You have done a task analysis, asked your subject matter experts (SMEs) a multitude of questions, created drafts, worked with the software, reported bugs, and so on. Now, it is time to do a thorough review of your content before you hand it off to be reviewed for sign off. Before you press Send, do … Continue reading 7 Tips for Proofing your Online Help
When did I turn into a leader – six tips to getting your colleagues to want to work with you
I have never thought of myself as a leader. I am just me. I do my job. I am pretty enthusiastic because I love my job and the people. But, I think it is starting to sink in that I might actually be considered a leader. I am not sure if I was always one, … Continue reading When did I turn into a leader – six tips to getting your colleagues to want to work with you
Did I earn R.E.S.P.E.C.T.?
Ah, we as Technical Writers deal with this often. Lack of respect. Right? Although there is often a low simmer of this, I had somewhat forgotten about it because I have been fortunate enough to work with people who either respect what I do or at least pretend to. Last night, I stepped right back … Continue reading Did I earn R.E.S.P.E.C.T.?
You let me out of the cage, now you want to put me back in?
I am a telecommuter. I work from home full time. I have been doing it for several years at my current job, and I have done it in the past as well. It is the way I work best. Telecommuting is not for everyone. Friends wonder if I stare at the laundry or think about … Continue reading You let me out of the cage, now you want to put me back in?
Why conrefs are wonderful
I am currently documenting a command line interface that supports CRUD (Create, Read, Update, and Delete) operations for a variety of objects. As you can imagine, every object uses many of the same arguments. For example, when creating an object, the user can: Describe the object Activate the object Identify the type of data the … Continue reading Why conrefs are wonderful
Four examples of Embedded Help. Do you offer this to your users?
If you have read my article, What IS it that you do?, then you might already know that one of my passions is helping my customers. One of the ways that I do this is by writing embedded help. Embedded help is user assistance that is integrated into the user interface so that users can get … Continue reading Four examples of Embedded Help. Do you offer this to your users?
What IS it that you do?
While working for a smaller company, fulfilling many roles, my title didn't matter, and it never changed. This didn't affect me until the company I worked for was acquired in 2014. The larger organization did a mapping by title, and I fell directly into the Information Development (ID) department. I was not happy. I had … Continue reading What IS it that you do?
Happiness is Collaboration
The best part of my day is when I collaborate with my colleagues. No matter what else is going on, after I spend an hour or so working work with a User Experience Designer to review prototypes, a fellow Information Developer (ID) to create the best embedded help possible, or an engineer to understand application details to … Continue reading Happiness is Collaboration
Time to Pause the Technology
I finally hit my limit. I use technology all day at work. I come home and have my phone tethered to me. I am emailing and texting to set up plans, communicating with teachers, planning rides for my children, checking Facebook and LinkedIn endlessly, catching up on work- the list goes on and on. My … Continue reading Time to Pause the Technology
A little positivity and optimism for your day
If you haven't seen this, it's worth your time - Neil Pasricha's TED talk: The 3 A's of awesome
Originally published October 1, 2014
Tara English-Sweeney 