STC Four Lakes Podcast Series - STC Executive Director Susan Burton

Four Lakes President Keith Hoffman interviews STC Executive Director Susan Burton
Listen by clicking the link above. No iPod required. Susan discusses the big things happening with STC, gives an overview of the annual conference in Minneapolis, and shares her view on the future of the technical communication profession.

Two new Job postings: 1 in Madison; 1 telecommute

Several new jobs have been posted to the STC 4 Lakes web site employment section. Codeworks Inc is looking for up to 3 technical writers for a client on the West Side of Madison. Also, Sylantro Systems out of the Bay area is looking for a technical writer - this is a telecommute position.

Thanks!

Chad Beery
STC 4 Lakes Board Member
IBM - Rational Software

Listen to Our First Edition of the STC 4 Lakes Podcast!

STC 4 Lakes Podcast Series
Podcast - Interview with Traci Kelly from UW 11/02/2006
My interview with Traci Kelly from the University of Wisconsin Technical Communication certificate program.

Listen in by clicking the link above. No iPod required. Traci is helping the studens organize their own technical communication organization, which will eventually be affiliated with STC, and is also looking for help. In the spring semester, she is teaching a class titled "User Manuals and Software Documentation." She has four things in mind:

1. Would any members be willing to contribute hardcopy examples of user manuals/software docs that I could use as examples in class?
2. Are there any small projects that members might be willing to share and let a team of students work on as a "real" case?
3. Could members donate any time to speak to my students about the processes that they follow to develop docs for manuals or software support?
4. Would any member be willing to speak to the TCOM folks about globalization, global Englishes, patent writing, or grant writing?

Keith Hoffman - President, STC Four Lakes

Podcasting Tool Kit

Hi everyone. It's taken a while, but I wanted to post links to the software that makes up my podcasting tool kit, as I mentioned in my Writing Web 2.0 presentation last month. So, here they are.

http://www.skype.com/. Skype is free Internet telephony software. It has a conference feature, and calling from Skype to landlines is free until the end of this year. A great way to setup interviews at no cost.

www.pamela-systems.com. Pamela for Skype allows you to record your Skype calls. We use this on our Fanstar411 Podcast. Works very well, though it does cost $20 for the full feature version needed to record Skype.

http://www.gigavox.com/levelator. The Levelator is a great, great tool. No more loud voice from one person, and quiet voice from the next. Simply drag and drop your audio file into the Levelator, and it adjusts it so the volume is consistent. And it's free. One of my favorite tools.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/. A great, free audio editing program. This software gives you everything you need to polish, mix, and render outstanding podcasts. It also allows you to record yourself, a great option if the podcast you're putting out is just your voice and not an interview.

Plantronics USB Headset. This is what I record with. It's a fantastic noise canceling headset. Search around the net for good deals, they're out there.

www.odeo.com. A great site to check out for basic podcasting. It's free, and has an online recorder. With just your mic or headset, it'll record and host your podcast for you. It also offers the ability to create a conference call phone number, and it'll record al parties that call in. Only downfall is the quality isn't quite as good as Skype. But, a great option since it's completely free.

Well, that's a few. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know.

Thanks.

Keith

Free Screen and Audio Recording Software

If you're looking for a great way to create demos and how-to videos by recording your screen, you could do a lot worse than CamStudio. It's a free alternative to Camtasia, and provides a lot of great features. Check it out:
http://www.camstudio.org/

AMA-Madison Hosts First Ever Power Hour

http://www.knupp-watson.com/ama/

We've invited hundreds of members from Madison organizations like Ad Fed, Public Relations Society of America, Association for Women in Communication, Sales & Marketing Executives, and Design Madison so you can really amplify your networking and mingle with some of the best marketing contacts in the area.

The theme for our October event naturally is Oktoberfest! So dust off your lederhosen and get ready to polka as you learn new ice breaker phrases?IN GERMAN! Register with your business card to be eligible to win fantastic prizes. And as always, there's plenty of free parking.

So mark your calendars to join us on Wednesday, October 18th at JT Whitney's from 4 to 7 pm.
A $5 cover will be charged for unlimited appetizers and tap beer or soda.

Bring a friend, bring two, bring five; we look forward to seeing everyone there!

Laura Rodriguez
VP Special Events - AMA Madison

Written communication is still greatest deficiency among new hires

I was just reading this article posted at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel web site and it highlighted some interesting statistics. A new report released on Monday states that written communication ranked highest of all deficiencies among new employees. More than 80% of the respondents said the high school graduates they hired had insufficient writing skills, compared with 47% for two-year and technical college graduates and 28% for four-year college grads.

The National Commission on Writing assembled a report last July concluding that writing is considered an even more important job requirement for the states' nearly 2.7 million employees than it is for the private-sector employees studied in the Commission's previous survey of leading U.S. businesses. State agencies were more likely to consider writing skills in hiring and promotion, and to require writing samples from applicants. However, based on survey responses, the Commission estimates that providing writing training for those employees who do not meet state standards costs state agencies about $221 million annually.

So while there is an obvious emphasis on writing from those doing the hiring, it seems that most new hires aren't equipped to write effectively, and the cost of teaching writing skills after they're hired is high.

So where is the disconnect? Is it between school and business? Curriculum and the real world? Or is it a trend spurred on by instant communication medium such as email, instant messaging, and all the tools that go with it?

New Job posting: Technical Writer; Madison, Wisconsin

We've added yet another new job posting on the STC 4 Lakes web site.

"As a member of a dedicated GE Healthcare documentation team, you will be generating materials and manuals pertaining to medical life support devices and will be involved in all phases of specific technical writing projects. This role will compose text for, organize, coordinate, and direct specifically assigned technical writing projects. Assignments will focus on preparation of technical literature that helps the end‑user safely and effectively operate or service the product. Such projects require a high level of intimacy with LSS products to keep current on technology."

For additional information on this job, as well as instructions on how to apply, visit the Employment page of the STC 4 Lakes Chapter web site.

Job posting: Technical Writer; Menomonie, Wisconsin

We've added a new job posting on the STC 4 Lakes web site.

"Phillips Plastics Corporation, a custom injection molder of plastic and metal, is seeking a Technical Writer at our facility in Menomonie, Wisconsin. This will be a three month contract with 20 to 30 hours per week."

For additional information on this job, as well as instructions on how to apply, visit the Employment page of the STC 4 Lakes Chapter web site.

Looking for a great way to network?

Try the September High Tech Happy Hour held on Thursday, September 21st. Take a look at the link for details!

Chad Beery
STC Board Member

Looking for a job in the software industry?

I'm not, but I stumbled upon a really nice job board on a well-known blog I read: Joel on Software. I've noticed several job openings around Madison, as well as regional cities such as Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Chicago.

The job board is simple to use and contains RSS feeds. Take a look!

Are there any other job boards/sites that you'd recommend?

Chad Beery
IBM - Rational Software

September Chapter Meeting Details

FREE Lunch and parking!!!

Come join us to hear chapter president Keith Hoffman discuss Web 2.0 and the implications it has on content developers.

When? Wednesday, September, 27th 2006 (11:30am to 1:00pm)

Where? Monona Terrace (in the Hall of Fame room)

Who? All STC 4 Lakes members (and potential new members that want to check out STC and a local chapter meeting.)

PLEASE RSVP by posting a comment to this blog entry; we'd like to give a somewhat accurate count to the catering staff. All you need to do is post a comment stating that you can make it -- no name or other contact information is required (just leave an anonymous post). You can also RSVP by emailing the STC 4 Lakes board at board@stc4lakes.org.

The August 2006 Technicalities Newsletter is now online! Thanks Michelle for all your hard work on the newsletter.

You can view it here.

Chad Beery
STC Four Lakes webmaster

On Kathy Sierra's Creating Passionate Users Blog, she wonders why it is that big budgets are spent on marketing to the customer up front, but not much is spent on marketing to existing customers via user manuals. It's a very valid question, and one technical writers have wondered for years.

However, the comments lead me to believe that some of the blame is being placed on technical writers, who just plain don't have the skill to design, write, and edit at the same time. But as I mentioned in my comments there, there certainly are a lot of assumptions flying around about what technical writers can do. It certainly seems like those in marketing communications professions somehow fancy themselves as more professional, and just plain better than a "technical writer with FrameMaker." But let's face facts. Techical Writers should be:

1. Advocates for the user

2. Skilled enough to add useful design elements

3. Able to convey complex user information in an easy to read way

If they're not doing this, you don't have the correct Technical Writer in place.
My educational background is in tech writing, and I currently work in marketing communications. These jobs aren't as different as some are trying to make them.

And check out Darren Barefoot's opposing view on his blog.

Technical Writer makes list of ten surprising six-figure jobs

So, I had a friend of mine email me today asking how it is that I make six figures as a technical writer. I laughed, then went to read the link he sent me. You can see for yourself on forbes.com. After laughing, I then went to check out last year's STC Salary Survey. There was a smattering of six figure salaries there, but most were based on several years of experience, or have a PhD. So, can anyone tell me where Forbes is getting their information? Am I the only technical writer not making six figures?

Keith Hoffman
President - STC Four Lakes

The Future of Technical Communication. Sounds like a pretty heady topic doesn't it? The most recent issue of Technical Communication dives head first into trends that will shape the profession, and what the academic community is doing to rethink how they prepare the next generation of technical communicators.

In my personal experience, one thing is becoming very clear. The traditional idea of a "Technical Writer" is quickly being abandoned. What I've seen first hand in my current work is that more value is placed on versatility and creativity, than just being able to write well.

At my company, Technical Writers no longer exist, and haven't for a long time. Don't get me wrong, that was my job title when I was hired, but it became apparent within the first few months on the job that it was really more than that. I was asked to switch from technical documentation, to marketing copywriting, to web writing. Every day was something new, and my job responsibilities grew exponentially.

So what does this mean to your average technical writer? Well, be prepared, and get educated. As employers put more value on versatility and creativity, you don't want to be left behind. That means keeping up with the latest trends, and figuring out how you can leverage new tools and processes to take your communication projects to the next level.

Keith Hoffman
President - STC Four Lakes

Welcome to the STC Four Lakes Blog. I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome you all back to another year of excitement.

The Four Lakes Board has been actively discussing program ideas for the 2006-2007 program year, and we're always open to hear your suggestions for topics. If you have any ideas, please email me at keith.hoffman@berbee.com, as I'd love to discuss them with you.

Along with this blog, we've also added an STC Four Lakes discussion list that connects Four Lakes members who are spread throughout Wisconsin. This is a very good resource for communications discussion, and I hope you will all take a moment to visit http://www.stc.ims.net/discussion/index.php to sign up for the list.

The board is meeting this week to nail down topics and dates, so please check out http://www.stc.ims.net/meetings/index.php?category_id=2087 in the next few weeks so you don't miss any meeting announcements.

In addition, Michelle Desnoyer is actively writing and editing the newest edition of the 4 Lakes Technicalities Newsletter. Our goal is to make this an informative, useful tool for our members. If you are interested in contributing, or would like to relay an article idea, please contact Michelle at midesnoyer@uwalumni.com.

Overall, we are very excited about the upcoming year. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. I look forward to speaking with you all soon.

Keith Hoffman
President - STC Four Lakes