Post by Noel Atzmiller I spent some time this week, preparing my topics for the up-coming meeting at the University of Houston-Downtown campus in April. At this meeting, I plan to discuss some documents on which Technical Communicators might work at an oilfield services company. While I collected the document samples, I quickly thought of … Continue reading Valuable Abilities for the Technical Communicator in the Oil Industry
Not the Post You Are Expecting
This may seem like it is another predictable Presidential recap of a successful year with STC.You may expect a detailed listing of a year filled with fun networking events, memorable speakers and discussions at program meetings, and outstanding workshops with top presenters. Yes, I could discuss all of those things, because it truly HAS been that great … Continue reading Not the Post You Are Expecting
Technical Communication and Marketing Presentation
by Erika Frensley Technical Communication and MarketingI am posting the presentation for the March 11 meeting, Technical communication and Marketing, per request by members who were not able to attend the meeting.Technical Communication, even basic reference and user manuals, is often used as a marketing tool for your product, even if you don’t realize it. Erika … Continue reading Technical Communication and Marketing Presentation
Why I Joined STC Houston
By Crystal Johnson Sr. Technical Writer, Litton Loan Servicing Direct Member Services, STC-Houston I fell into the Technical Communication field by default. You see, I’m one of those folks that actually majored in the field instead of just “falling into it because of job scope creep,” mostly because I stink at math and logic. Apparently, … Continue reading Why I Joined STC Houston
DOS Lives!
By Robert Delwood Senior Programmer Writer The death of DOS has been widely announced or at least assumed. The arrival of Windows 95 formally replaced it. Technically, DOS lingers on. Windows Vista still has the core files, but they’re accessable only from a special startup disk. Since Windows ME, DOS has been officially known as DOS 8.0. There is even a … Continue reading DOS Lives!
Pragmatic Thinking: You Can Learn How to Learn
Pragmatic Thinking and Learning: Refactor Your Wetware Author: Andy Hunt O’Reilly Books, 2008 Pages: 271 ISBN 10: 1-934356-05-0/ ISBN 13: 978-1-934356-05-0 MSRP: $34.95 http://oreilly.com/catalog/9781934356050/ Book Review by Robert Delwood, Senior Programmer Writer Let’s take a moment to stop learning about something and start learning about learning. That is, let’s try to understand how we … Continue reading Pragmatic Thinking: You Can Learn How to Learn
Smart Volunteering
Giving of Your Time Effectively By Guy Ball, OCSTC Senior Member What if I told you that you could learn new skills on someone else’s dime, try out new ideas with a “client” who is just appreciative that you’re helping, and maybe even network yourself into a new job or a new direction in … Continue reading Smart Volunteering
What Can Abraham Lincoln Teach Us About Technical Writing?
by George Slaughter Senior Technical Writer, The Integrity Group Former President Abraham Lincoln has been in the news lately as the nation remembers the 200th anniversary of his birth on February 12. In examining Lincoln’s journey from log cabin to the White House, we can draw lessons in persistence, dealing with criticism and tragedy, and … Continue reading What Can Abraham Lincoln Teach Us About Technical Writing?
Five Tips for More Effective Networking
by George Slaughter Senior Technical Writer, The Integrity Group In turbulent economic times, the value of networking takes on an even greater importance than it otherwise has. The following five tips can make your networking more effective. First, master your “elevator speech,” your one-sentence response to someone who asks what you do. For example, you might … Continue reading Five Tips for More Effective Networking
Slide:ology to PowerPoint’s Rescue
"Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations" by Nancy Duarte O’Reilly Books, 2008 Pages: 294 ISBN 10: 0-596-52234-7/ISBN 13: 9780596522346 MSRP: $34.99 http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596522346/ by Robert Delwood, STC Houston Member and Senior Programmer Writer “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him PowerPoint." This would … Continue reading Slide:ology to PowerPoint’s Rescue