visuals) of almost every session and make it available to attendees at no additional cost. This will increase the value of your experience tenfold. After the conference, STC will sync the audio with the presentations and make them available (by passcode) for attendees on the STC website. This will allow [you] to “attend” all those sessions [you] missed. It will also allow [you] to revisit the ones that [you] did attend and to refresh [your] memory of the fine points made by the speakers. (From Mark Clifford’s January News and Notes) 7. Wordpress 2.7 released. This may be the last time you ever have to manually upgrade WordPress again. We heard how tired you were of doing upgrades for yourself and your friends, so now WordPress includes a built-in upgrade that will automatically notify you of new releases, and when you’re ready it will download them, install them, and upgrade your blog with a single click. [Also, BuddyPress is in beta: "BuddyPress is a set of WordPress MU specific plugins, each plugin adding a distinct new feature. BuddyPress contains all the features you’d expect from WordPress but aims to let members socially interact."] 8. Alltop publishes Tech Writing category Alltop is an “online magazine rack” of popular topics. We update the stories every hour. Pick a topic by searching, news category, or name, and we’ll deliver it to you 24 x 7. All the topics, all the time. 9. Camtasia 6 released When recording audio and video at the same time, it’s hard to be perfect. So we’ve made it easier to fix mistakes. Simply decouple the audio and video tracks to edit them independently. And move audio clips between (and along) tracks to line everything up perfectly. Bottom line: fewer retakes and less time spent on editing. 10. Doc to help releases 2009 version, with ribbon-based interface What’s new: built-in xml based editor, dynamic help control for embedding help in .net applications. xhtml converter, drag and drop linking, and abbility to import project settings. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 12 min. In this podcast, I cover the top 10 technical communication news items during the past month. This is a different type of podcast than I’ve normally done. The show notes below are excerpts of what I cover, but without any commentary. 1. Techcomm toolbox One of the most common questions heard on many forums is “What tool do you use for [purpose]?” Answers vary, of course, because everyone has their own favorites and some folks will even answer that the right tool is “the one that best meets your needs”. Sometimes, many people will answer that you need to look at the different tools, download trial versions, and test. But where is the list of tools to choose from? It’s here at TechComm Toolbox, your online resource for all applications, services, consultantsm, and trainers related to technical communication. 2. Emergence of STC groups on twitter More and more STC groups are joining and participating on Twitter: stcaccess, stcchicago, stchouston, stcboston, stcintermtn. Also, Writer River now has a Twitter feed: writerriver. 3. WritersUA Salary survey and tools survey going on The WritersUA Tools Survey is underway. The survey is designed to provide our community with a guide to the relative popularity and satisfaction of a number of tools. … The Salary Survey provides a look at the various factors that contribute to higher salaries in the software user assistance community. 4. Jing Pro Released Jing Pro brings you simply the best-in-class experience for quick visual online conversation. Imagine everything you already know and love about Jing, then add: * HD quality video for the web * Direct output to YouTube * No more branding on the end of your videos. 5. I’m a tech writer photo gallery Technical Writers (aka Technical Authors, Content Wranglers and Documentation Managers) have an unfair image. This project aims to challenge this image, by showing technical writers in a different light. The photos below are of technical communications professionals, doing a variety of activities.If you are involved in technical writing and you’d like to be included, contact us and send us a photo, together with your name and location. 6. STC to record and make available the entire Summit Beginning this year at the Summit in Atlanta, STC will capture the content (audio and visuals) of almost every session and make it available to attendees at no additional cost. This will increase the value of your experience tenfold. After the conference, STC will sync the audio with the presentations and make them available (by passcode) for attendees on the STC website. This will allow [you] to “attend” all those sessions [you] missed. It will also allow [you] to revisit the ones that [you] did attend and to refresh [your] memory of the fine points made by the speakers. (From Mark Clifford’s January News and Notes) 7. Wordpress 2.7 released. This may be the last time you ever have to manually upgrade WordPress again. We heard how tired you were of doing upgrades for yourself and your friends, so now WordPress includes a built-in upgrade that will automatically notify you of new releases, and when you’re ready it will download them, install them, and upgrade your blog with a single click. [Also, BuddyPress is in beta: "BuddyPress is a set of WordPress MU specific plugins, each plugin adding a distinct new feature. BuddyPress contains all the features you’d expect from WordPress but aims to let members socially interact."] 8. Alltop publishes Tech Writing category Alltop is an “online magazine rack” of popular topics. We update the stories every hour. Pick a topic by searching, news category, or name, and we’ll deliver it to you 24 x 7. All the topics, all the time. 9. Camtasia 6 released When recording audio and video at the same time, it’s hard to be perfect. So we’ve made it easier to fix mistakes. Simply decouple the audio and video tracks to edit them independently. And move audio clips between (and along) tracks to line everything up perfectly. Bottom line: fewer retakes and less time spent on editing. 10. Doc to help releases 2009 version, with ribbon-based interface What’s new: built-in xml based editor, dynamic help control for embedding help in .net applications. xhtml converter, drag and drop linking, and abbility to import project settings. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity tag:odeo.com,2009-01-11,23860186 Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:29:44 -0800 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts twitter, Tech Writer Voices, Jing, STC, Camtasia Studio, WordPress 2.7, doc-to-help, salary survey, cherryleaf, techcomm toolbox, tools survey, WritersUA, i'm a tech writer http://odeo.com/episodes/23844894-Podcast-Help-Authoring-with-Doc-To-Help-2009-Interview-with-Nicky-Bleiel Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 35 min. ComponentOne recently released Doc-To-Help 2009, which introduces a complete redesign of their user interface. In this podcast, I talk with Nicky Bleiel, who works for ComponentOne, in depth about Doc-To-Help. Nicky has been a technical communicator for fourteen years and is now a director at large for the STC. I’ve met Nicky several times at Doc Train and STC conferences, and have interviewed her for other podcasts about web 2.0 and the STC. This podcast is sponsored by ComponentOne, the makers of Doc-To-Help . It’s one of my first sponsored podcasts, but even though it’s sponsored, I’ve tried to keep my same interviewing style. In this podcast, we focus exclusively on Doc-To-Help. Specifically, we talk about the following: Help outputs available from Doc-To-Help Flexibility in choosing your authoring editor Doc-To-Help’s new ribbon-based interface Team authoring in Doc-To-Help... Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 35 min. ComponentOne recently released Doc-To-Help 2009, which introduces a complete redesign of their user interface. In this podcast, I talk with Nicky Bleiel, who works for ComponentOne, in depth about Doc-To-Help. Nicky has been a technical communicator for fourteen years and is now a director at large for the STC. I’ve met Nicky several times at Doc Train and STC conferences, and have interviewed her for other podcasts about web 2.0 and the STC. This podcast is sponsored by ComponentOne, the makers of Doc-To-Help . It’s one of my first sponsored podcasts, but even though it’s sponsored, I’ve tried to keep my same interviewing style. In this podcast, we focus exclusively on Doc-To-Help. Specifically, we talk about the following: Help outputs available from Doc-To-Help Flexibility in choosing your authoring editor Doc-To-Help’s new ribbon-based interface Team authoring in Doc-To-Help, including file check-in and check-out Dynamic help controls available A sandcastle plugin for SDK and API writers The appeal of the technical communication field We also cover a few other topics, such as Doc-To-Help’s approach to DITA and Web 2.0. To contact Nicky, send her an email at NickyB@componentone.com. Also, feel free to drop me a line at tom@idratherbewriting.com. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 35 min. ComponentOne recently released Doc-To-Help 2009, which introduces a complete redesign of their user interface. In this podcast, I talk with Nicky Bleiel, who works for ComponentOne, in depth about Doc-To-Help. Nicky has been a technical communicator for fourteen years and is now a director at large for the STC. I’ve met Nicky several times at Doc Train and STC conferences, and have interviewed her for other podcasts about web 2.0 and the STC. This podcast is sponsored by ComponentOne, the makers of Doc-To-Help . It’s one of my first sponsored podcasts, but even though it’s sponsored, I’ve tried to keep my same interviewing style. In this podcast, we focus exclusively on Doc-To-Help. Specifically, we talk about the following: Help outputs available from Doc-To-Help Flexibility in choosing your authoring editor Doc-To-Help’s new ribbon-based interface Team authoring in Doc-To-Help, including file check-in and check-out Dynamic help controls available A sandcastle plugin for SDK and API writers The appeal of the technical communication field We also cover a few other topics, such as Doc-To-Help’s approach to DITA and Web 2.0. To contact Nicky, send her an email at NickyB@componentone.com. Also, feel free to drop me a line at tom@idratherbewriting.com. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity tag:odeo.com,2009-01-05,23844894 Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:28:40 -0800 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Web 2.0, api, sdk, Tech Writer Voices, STC, DITA, nicky bleiel, dynamic help, componentone, component one, doc-to-help, sponsored podcast, sandcastle http://odeo.com/episodes/23800205-Podcast-Technical-Writing-in-Agile-Environments-%E2%80%94-Interview-with-Alyssa-Fox Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Duration: 28 min. In this podcast, I interview Alyssa Fox, an information development manager at NetIQ, about technical writing in agile environments. Agile environments involve short iterations of product development, such as three to six weeks to complete a release, rather than the longer one to two years of product development before releases. Writing in an agile environment requires a different authoring methodology. On Alyssa’s team, each writer attends scrum meetings for each project and completes the help by the end of each iteration (rather than waiting until the project’s end). Topics in this podcast include: How writing in agile environments differs from writing in traditional waterfall environments Techniques to ensure thorough document review in agile environments Knowing when to attend meetings and when to skip them Properly allocating writers across multiple projects without losing efficiency... Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Duration: 28 min. In this podcast, I interview Alyssa Fox, an information development manager at NetIQ, about technical writing in agile environments. Agile environments involve short iterations of product development, such as three to six weeks to complete a release, rather than the longer one to two years of product development before releases. Writing in an agile environment requires a different authoring methodology. On Alyssa’s team, each writer attends scrum meetings for each project and completes the help by the end of each iteration (rather than waiting until the project’s end). Topics in this podcast include: How writing in agile environments differs from writing in traditional waterfall environments Techniques to ensure thorough document review in agile environments Knowing when to attend meetings and when to skip them Properly allocating writers across multiple projects without losing efficiency Why authoring in the agile process results in higher quality documentation Additional Resources Mobile and Agile: The Floating Writer’s Survival Kit, by Alyssa Fox and Meredeth Kramer STC Summit 55th–Mobile and Agile: The Floating Writer’s Survival Kit (PowerPoint) Alyssa Fox on Twitter Alyssa’s email: alyssa dot fox at netiq.com Virtual Machines – IT Author Podcast Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Duration: 28 min. In this podcast, I interview Alyssa Fox, an information development manager at NetIQ, about technical writing in agile environments. Agile environments involve short iterations of product development, such as three to six weeks to complete a release, rather than the longer one to two years of product development before releases. Writing in an agile environment requires a different authoring methodology. On Alyssa’s team, each writer attends scrum meetings for each project and completes the help by the end of each iteration (rather than waiting until the project’s end). Topics in this podcast include: How writing in agile environments differs from writing in traditional waterfall environments Techniques to ensure thorough document review in agile environments Knowing when to attend meetings and when to skip them Properly allocating writers across multiple projects without losing efficiency Why authoring in the agile process results in higher quality documentation Additional Resources Mobile and Agile: The Floating Writer’s Survival Kit, by Alyssa Fox and Meredeth Kramer STC Summit 55th–Mobile and Agile: The Floating Writer’s Survival Kit (PowerPoint) Alyssa Fox on Twitter Alyssa’s email: alyssa dot fox at netiq.com Virtual Machines – IT Author Podcast Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity tag:odeo.com,2008-12-23,23800205 Tue, 23 Dec 2008 06:00:47 -0800 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts podcasts, meetings, quality, Tech Writer Voices, editor, editorial review, review process, alyssa fox, agile environments http://odeo.com/episodes/23753986-Podcast-What-Is-the-Technical-Writer%E2%80%99s-Role-in-Interface-Design-Interview-with-Bogo-Vatovec Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Duration: 38 min. In this podcast, I interview Bogo Vatovec, an expert in change management, user experience, and knowledge engineering, about the technical writer’s role in interface design. Specifically, we cover the following in the podcast: What the technical writer’s role should be in the company Why the technical writer’s skills are often “accepted but not respected” Why a technical writer needs to do more than just what he or she is told What the technical writer’s role is in relation to design and usability The importance of spinning your criticisms of prototypes in positive ways How early the technical writer should get involved with a project The semantics and implications of names (”technical writer” versus “information designer”) How the role of an information designer differs from the role of a technical writer Why changing the name from “writer&... Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Duration: 38 min. In this podcast, I interview Bogo Vatovec, an expert in change management, user experience, and knowledge engineering, about the technical writer’s role in interface design. Specifically, we cover the following in the podcast: What the technical writer’s role should be in the company Why the technical writer’s skills are often “accepted but not respected” Why a technical writer needs to do more than just what he or she is told What the technical writer’s role is in relation to design and usability The importance of spinning your criticisms of prototypes in positive ways How early the technical writer should get involved with a project The semantics and implications of names (”technical writer” versus “information designer”) How the role of an information designer differs from the role of a technical writer Why changing the name from “writer” to some other title isn’t enough Why writing skills are a declining value What happens when writers do more Bogo is a senior member of the STC and a regular presenter at conferences worldwide. For example, at the last STC Summit, Bogo participated in a panel on career trends. For more information on Bogo Vatovec, see his site at bovacon.com. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Duration: 38 min. In this podcast, I interview Bogo Vatovec, an expert in change management, user experience, and knowledge engineering, about the technical writer’s role in interface design. Specifically, we cover the following in the podcast: What the technical writer’s role should be in the company Why the technical writer’s skills are often “accepted but not respected” Why a technical writer needs to do more than just what he or she is told What the technical writer’s role is in relation to design and usability The importance of spinning your criticisms of prototypes in positive ways How early the technical writer should get involved with a project The semantics and implications of names (”technical writer” versus “information designer”) How the role of an information designer differs from the role of a technical writer Why changing the name from “writer” to some other title isn’t enough Why writing skills are a declining value What happens when writers do more Bogo is a senior member of the STC and a regular presenter at conferences worldwide. For example, at the last STC Summit, Bogo participated in a panel on career trends. For more information on Bogo Vatovec, see his site at bovacon.com. Blog Sponsors Scriptorium Web Content Conference, Tampa Bay Doc Train West Doc to Help Webworks Simplifying Complexity tag:odeo.com,2008-12-14,23753986 Sun, 14 Dec 2008 17:06:40 -0800 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Tech Writer Voices http://odeo.com/episodes/23570302-Podcast-Debunking-the-Boredom-Myth-of-Technical-Writing Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Duration: 55 min. Several weeks ago I wrote about my trip to Brigham Young University-Idaho and the presentation I gave there titled “Debunking the Boredom Myth of Technical Writing.” This podcast is a recording of my presentation. My presentation was part of the professional writing conference that BYU-Idaho puts on annually for their writing and literature students. In the presentation, I talk about a prevalent myth that many students have — that technical writing is a boring career. To combat the myth, I explore the variety of content technical writers produce, including video, diagrams and illustrations, quick reference material, wikis, online help, information architecture, blogs, wikis, podcasts, and usability. You can view my accompanying PowerPoint presentation here. Additionally, links to the three videos I played are below: WordPress 2.6 Harrymillermedia Commoncraft on Wikis Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Duration: 55 min. Several weeks ago I wrote about my trip to Brigham Young University-Idaho and the presentation I gave there titled “Debunking the Boredom Myth of Technical Writing.” This podcast is a recording of my presentation. My presentation was part of the professional writing conference that BYU-Idaho puts on annually for their writing and literature students. In the presentation, I talk about a prevalent myth that many students have — that technical writing is a boring career. To combat the myth, I explore the variety of content technical writers produce, including video, diagrams and illustrations, quick reference material, wikis, online help, information architecture, blogs, wikis, podcasts, and usability. You can view my accompanying PowerPoint presentation here. Additionally, links to the three videos I played are below: WordPress 2.6 Harrymillermedia Commoncraft on Wikis Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Duration: 55 min. Several weeks ago I wrote about my trip to Brigham Young University-Idaho and the presentation I gave there titled “Debunking the Boredom Myth of Technical Writing.” This podcast is a recording of my presentation. My presentation was part of the professional writing conference that BYU-Idaho puts on annually for their writing and literature students. In the presentation, I talk about a prevalent myth that many students have — that technical writing is a boring career. To combat the myth, I explore the variety of content technical writers produce, including video, diagrams and illustrations, quick reference material, wikis, online help, information architecture, blogs, wikis, podcasts, and usability. You can view my accompanying PowerPoint presentation here. Additionally, links to the three videos I played are below: WordPress 2.6 Harrymillermedia Commoncraft on Wikis tag:odeo.com,2008-11-03,23570302 Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:42:59 -0800 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts podcasts, career, Videos, Presentations, wordpress, Tech Writer Voices, wikis, diagrams, salary, illustrations, BYU-Idaho http://odeo.com/episodes/23546486-Podcast-Personalities-of-Technical-Communicators-%E2%80%94-Interview-with-Deborah-Shapiro-Hemstreet Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Duration: 32 min. In this podcast, I talk with Deborah (Shapiro) Hemstreet about the personalities of technical communicators, based on research she conducted as part of her masters degree. I got the idea of interviewing Deborah from on a discussion on the Techwr-L listserv about a movie called The Technical Writer. In the discussion, Deborah wrote, I read the reviews… And it sounds to me (without having watched) that it is a caricature of the stereotypical idea of a technical writer (introverted, neurotic and a geek)… But just the reviews are enough to turn me off to the movie. Having said that, it made me think of my own research a few years back when I was doing my MA in technical communication… My thesis was on the personality characteristics of technical communicators. It surveyed over 220 technical communicators from around the world. I used a validated personality test based on the five-factor... Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Duration: 32 min. In this podcast, I talk with Deborah (Shapiro) Hemstreet about the personalities of technical communicators, based on research she conducted as part of her masters degree. I got the idea of interviewing Deborah from on a discussion on the Techwr-L listserv about a movie called The Technical Writer. In the discussion, Deborah wrote, I read the reviews… And it sounds to me (without having watched) that it is a caricature of the stereotypical idea of a technical writer (introverted, neurotic and a geek)… But just the reviews are enough to turn me off to the movie. Having said that, it made me think of my own research a few years back when I was doing my MA in technical communication… My thesis was on the personality characteristics of technical communicators. It surveyed over 220 technical communicators from around the world. I used a validated personality test based on the five-factor model of personality along with a questionnaire about each person’s professional practice, and a demographics section. I mention this, because of the whole issue of the stereotypical introverted technical writer. My findings were the exact opposite of what we would expect to see. The majority of writers were extroverted. When I correlated professional practice to the personality characteristics, it appeared that effectiveness improved with extroversion, with managers being the most extroverted. The majority of introverts were editors (made sense to me), and only a few rated negatively with regards to what the five-factor model called neuroticism. Interestingly, those few writers ranked low in professional practice. I find the topic of personalities extremely relevant in our field. At times, technical writers spend much of their day isolated in their cubes writing documentation. They have little interaction with others. Other days, technical writers are constantly interacting with project managers, designers, and other subject matter experts (SMEs). Technical writers are almost investigative journalists, tracking down reluctant SMEs to extract information, influencing product design change, training groups of users on new releases, and voicing opinion during conference-room-packed meetings. I’m fascinated by Deborah’s conclusion about extroversion (which she defines as being open, friendly, and outgoing). Those who are more extroverted tend to be more effective in their careers. In this podcast, we talk about how she measure effectiveness, as well as strategies for personality change. We also discuss neuroticism, and how tendencies toward perfectionism can be detrimental to one’s success. Additional Resources from Deborah The following links are additional resources from Deborah. Center for Applied Cognitive Studies The above link provides information for practical applications of the Five Factor Model of personality. They redefine the OCEAN scores into terminology that is a lot easier to follow and more applicable to technical communicators. Five Factor Personality Test This is a link to the original site where she discovered the test. Anyone can take this test and get their score immediately. The answers will be used for ongoing research. The author of this test gave me permission to use it and felt it would meet my research purposes. I could not provide self-testing with scores, however, as I did not have the use of the scripts that this website provides. Introversion Turned Inside Out (.ppt) This is the presentation that she gave with a colleague at the STC Conference two years ago. It provides more information about introversion versus extraversion. The Secrets of Effective Technical Communicators Other investigators are now finding support for Deborah’s findings. Contacting Deborah People are welcome to correspond with Deborah at deborah.hemstreet@gmail.com and to visit her site (currently under development) at www.tech-challenged.com. Audio Note I was hoping the audio would be crisper and clearer, but Skype gave me a little trouble. I amplified and balanced the audio as best I could. Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Duration: 32 min. In this podcast, I talk with Deborah (Shapiro) Hemstreet about the personalities of technical communicators, based on research she conducted as part of her masters degree. I got the idea of interviewing Deborah from on a discussion on the Techwr-L listserv about a movie called The Technical Writer. In the discussion, Deborah wrote, I read the reviews… And it sounds to me (without having watched) that it is a caricature of the stereotypical idea of a technical writer (introverted, neurotic and a geek)… But just the reviews are enough to turn me off to the movie. Having said that, it made me think of my own research a few years back when I was doing my MA in technical communication… My thesis was on the personality characteristics of technical communicators. It surveyed over 220 technical communicators from around the world. I used a validated personality test based on the five-factor model of personality along with a questionnaire about each person’s professional practice, and a demographics section. I mention this, because of the whole issue of the stereotypical introverted technical writer. My findings were the exact opposite of what we would expect to see. The majority of writers were extroverted. When I correlated professional practice to the personality characteristics, it appeared that effectiveness improved with extroversion, with managers being the most extroverted. The majority of introverts were editors (made sense to me), and only a few rated negatively with regards to what the five-factor model called neuroticism. Interestingly, those few writers ranked low in professional practice. I find the topic of personalities extremely relevant in our field. At times, technical writers spend much of their day isolated in their cubes writing documentation. They have little interaction with others. Other days, technical writers are constantly interacting with project managers, designers, and other subject matter experts (SMEs). Technical writers are almost investigative journalists, tracking down reluctant SMEs to extract information, influencing product design change, training groups of users on new releases, and voicing opinion during conference-room-packed meetings. I’m fascinated by Deborah’s conclusion about extroversion (which she defines as being open, friendly, and outgoing). Those who are more extroverted tend to be more effective in their careers. In this podcast, we talk about how she measure effectiveness, as well as strategies for personality change. We also discuss neuroticism, and how tendencies toward perfectionism can be detrimental to one’s success. Additional Resources from Deborah The following links are additional resources from Deborah. Center for Applied Cognitive Studies The above link provides information for practical applications of the Five Factor Model of personality. They redefine the OCEAN scores into terminology that is a lot easier to follow and more applicable to technical communicators. Five Factor Personality Test This is a link to the original site where she discovered the test. Anyone can take this test and get their score immediately. The answers will be used for ongoing research. The author of this test gave me permission to use it and felt it would meet my research purposes. I could not provide self-testing with scores, however, as I did not have the use of the scripts that this website provides. Introversion Turned Inside Out (.ppt) This is the presentation that she gave with a colleague at the STC Conference two years ago. It provides more information about introversion versus extraversion. The Secrets of Effective Technical Communicators Other investigators are now finding support for Deborah’s findings. Contacting Deborah People are welcome to correspond with Deborah at deborah.hemstreet@gmail.com and to visit her site (currently under development) at www.tech-challenged.com. Audio Note I was hoping the audio would be crisper and clearer, but Skype gave me a little trouble. I amplified and balanced the audio as best I could. tag:odeo.com,2008-10-29,23546486 Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:37:12 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Success, personalities, Tech Writer Voices, effectiveness, techwr-l, Deborah Shapiro, introversion, extroversion, Deborah Hemstreet http://odeo.com/episodes/23545542-Podcast-Personalities-of-Technical-Communicators-%E2%80%94-Interview-with-Deborah-Shapiro Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Duration: 32 min. In this podcast, I talk with Deborah Shapiro about the personalities of technical communicators, based on research she conducted as part of her masters degree. I got the idea of interviewing Deborah from on a discussion on the Techwr-L listserv about a movie called The Technical Writer. In the discussion, Deborah wrote, I read the reviews… And it sounds to me (without having watched) that it is a caricature of the stereotypical idea of a technical writer (introverted, neurotic and a geek)… But just the reviews are enough to turn me off to the movie. Having said that, it made me think of my own research a few years back when I was doing my MA in technical communication… My thesis was on the personality characteristics of technical communicators. It surveyed over 220 technical communicators from around the world. I used a validated personality test based on the five-factor model of pe... Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Duration: 32 min. In this podcast, I talk with Deborah Shapiro about the personalities of technical communicators, based on research she conducted as part of her masters degree. I got the idea of interviewing Deborah from on a discussion on the Techwr-L listserv about a movie called The Technical Writer. In the discussion, Deborah wrote, I read the reviews… And it sounds to me (without having watched) that it is a caricature of the stereotypical idea of a technical writer (introverted, neurotic and a geek)… But just the reviews are enough to turn me off to the movie. Having said that, it made me think of my own research a few years back when I was doing my MA in technical communication… My thesis was on the personality characteristics of technical communicators. It surveyed over 220 technical communicators from around the world. I used a validated personality test based on the five-factor model of personality along with a questionnaire about each person’s professional practice, and a demographics section. I mention this, because of the whole issue of the stereotypical introverted technical writer. My findings were the exact opposite of what we would expect to see. The majority of writers were extroverted. When I correlated professional practice to the personality characteristics, it appeared that effectiveness improved with extroversion, with managers being the most extroverted. The majority of introverts were editors (made sense to me), and only a few rated negatively with regards to what the five-factor model called neuroticism. Interestingly, those few writers ranked low in professional practice. I find the topic of personalities extremely relevant in our field. At times, technical writers spend much of their day isolated in their cubes writing documentation. They have little interaction with others. Other days, technical writers are constantly interacting with project managers, designers, and other subject matter experts (SMEs). Technical writers are almost investigative journalists, tracking down reluctant SMEs to extract information, influencing product design change, training groups of users on new releases, and voicing opinion during conference-room-packed meetings. I’m fascinated by Deborah’s conclusion about extroversion (which she defines as being open, friendly, and outgoing). Those who are more extroverted tend to be more effective in their careers. In this podcast, we talk about how she measure effectiveness, as well as strategies for personality change. We also discuss neuroticism, and how tendencies toward perfectionism can be detrimental to one’s success. Additional Resources from Deborah The following links are additional resources from Deborah. Center for Applied Cognitive Studies The above link provides information for practical applications of the Five Factor Model of personality. They redefine the OCEAN scores into terminology that is a lot easier to follow and more applicable to technical communicators. Five Factor Personality Test This is a link to the original site where she discovered the test. Anyone can take this test and get their score immediately. The answers will be used for ongoing research. The author of this test gave me permission to use it and felt it would meet my research purposes. I could not provide self-testing with scores, however, as I did not have the use of the scripts that this website provides. Introversion Turned Inside Out (.ppt) This is the presentation that she gave with a colleague at the STC Conference two years ago. It provides more information about introversion versus extraversion. The Secrets of Effective Technical Communicators Other investigators are now finding support for Deborah’s findings. Contacting Deborah People are welcome to correspond with Deborah at deborah.hemstreet@gmail.com and to visit her site (currently under development) at www.tech-challenged.com. Audio Note I was hoping the audio would be crisper and clearer, but Skype gave me a little trouble. I amplified and balanced the audio as best I could. Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Duration: 32 min. In this podcast, I talk with Deborah Shapiro about the personalities of technical communicators, based on research she conducted as part of her masters degree. I got the idea of interviewing Deborah from on a discussion on the Techwr-L listserv about a movie called The Technical Writer. In the discussion, Deborah wrote, I read the reviews… And it sounds to me (without having watched) that it is a caricature of the stereotypical idea of a technical writer (introverted, neurotic and a geek)… But just the reviews are enough to turn me off to the movie. Having said that, it made me think of my own research a few years back when I was doing my MA in technical communication… My thesis was on the personality characteristics of technical communicators. It surveyed over 220 technical communicators from around the world. I used a validated personality test based on the five-factor model of personality along with a questionnaire about each person’s professional practice, and a demographics section. I mention this, because of the whole issue of the stereotypical introverted technical writer. My findings were the exact opposite of what we would expect to see. The majority of writers were extroverted. When I correlated professional practice to the personality characteristics, it appeared that effectiveness improved with extroversion, with managers being the most extroverted. The majority of introverts were editors (made sense to me), and only a few rated negatively with regards to what the five-factor model called neuroticism. Interestingly, those few writers ranked low in professional practice. I find the topic of personalities extremely relevant in our field. At times, technical writers spend much of their day isolated in their cubes writing documentation. They have little interaction with others. Other days, technical writers are constantly interacting with project managers, designers, and other subject matter experts (SMEs). Technical writers are almost investigative journalists, tracking down reluctant SMEs to extract information, influencing product design change, training groups of users on new releases, and voicing opinion during conference-room-packed meetings. I’m fascinated by Deborah’s conclusion about extroversion (which she defines as being open, friendly, and outgoing). Those who are more extroverted tend to be more effective in their careers. In this podcast, we talk about how she measure effectiveness, as well as strategies for personality change. We also discuss neuroticism, and how tendencies toward perfectionism can be detrimental to one’s success. Additional Resources from Deborah The following links are additional resources from Deborah. Center for Applied Cognitive Studies The above link provides information for practical applications of the Five Factor Model of personality. They redefine the OCEAN scores into terminology that is a lot easier to follow and more applicable to technical communicators. Five Factor Personality Test This is a link to the original site where she discovered the test. Anyone can take this test and get their score immediately. The answers will be used for ongoing research. The author of this test gave me permission to use it and felt it would meet my research purposes. I could not provide self-testing with scores, however, as I did not have the use of the scripts that this website provides. Introversion Turned Inside Out (.ppt) This is the presentation that she gave with a colleague at the STC Conference two years ago. It provides more information about introversion versus extraversion. The Secrets of Effective Technical Communicators Other investigators are now finding support for Deborah’s findings. Contacting Deborah People are welcome to correspond with Deborah at deborah.hemstreet@gmail.com and to visit her site (currently under development) at www.tech-challenged.com. Audio Note I was hoping the audio would be crisper and clearer, but Skype gave me a little trouble. I amplified and balanced the audio as best I could. tag:odeo.com,2008-10-29,23545542 Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:37:12 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Success, personalities, Tech Writer Voices, effectiveness, techwr-l, Deborah Shapiro, introversion, extroversion http://odeo.com/episodes/23372054-Podcast-Repurposing-Content-for-Multichannel-Publishing-Single-Sourcing Download MP3 (right-click and select Save Target As to download) Duration: 60 min. In this podcast, Liz Fraley, founder of Single Sourcing Solutions, talks to the Intermountain STC chapter about “Repurposing Content for Multichannel Publishing.” See this flyer for a more detailed description of the presentation. Liz Fraley is the founder of Single Sourcing Solutions. You can read her full bio here. To contact Liz, send her an email at liz.fraley@single-sourcing.com. Download MP3 (right-click and select Save Target As to download) Duration: 60 min. In this podcast, Liz Fraley, founder of Single Sourcing Solutions, talks to the Intermountain STC chapter about “Repurposing Content for Multichannel Publishing.” See this flyer for a more detailed description of the presentation. Liz Fraley is the founder of Single Sourcing Solutions. You can read her full bio here. To contact Liz, send her an email at liz.fraley@single-sourcing.com. Download MP3 (right-click and select Save Target As to download) Duration: 60 min. In this podcast, Liz Fraley, founder of Single Sourcing Solutions, talks to the Intermountain STC chapter about “Repurposing Content for Multichannel Publishing.” See this flyer for a more detailed description of the presentation. Liz Fraley is the founder of Single Sourcing Solutions. You can read her full bio here. To contact Liz, send her an email at liz.fraley@single-sourcing.com. tag:odeo.com,2008-09-18,23372054 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 23:50:17 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts xml, Tech Writer Voices, content reuse, DITA, xmetal, repurposing content, liz fraley, single sourcing, arbortext http://odeo.com/episodes/23259691-Podcast-Flare-4-%E2%80%94-Ten-New-Features-Interview-with-Sharon-Burton Download MP3 (right-click and select Save Target As to download) Duration: 60 min. Flare 4 was just released today by Madcap Software. In this podcast, I talk with Sharon Burton — product manager at Madcap Software — about all the main features of the Flare 4 release. Flare 4 topics we discuss include the following: Page layouts New outputs (PDF, XPS, XHTML, and Adobe Air) Enhanced reporting capability Built-in topic reviews Additional help guides Global project linking Image resizing Smart cross-references Mini-TOCs for print Although Flare 4 is the core focus of this podcast, Sharon also explains a little about Madcap’s other new releases, including Blaze, X-Edit, and Analyzer. As if releasing 4 new products (Flare 4, Blaze, Analyzer, and X-Edit) on one day wasn’t enough, Madcap also totally redesigned its website. If you have questions about Flare 4 or any other Madcap product, direct them to Sharon at sburton@madcapsoftware.com. You can also visit Sharon ... Download MP3 (right-click and select Save Target As to download) Duration: 60 min. Flare 4 was just released today by Madcap Software. In this podcast, I talk with Sharon Burton — product manager at Madcap Software — about all the main features of the Flare 4 release. Flare 4 topics we discuss include the following: Page layouts New outputs (PDF, XPS, XHTML, and Adobe Air) Enhanced reporting capability Built-in topic reviews Additional help guides Global project linking Image resizing Smart cross-references Mini-TOCs for print Although Flare 4 is the core focus of this podcast, Sharon also explains a little about Madcap’s other new releases, including Blaze, X-Edit, and Analyzer. As if releasing 4 new products (Flare 4, Blaze, Analyzer, and X-Edit) on one day wasn’t enough, Madcap also totally redesigned its website. If you have questions about Flare 4 or any other Madcap product, direct them to Sharon at sburton@madcapsoftware.com. You can also visit Sharon Burton’s blog at http://madcapsoftware.wordpress.com. You can visit Mike Hamilton’s blog at http://madcapsoftware2.wordpress.com. If you have feedback on the podcast, add your comment below the post or send me an email at tomjohnson1492@gmail.com. Contest Note: By the way, today is the last day to enter the Flare 4 giveaway. (If you missed the post about the Flare 4 contest, see “Flare 4 Giveaway — Enter to Win a Free Copy by Commenting on this Post“). In the contest deadlines, I said I would announce the winner on the day of the Flare 4 release. So Monday night (Sep at 9 p.m. MST, I will announce the winner. You can enter the contest up until that time. Download MP3 (right-click and select Save Target As to download) Duration: 60 min. Flare 4 was just released today by Madcap Software. In this podcast, I talk with Sharon Burton — product manager at Madcap Software — about all the main features of the Flare 4 release. Flare 4 topics we discuss include the following: Page layouts New outputs (PDF, XPS, XHTML, and Adobe Air) Enhanced reporting capability Built-in topic reviews Additional help guides Global project linking Image resizing Smart cross-references Mini-TOCs for print Although Flare 4 is the core focus of this podcast, Sharon also explains a little about Madcap’s other new releases, including Blaze, X-Edit, and Analyzer. As if releasing 4 new products (Flare 4, Blaze, Analyzer, and X-Edit) on one day wasn’t enough, Madcap also totally redesigned its website. If you have questions about Flare 4 or any other Madcap product, direct them to Sharon at sburton@madcapsoftware.com. You can also visit Sharon Burton’s blog at http://madcapsoftware.wordpress.com. You can visit Mike Hamilton’s blog at http://madcapsoftware2.wordpress.com. If you have feedback on the podcast, add your comment below the post or send me an email at tomjohnson1492@gmail.com. Contest Note: By the way, today is the last day to enter the Flare 4 giveaway. (If you missed the post about the Flare 4 contest, see “Flare 4 Giveaway — Enter to Win a Free Copy by Commenting on this Post“). In the contest deadlines, I said I would announce the winner on the day of the Flare 4 release. So Monday night (Sep at 9 p.m. MST, I will announce the winner. You can enter the contest up until that time. tag:odeo.com,2008-09-08,23259691 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:26:00 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts contest, Tech Writer Voices, MadCap Software, Flare, Mike Hamilton, blaze, analyzer, x-edit, Sharon Burton, help authoring tools http://odeo.com/episodes/23251475-Podcast-What%E2%80%99s-New-in-the-Field-of-Technical-Communication Download MP3 (right-click and select Save Target As to download) Duration: 45 min. Having taken a three-month podcasting break, it feels good to be back. In this podcast, I talk with Charles Jeter and Heidi Hansen about what’s new in the field of technical communication. See the sections below for the four main topics we discuss. Note: If you’ve never listened to a podcast before, see my brief page on How to Listen to Podcasts. Hosts Heidi Hansen (see Heidi’s blog) Charles Jeteter (see Charles’ blog) Tom Johnson Major Topics Discussed 1. Flossmanuals.net Will this new wiki/help authoring/publishing tool hybrid take off? Flossmanuals.net: free manuals about free software About Flossmanuals Charles’ post on Flossmanuals: Getting FLOSSy: Acrobat Killer or HAT Replacement? Anne Gentle on Booksprint Results 2. Google Chrome’s comic book white paper What can technical writers learn from Google’s Chrome comic book? Google’s Comic Book White P... Download MP3 (right-click and select Save Target As to download) Duration: 45 min. Having taken a three-month podcasting break, it feels good to be back. In this podcast, I talk with Charles Jeter and Heidi Hansen about what’s new in the field of technical communication. See the sections below for the four main topics we discuss. Note: If you’ve never listened to a podcast before, see my brief page on How to Listen to Podcasts. Hosts Heidi Hansen (see Heidi’s blog) Charles Jeteter (see Charles’ blog) Tom Johnson Major Topics Discussed 1. Flossmanuals.net Will this new wiki/help authoring/publishing tool hybrid take off? Flossmanuals.net: free manuals about free software About Flossmanuals Charles’ post on Flossmanuals: Getting FLOSSy: Acrobat Killer or HAT Replacement? Anne Gentle on Booksprint Results 2. Google Chrome’s comic book white paper What can technical writers learn from Google’s Chrome comic book? Google’s Comic Book White Paper Discussion of the comic book on Techwr-l 3. “Why I Hate PDFs” Is the PDF a dying format? “Why I Hate PDFs,” by Mike Hughes “Some more PDF Haters,” by Noel Thethy 4. “Technical Writing — Look Before You Leap” Is a career in technical writing incompatible with a secret life as a creative writer? “Technical Writing — Look Before You Leap,” by Lain Chroust Ehmann Minor Topics Mentioned The following links point to topics briefly mentioned during the podcast: Articulate Silke Fleisher going around the world Silke work with bicycles Writer River WordPress as a Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde application Pete’s comment about the interview style of podcasting Interview of a person who actually uses DITA in real life Captivate Anne Gentle’s blog Uncompetition (Peer Review) at the Puget Sound Chapter Howcast.com Free PDF Alternatives WordPress seminars Contest to win a free copy of Flare 4 Technical writing in India Intercom Online Technical Communication Journal Keeping up with the latest technologies (chat transcript) Reasons for the break in podcasting Curt Rosengren’s blog Sharon Burton’s blog Charles’ podcast with Mike Hamilton last year Other Podcasts You Might Like If you like the Tech Writer Voices podcast, you’ll also like Alistair Christie’s IT Author podcast and the DMN Communications podcast. Check them out. Alistair has recently posted two new podcasts within the past couple of weeks. I also enjoy This Week in Tech and the WordPress Podcast. Download MP3 (right-click and select Save Target As to download) Duration: 45 min. Having taken a three-month podcasting break, it feels good to be back. In this podcast, I talk with Charles Jeter and Heidi Hansen about what’s new in the field of technical communication. See the sections below for the four main topics we discuss. Note: If you’ve never listened to a podcast before, see my brief page on How to Listen to Podcasts. Hosts Heidi Hansen (see Heidi’s blog) Charles Jeteter (see Charles’ blog) Tom Johnson Major Topics Discussed 1. Flossmanuals.net Will this new wiki/help authoring/publishing tool hybrid take off? Flossmanuals.net: free manuals about free software About Flossmanuals Charles’ post on Flossmanuals: Getting FLOSSy: Acrobat Killer or HAT Replacement? Anne Gentle on Booksprint Results 2. Google Chrome’s comic book white paper What can technical writers learn from Google’s Chrome comic book? Google’s Comic Book White Paper Discussion of the comic book on Techwr-l 3. “Why I Hate PDFs” Is the PDF a dying format? “Why I Hate PDFs,” by Mike Hughes “Some more PDF Haters,” by Noel Thethy 4. “Technical Writing — Look Before You Leap” Is a career in technical writing incompatible with a secret life as a creative writer? “Technical Writing — Look Before You Leap,” by Lain Chroust Ehmann Minor Topics Mentioned The following links point to topics briefly mentioned during the podcast: Articulate Silke Fleisher going around the world Silke work with bicycles Writer River WordPress as a Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde application Pete’s comment about the interview style of podcasting Interview of a person who actually uses DITA in real life Captivate Anne Gentle’s blog Uncompetition (Peer Review) at the Puget Sound Chapter Howcast.com Free PDF Alternatives WordPress seminars Contest to win a free copy of Flare 4 Technical writing in India Intercom Online Technical Communication Journal Keeping up with the latest technologies (chat transcript) Reasons for the break in podcasting Curt Rosengren’s blog Sharon Burton’s blog Charles’ podcast with Mike Hamilton last year Other Podcasts You Might Like If you like the Tech Writer Voices podcast, you’ll also like Alistair Christie’s IT Author podcast and the DMN Communications podcast. Check them out. Alistair has recently posted two new podcasts within the past couple of weeks. I also enjoy This Week in Tech and the WordPress Podcast. tag:odeo.com,2008-09-04,23251475 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:41:29 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Tech Writer Voices http://odeo.com/episodes/23040758-Interview-with-Me-in-TechCraft Rahul Prabhakar, editor of the TechCraft newsletter, which accompanies the Technical Writers of India listserv, published an interview with me in the latest issue (June 2008). You can read it here: Techcraft e-Newsletter Volume 38 June 2008. It’s in the “Writer of the Month” section at the end. (You can also log into Yahoo and read it here by going to the June 2008 folder, but Rahul gave me permission to post the PDF directly.) Tech Writers of India (TWI) is one of the most popular listservs in India, with exactly 2,753 members as of this post. What’s the interview all about? Me, of course. First we discuss my childhood, then my teenage years, I explain all the places I’ve lived …. Just kidding. It’s an interview about how I fell into technical writing, blogging, and other online mischief, like WriterRiver.com and podcasting. By the way, I met Rahul at the STC Summit in Philadelphia last month. He’s a genuinely nice guy who was excited... Rahul Prabhakar, editor of the TechCraft newsletter, which accompanies the Technical Writers of India listserv, published an interview with me in the latest issue (June 2008). You can read it here: Techcraft e-Newsletter Volume 38 June 2008. It’s in the “Writer of the Month” section at the end. (You can also log into Yahoo and read it here by going to the June 2008 folder, but Rahul gave me permission to post the PDF directly.) Tech Writers of India (TWI) is one of the most popular listservs in India, with exactly 2,753 members as of this post. What’s the interview all about? Me, of course. First we discuss my childhood, then my teenage years, I explain all the places I’ve lived …. Just kidding. It’s an interview about how I fell into technical writing, blogging, and other online mischief, like WriterRiver.com and podcasting. By the way, I met Rahul at the STC Summit in Philadelphia last month. He’s a genuinely nice guy who was excited by the Philadelphia scene. You can read more about the Technical Writers of India listserv here. If you’re a reader from the TWI listserv who landed on my blog, consider subscribing to my RSS feed (see the Subscription options in the upper-left). Rahul Prabhakar, editor of the TechCraft newsletter, which accompanies the Technical Writers of India listserv, published an interview with me in the latest issue (June 2008). You can read it here: Techcraft e-Newsletter Volume 38 June 2008. It’s in the “Writer of the Month” section at the end. (You can also log into Yahoo and read it here by going to the June 2008 folder, but Rahul gave me permission to post the PDF directly.) Tech Writers of India (TWI) is one of the most popular listservs in India, with exactly 2,753 members as of this post. What’s the interview all about? Me, of course. First we discuss my childhood, then my teenage years, I explain all the places I’ve lived …. Just kidding. It’s an interview about how I fell into technical writing, blogging, and other online mischief, like WriterRiver.com and podcasting. By the way, I met Rahul at the STC Summit in Philadelphia last month. He’s a genuinely nice guy who was excited by the Philadelphia scene. You can read more about the Technical Writers of India listserv here. If you’re a reader from the TWI listserv who landed on my blog, consider subscribing to my RSS feed (see the Subscription options in the upper-left). tag:odeo.com,2008-06-30,23040758 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:27:02 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Writing, India, Tech Writer Voices, Rahul Prabhakar, TechCraft, Tech Writers of India, Becoming a Technical Writer http://odeo.com/episodes/22572907-Podcast-Using-Video-in-Training-and-Documentation-Interview-with-Todd-O%E2%80%99Neill Download MP3 Duration: 20 min. In this podcast, rich media specialist Todd O’Neill explains how to add video to your training and documentation deliverables. Many technical writers are intimidated by the learning curve, equipment costs, and software they think they need to create video, but actually you can create engaging videos with minimal equipment (e.g., $150 for a Flip video camera) and using software you probably already have (e.g, Windows Movie Maker or iMovie). In this podcast, Todd lays out the basics for those who know nothing about video. He explains the equipment you need, techniques for minimizing editing time, ways to publish the video online, filming techniques to focus on, and creative ways to package your video for your users. For more information, see Todd O’Neill’s blog at http://doingmedia.net. Note: I recorded this podcast at Doc Train 2008 in Vancouver, Canada. Download MP3 Duration: 20 min. In this podcast, rich media specialist Todd O’Neill explains how to add video to your training and documentation deliverables. Many technical writers are intimidated by the learning curve, equipment costs, and software they think they need to create video, but actually you can create engaging videos with minimal equipment (e.g., $150 for a Flip video camera) and using software you probably already have (e.g, Windows Movie Maker or iMovie). In this podcast, Todd lays out the basics for those who know nothing about video. He explains the equipment you need, techniques for minimizing editing time, ways to publish the video online, filming techniques to focus on, and creative ways to package your video for your users. For more information, see Todd O’Neill’s blog at http://doingmedia.net. Note: I recorded this podcast at Doc Train 2008 in Vancouver, Canada. Download MP3 Duration: 20 min. In this podcast, rich media specialist Todd O’Neill explains how to add video to your training and documentation deliverables. Many technical writers are intimidated by the learning curve, equipment costs, and software they think they need to create video, but actually you can create engaging videos with minimal equipment (e.g., $150 for a Flip video camera) and using software you probably already have (e.g, Windows Movie Maker or iMovie). In this podcast, Todd lays out the basics for those who know nothing about video. He explains the equipment you need, techniques for minimizing editing time, ways to publish the video online, filming techniques to focus on, and creative ways to package your video for your users. For more information, see Todd O’Neill’s blog at http://doingmedia.net. Note: I recorded this podcast at Doc Train 2008 in Vancouver, Canada. tag:odeo.com,2008-05-31,22572907 Sat, 31 May 2008 20:52:56 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts video, Tech Writer Voices, Technical Writing, Doc Train 2008, flip camera, todd o'neill, rich media http://odeo.com/episodes/22572908-Podcast-Analyzing-Your-Users-and-Needs-Before-Creating-the-Help-Deliverables-Interview-with-Nicky-Bleiel Download MP3 Duration: 10 min. With all the buzz about web 2.0 deliverables, it’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy and think we need to quickly create blogs, wikis, social networks, podcasts, videos, and other new media for our users. Actually, we have to step back and analyze our users and their needs before creating any help deliverables at all. In this podcast, Nicky Bleiel says we should talk to as many users as we can — conducting on-site visits, sending surveys, gathering information from Marketing, Support, and other departments — so we can have a better understanding of our users’ needs and the formats and mediums that will work best for them. After completing this audience and needs analysis, we can then go out and create the deliverables that will best serve our users. She also recommends the book Groundswell, by Charlene Li and Josh Burnoff, to get a better understanding of how to measure web 2.0 success. Nicky Bleiel is an STC director at large and works for Component... Download MP3 Duration: 10 min. With all the buzz about web 2.0 deliverables, it’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy and think we need to quickly create blogs, wikis, social networks, podcasts, videos, and other new media for our users. Actually, we have to step back and analyze our users and their needs before creating any help deliverables at all. In this podcast, Nicky Bleiel says we should talk to as many users as we can — conducting on-site visits, sending surveys, gathering information from Marketing, Support, and other departments — so we can have a better understanding of our users’ needs and the formats and mediums that will work best for them. After completing this audience and needs analysis, we can then go out and create the deliverables that will best serve our users. She also recommends the book Groundswell, by Charlene Li and Josh Burnoff, to get a better understanding of how to measure web 2.0 success. Nicky Bleiel is an STC director at large and works for ComponentOne, which makes the Doc-to-Help authoring software. For more information on Nicky Bleiel, see her bio page and visit her new blog. Note: I recorded this podcast at Doc Train West 2008 in Vancouver, Canada. Download MP3 Duration: 10 min. With all the buzz about web 2.0 deliverables, it’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy and think we need to quickly create blogs, wikis, social networks, podcasts, videos, and other new media for our users. Actually, we have to step back and analyze our users and their needs before creating any help deliverables at all. In this podcast, Nicky Bleiel says we should talk to as many users as we can — conducting on-site visits, sending surveys, gathering information from Marketing, Support, and other departments — so we can have a better understanding of our users’ needs and the formats and mediums that will work best for them. After completing this audience and needs analysis, we can then go out and create the deliverables that will best serve our users. She also recommends the book Groundswell, by Charlene Li and Josh Burnoff, to get a better understanding of how to measure web 2.0 success. Nicky Bleiel is an STC director at large and works for ComponentOne, which makes the Doc-to-Help authoring software. For more information on Nicky Bleiel, see her bio page and visit her new blog. Note: I recorded this podcast at Doc Train West 2008 in Vancouver, Canada. tag:odeo.com,2008-05-31,22572908 Sat, 31 May 2008 20:33:51 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Web 2.0, Tech Writer Voices, Technical Writing, Groundswell, audience analysis, needs analysis, nicky bleiel http://odeo.com/episodes/22569371-Podcast-How-to-Create-User-Centered-Documentation-Interview-with-Joe-Sokohl Download MP3 Duration: 15 min. In this podcast, Joe Sokohl explains how to create user-centered documentation by contacting, observing, and interviewing users to gather information about what types of information they use and the help deliverables they actually want. In his experience, Joe found that almost no one used the user manual, but instead wanted quick information for specific tasks. The users hated stand-up training with PowerPoint slides (what the execs thought users needed), and instead wanted hands-on experience with the real system. Creating user-centered documention requires technical writers to to break the standard (and ridiculous) rule of not contacting the user, to get out of their shells and interact and interview others, and to often challenge standards and assumptions from executives. It may be hard, but doing so is essential, because if you end up creating the wrong deliverables, all your efforts to create help may be irrelevant and useless. In the podcast, Joe... Download MP3 Duration: 15 min. In this podcast, Joe Sokohl explains how to create user-centered documentation by contacting, observing, and interviewing users to gather information about what types of information they use and the help deliverables they actually want. In his experience, Joe found that almost no one used the user manual, but instead wanted quick information for specific tasks. The users hated stand-up training with PowerPoint slides (what the execs thought users needed), and instead wanted hands-on experience with the real system. Creating user-centered documention requires technical writers to to break the standard (and ridiculous) rule of not contacting the user, to get out of their shells and interact and interview others, and to often challenge standards and assumptions from executives. It may be hard, but doing so is essential, because if you end up creating the wrong deliverables, all your efforts to create help may be irrelevant and useless. In the podcast, Joe recommends a number of books: About Face, by Alan Cooper (cooperdesign.com) The Design of Everyday Things, by Don Norman Emotional Design, by Don Norman Observing the User Experience, by Mike Kuniavsky Communicating Design, by Dan Brown  Blueprints for Information Architecture, christina Wodtke Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, Peter Morville and Louis Rosenfeld For more information on Joe Sokohl, see his blog here. Also, I blogged about this presentation earlier here. Download MP3 Duration: 15 min. In this podcast, Joe Sokohl explains how to create user-centered documentation by contacting, observing, and interviewing users to gather information about what types of information they use and the help deliverables they actually want. In his experience, Joe found that almost no one used the user manual, but instead wanted quick information for specific tasks. The users hated stand-up training with PowerPoint slides (what the execs thought users needed), and instead wanted hands-on experience with the real system. Creating user-centered documention requires technical writers to to break the standard (and ridiculous) rule of not contacting the user, to get out of their shells and interact and interview others, and to often challenge standards and assumptions from executives. It may be hard, but doing so is essential, because if you end up creating the wrong deliverables, all your efforts to create help may be irrelevant and useless. In the podcast, Joe recommends a number of books: About Face, by Alan Cooper (cooperdesign.com) The Design of Everyday Things, by Don Norman Emotional Design, by Don Norman Observing the User Experience, by Mike Kuniavsky Communicating Design, by Dan Brown  Blueprints for Information Architecture, christina Wodtke Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, Peter Morville and Louis Rosenfeld For more information on Joe Sokohl, see his blog here. Also, I blogged about this presentation earlier here. tag:odeo.com,2008-05-30,22569371 Fri, 30 May 2008 06:46:07 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Tech Writer Voices, user experience, user ethnography, Joe Sokohl http://odeo.com/episodes/22557615-Thinking-About-a-More-Personal-Style-of-Podcasting You can either listen to this post as a mini-podcast or just read it. They’re mostly the same, but not entirely. Download MP3 Duration: 7 min. I listened to a couple of podcasts back to back tonight that, taken alone, might not have had as strong an impact on me as they did together. The first was Mark Gates’ “Musings of a Tech Writer — Episode 21,” in which he lists the top 10 most annoying things podcasters do. Then I listened to Scott Nesbitt’s interview of Theresa Mulvihill Talbot about XML. Both are excellent podcasts, but I realized that I’m more drawn by the personal podcast, even if it’s not as informative. This caused me to seriously reflect because almost all of my podcasts are interview-driven podcasts. I pick someone knowledgeable about a suject I’m interested in, think of a handful of questions, and then call them up and interview them. This approach works fairly well to generate content easily and quickly, without r... You can either listen to this post as a mini-podcast or just read it. They’re mostly the same, but not entirely. Download MP3 Duration: 7 min. I listened to a couple of podcasts back to back tonight that, taken alone, might not have had as strong an impact on me as they did together. The first was Mark Gates’ “Musings of a Tech Writer — Episode 21,” in which he lists the top 10 most annoying things podcasters do. Then I listened to Scott Nesbitt’s interview of Theresa Mulvihill Talbot about XML. Both are excellent podcasts, but I realized that I’m more drawn by the personal podcast, even if it’s not as informative. This caused me to seriously reflect because almost all of my podcasts are interview-driven podcasts. I pick someone knowledgeable about a suject I’m interested in, think of a handful of questions, and then call them up and interview them. This approach works fairly well to generate content easily and quickly, without requiring much preparation on my part. However, it’s not as powerful as the personal podcast, nor even as engaging as the cohost podcast. Given my affinity for personal essays, I want to move in the direction of the personal podcast as well, only I think I’ll either try to read my essays in a non-reading voice, or use them as an outline, or something, I’m not sure — I want to bring my audio endeavors more back to my own writing. Mark’s number 2 thing that drives him crazy about podcasts is as follows: Podcasters who take their show and themselves very seriously. This is another point that made me stop and think. People have been telling me I take things too seriously all my life. In fact, on the very first date with my wife, nearly 10 years ago, she said something similar, like, “Tom, do you really take things so seriously?” At the time, we were English majors reading and talking about people like Whitman and Chaucer, and it was easy to talk about the books we were reading as if they were the sine qua non of a well-lived life. At least my career in technical writing has taught me to lighten up a bit, since a technical manual isn’t nearly as important as Leaves of Grass. You can either listen to this post as a mini-podcast or just read it. They’re mostly the same, but not entirely. Download MP3 Duration: 7 min. I listened to a couple of podcasts back to back tonight that, taken alone, might not have had as strong an impact on me as they did together. The first was Mark Gates’ “Musings of a Tech Writer — Episode 21,” in which he lists the top 10 most annoying things podcasters do. Then I listened to Scott Nesbitt’s interview of Theresa Mulvihill Talbot about XML. Both are excellent podcasts, but I realized that I’m more drawn by the personal podcast, even if it’s not as informative. This caused me to seriously reflect because almost all of my podcasts are interview-driven podcasts. I pick someone knowledgeable about a suject I’m interested in, think of a handful of questions, and then call them up and interview them. This approach works fairly well to generate content easily and quickly, without requiring much preparation on my part. However, it’s not as powerful as the personal podcast, nor even as engaging as the cohost podcast. Given my affinity for personal essays, I want to move in the direction of the personal podcast as well, only I think I’ll either try to read my essays in a non-reading voice, or use them as an outline, or something, I’m not sure — I want to bring my audio endeavors more back to my own writing. Mark’s number 2 thing that drives him crazy about podcasts is as follows: Podcasters who take their show and themselves very seriously. This is another point that made me stop and think. People have been telling me I take things too seriously all my life. In fact, on the very first date with my wife, nearly 10 years ago, she said something similar, like, “Tom, do you really take things so seriously?” At the time, we were English majors reading and talking about people like Whitman and Chaucer, and it was easy to talk about the books we were reading as if they were the sine qua non of a well-lived life. At least my career in technical writing has taught me to lighten up a bit, since a technical manual isn’t nearly as important as Leaves of Grass. tag:odeo.com,2008-05-26,22557615 Mon, 26 May 2008 23:11:57 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Podcasting, Tech Writer Voices, whitman, Scott Nesbitt, chaucer, mark gates, personal podcast http://odeo.com/episodes/22554548-Podcast-Workspaces-Collaboration-and-Information-Sharing-%E2%80%94-Interview-with-Emma-Hamer Download MP3 Duration: 15 min. IT project teams often need to increase collaboration and communication, but they’re hampered by the cubicle walls and other physical silos they set up in the workplace. These physical obstacles force teams to have frequent meetings — which can be long and inefficient — just to keep each other updated. In this podcast, Emma Hamer talks about both physical and virtual workspaces that project teams need to increase their performance. She also outlines the rationale for teams to gather better feedback from users, project members, and others who aren’t domain experts. For more information, see Emma’s website at http://hamer-associates.ca. Note: I interviewed Emma at the Doc Train 2008 conference in Vancouver. You can also listen my previous interview with Emma on performance and collaboration here. Download MP3 Duration: 15 min. IT project teams often need to increase collaboration and communication, but they’re hampered by the cubicle walls and other physical silos they set up in the workplace. These physical obstacles force teams to have frequent meetings — which can be long and inefficient — just to keep each other updated. In this podcast, Emma Hamer talks about both physical and virtual workspaces that project teams need to increase their performance. She also outlines the rationale for teams to gather better feedback from users, project members, and others who aren’t domain experts. For more information, see Emma’s website at http://hamer-associates.ca. Note: I interviewed Emma at the Doc Train 2008 conference in Vancouver. You can also listen my previous interview with Emma on performance and collaboration here. Download MP3 Duration: 15 min. IT project teams often need to increase collaboration and communication, but they’re hampered by the cubicle walls and other physical silos they set up in the workplace. These physical obstacles force teams to have frequent meetings — which can be long and inefficient — just to keep each other updated. In this podcast, Emma Hamer talks about both physical and virtual workspaces that project teams need to increase their performance. She also outlines the rationale for teams to gather better feedback from users, project members, and others who aren’t domain experts. For more information, see Emma’s website at http://hamer-associates.ca. Note: I interviewed Emma at the Doc Train 2008 conference in Vancouver. You can also listen my previous interview with Emma on performance and collaboration here. tag:odeo.com,2008-05-25,22554548 Sun, 25 May 2008 06:52:20 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts Collaboration, Tech Writer Voices, Emma Hamer, information sharing, Doc Train 2008 http://odeo.com/episodes/22554549-Podcast-Why-Content-Management-Projects-Fail-Interview-with-Rahel-Bailie Download MP3 Duration: 27 min. Many content management projects fail because organizations are either too focused on tools before properly researching their needs and processes, or because they underestimate the difficulty of migrating and restructuring their content to fit the new content management system. In this podcast, Rahel Bailie explains these pitfalls and what companies can do to avoid them, as well as how companies can climb out of problems they’re currently in. Rahel also talks about how technical communicators can influence business executives and other key stakeholders to make better decisions about content management. For more information, see Rahel’s website at intentionaldesign.ca. Rahel is also organizing the next Content, Convergence Conference, & Integration Conference in Vancouver, which is scheduled for September 2009. Note: I interviewed Rahel at the Doc Train 2008 conference in Vancouver. Download MP3 Duration: 27 min. Many content management projects fail because organizations are either too focused on tools before properly researching their needs and processes, or because they underestimate the difficulty of migrating and restructuring their content to fit the new content management system. In this podcast, Rahel Bailie explains these pitfalls and what companies can do to avoid them, as well as how companies can climb out of problems they’re currently in. Rahel also talks about how technical communicators can influence business executives and other key stakeholders to make better decisions about content management. For more information, see Rahel’s website at intentionaldesign.ca. Rahel is also organizing the next Content, Convergence Conference, & Integration Conference in Vancouver, which is scheduled for September 2009. Note: I interviewed Rahel at the Doc Train 2008 conference in Vancouver. Download MP3 Duration: 27 min. Many content management projects fail because organizations are either too focused on tools before properly researching their needs and processes, or because they underestimate the difficulty of migrating and restructuring their content to fit the new content management system. In this podcast, Rahel Bailie explains these pitfalls and what companies can do to avoid them, as well as how companies can climb out of problems they’re currently in. Rahel also talks about how technical communicators can influence business executives and other key stakeholders to make better decisions about content management. For more information, see Rahel’s website at intentionaldesign.ca. Rahel is also organizing the next Content, Convergence Conference, & Integration Conference in Vancouver, which is scheduled for September 2009. Note: I interviewed Rahel at the Doc Train 2008 conference in Vancouver. tag:odeo.com,2008-05-25,22554549 Sun, 25 May 2008 06:36:16 -0700 no I'd Rather Be Writing - Tom Johnson » Podcasts content management, Tech Writer Voices, Doc Train 2008, Rahel Bailie