Here’s an SWO Perk for You

Did you know that, as an STC-SWO member, you are part of a user group that gives you access to all kinds of reader-friendly perks. Here’s part of an open letter from Peachpit Press to you:

Dear User Group members,

Our countdown to 2009 is marked with the release of more than thirty new titles—the New Year’s Eve Ball in Times Square has nothing on us here at Peachpit!

We’re covering everything from how socially conscious design can change the world with David Berman’s Do Good Design, to innovative storytelling techniques that you can apply to all aspects of filmmaking and media production with Norman Hollyn’s The Lean Forward Moment. There are many more great titles coming your way, including new CS4 releases.

Have a wonderful Holiday and see you in ’09!
Jackie Hill
usergroups@peachpit.com
800.283.9444 x129

So here are the latest offers, just for you:

Writing for Visual Thinkers

From now until the end of the year, the Peachpit Press is offering SWO members a chance to review their new eBook, Writing for Visual Thinkers: A Guide for Artists and Designers, by Andrea Marks, an associate professor at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon.

Go to the Account Sign-In page on Peachpit.com and enter the following information to log in:
   • Email address: ppvideoreview@gmail.com
   • Password: facebook

This eBook presents ideas and methods that can help visual thinkers become better writers. It shows how to translate visual ideas into words that are just as compelling and thoughtful. The digital format enables live links to video and audio podcasts, relevant websites, exhibits, galleries and more. Let Peachpit Press know what you think—send feedback to usergroups@peachpit.com.

Interested in Writing Other Book Reviews?

If you’re interested in reviewing books, let us know. Your e-mail should list the following information IN THIS FORMAT:

GROUP NAME/YOUR NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE
QUANTITY
ISBN AND TITLE

You will have 90 days to complete a review, post it in Between the Lines, and send it to Peachpit Press. (Peachpit also asks  that reviewers try to post their reviews to Web sites such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Borders.)

Saving the Best for Last…

You can visit Peachpit.com to select a free monthly book. Remember, we will accept book requests for up to two weeks after you receive the monthly newsletter. You have to get your requests in by the deadline, so you can continue to enjoy great books for free!

Select the operating state for your group and click Submit. Select your group name from the pull-down menu and fill in ALL the required fields that follow. Please do not forget to include your phone number as this is now required for shipping. (Incomplete requests will not be processed.) If you experience any problems with the form, you can submit your monthly book selection directly to usergroups@peachpit.com.

What SWO Is Doing

Chapter President Louise Tincher cleared her desk and shared these notes with Between the Lines.

Tech Fest
SWO will participate in the seventh annual TechFest program on February 14 and 15, 2009. TechFest is a program of the Affiliate Societies Council (ASC) of Dayton designed to expose K-12 students to career options in science and technology. The Ponitz Center (Building 12), the Center for Interactive Learning (Building 14) and the AIM Center (Building 13) in Dayton, Ohio at Sinclair Community College is the location for this year’s program.

In 2008, 2600 youths during the two-day program. This year’s TechFest includes hands-on, interactive exhibits staffed with volunteer professionals from societies, companies, museums, universities and other technology organizations, including students, providing youth and family members exciting opportunities to investigate and discover a wide range of science, technology, engineering, math and medical (STEM) careers. In addition, a range of fun and captivating presentations and teacher workshops will be offered. This program is free to all with free parking under the Ponitz Center.

We need volunteers to setup the STC booth on Friday night, staff the booth on Saturday and Sunday, and provide portable PCs for our exhibit. For more information about TechFest and ASC, check the  ASC website.

SWO-STC February Meeting: Transitioning from MS Word 2003 to 2007
Our February 18 meeting will be a dial-in webinar. Stay warm and cozy while sharpening your skills. Bunny slippers optional.

Mad Anthony Writers’ Conference
To familiarize writers and businesses with technical communication as a profession, SWO has committed to supporting the Mad Anthony Writer’s Conference with a half-day seminar on technical communication Saturday March 14. Our chapter president has been working with conference organizer Nancy Schwab (nschwab@ywcahamilton.com). So far our planned presentations are as follows:

• Introduction to Technical Communication – Dr. Sandra Harner, Cedarville University
• Technical Communication and Your Bottom Line – Sylvia Miller, STC Associate Fellow
• Panel Discussion: Technical Communication as a Profession

We plan to have three or four people (volunteers, anyone?) for the panel discussion. We will also have the traveling exhibit of award-winning technical communications from the STC International 2007 competitions.

Free Madcap Software Webinars
MadCap Software is offering free tool-independent webinars. In this economy, everyone needs to make sure their skills are up to date and they’re current on the latest topics.

Towards that end, MadCap software is running a series of free webinars in first quarter 09. All but one are tool-independent. No sales pitches, no product pitches, just free training to help people update themselves. If these are successful, we’ll do more. It’s something we can give back to the community that makes us successful.

For more information and to sign up for one or more free webinar, go to http://madcapsoftware.com/training/webinars.aspx.

If you’re interested in presenting a topic in the future, contact Sharon Burton at sburton@madcapsoftware.com.

ST-What?

You get a blank look when you mention STC? even from some of your techcomm colleagues? That means it’s time.

• Time for you to break the code of silence that has shrouded our profession and our professional society since its inception at the dawn of technology.
• Time for you to spread the word about who we are, what we do, and how much we contribute to the 21st century zeitgeist.
• Time for you jump into the STC Member-Get-a-Member campaign. 

How do you do that, you wonder? Here are some suggestions from the STC web site:

1. Read Tips and Ideas.
2. Read Talking Points.
3. Find the membership application here.
4. Start recruiting.
5. If you have other questions, email Stacey O’Donnell or Lloyd Tucker.

And if the advancement of your profession is not sufficient incentive, here are some goodies that might interest you:

• For every ten members you recruit, your name will be entered to win: An Apple iPhone!
• For every five members you recruit, your name will be entered to win: One of three free, full conference registrations to the STC 2009 Technical Communication Summit (a $795 value!)
• For every three members you recruit, your name will be entered to win: Five free web seminars in 2009.
• For every member you recruit, your name will be entered to win: A free, twelve month membership for the 2009 membership year.

The prizes apply to recruiting all member categories except student. The campaign runs through 31 December 2008.  Awards will be announced in January 2009.

Reflections from a Leadership Day 2008 Panel

By Karen Mardahl, STC SIG Advocate
This is reprinted with permission from an article in the July 17 issue of Tieline, 

While participating in a panel on Leadership Day together with my colleagues in the SIG Advisory Council, I heard many ideas that inspired the thought "that would be a great Tieline article." The panel—Judith Herr, outgoing SIG Advocate and incoming STC Director; Dan Charles (Emerging Technologies); Richard Mateosian (Management SIG); Shari Gray (Lone Writer SIG); and me (AccessAbility SIG and incoming SIG Advocate)—covered a range of topics, including recruiting, motivating, and keeping volunteer leaders—virtually. This article contains just a few of the ideas shared that day.

Virtual vs. Physical

Let’s demystify one thing right away. In his own presentation, Richard Mateosian stated that "Virtual is the same as physical, it’s just different." I continued on that theme when I spoke. What we are doing as community leaders in STC is just life in miniature. We have tasks, deadlines, conflicts of interest, management issues, employee issues, and the list goes on.

So, work as a volunteer in STC is no different from so many other things we do. We don’t need to hesitate when we see the word "virtual." Of course, meeting people virtually is different. You don’t have the body language, the handshake, and other non-verbal forms of communication. We have been using email long enough now that we ought to know about netiquette and good old-fashioned values like respect and tolerance. Also, we are communicators, aren’t we? And professionals? We are already involved. Therefore, we can just move our very professional approach from the physical world to the virtual.

Recruiting

Now that we are in the virtual world, how do we get others to join in the fun that we’re having?

STC members should be clamoring for an opportunity to write for an STC publication or serve in some other capacity. According to some of the discussion lists within the Society, we want attention and respect as technical communicators. We claim that we love to write or that we have a huge body of knowledge in our heads concerning a specific tool or methodology. The Society has the proper forums for writing or sharing, from the discussion lists and STC Forum to the Technical Communication journal. The Society also allows us to put our ideas into action in the 150-plus communities of STC, both SIGs and chapters. We should be turning away the hordes, not begging for one solitary volunteer.

In another Tieline article I wrote (Invest in an STC Membership, October 2007) last year, I discussed the virtues of renewing STC memberships. I called it an investment. We are not talking about a passive investment like gold bars. Membership is an active investment. We all need to do something with our membership if we—and our Society—want to develop. It is up to us to prioritize and communicate our priorities, and we must respect our personal needs and the personal needs of others.

Don’t force tasks on volunteers. Instead, use the psychology you use in any life situation. Show or explain the value the volunteers will receive. They may not want to do a task for you, but you can nearly always get them to do something to benefit themselves! When you use a positive and constructive approach, you rarely, if ever, get negative results.

What’s in It of Me?

Once you prioritize time for involvement in STC activities, you have good opportunities to show your talents to your peers. Yes, it is scary. The technical communication community is a very difficult audience. But isn’t that a fantastic learning opportunity? If you can practice with a tough audience like STC members, your paying work should end up dazzling your customers.

Performing duties for the communities can always translate back to your job. Long-term members should realize this. We should find opportunities for new volunteers to do a task that has substance, but is less daunting. With smaller tasks, we can help develop their skills—and get work done for our community.

Never forget to point out the value in all tasks. All tasks should be treated with respect, and that should give you quality in return. This is also the time to consider whether you really need to get all those tasks completed. Perhaps your list of tasks is too long and too complex. Rethink your goals, and consider pruning your list. A less overwhelming list of duties may be all you need to attract new volunteers. Ultimately, I’d like to see people stop saying "what’s in it for me?" and start saying "what’s in it of me?" All attendees at the conference and those who could not attend have potential. Find out where you can give someone an opportunity to shine and give of themselves. Share your experiences-and shine-in a future Tieline article so we can all learn. Who’s first?

Society elections ended on April 14, 2008. The results will become official when they are announced at the next annual business meeting in Philadelphia on Monday, June 2.

Official Certifications

All online ballots were cast during the election period by eligible voters (only) using valid usernames and passwords via Votenet Solution’s SAS70 certified system, eBallot.

The certification and accompanying examination was done in accordance with the standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The eBallot election platform detected zero attempts of third party interference by rogue visitors.

Votenet technical officials have verified the vote collection and data storage algorithms that are a part of the eBallot election platform and have determined that the results are accurate.

Vote Breakdown

Important SWO News Item:
Past president  (at the SWO community and the international level) Thea Teich was elected to the Nominating Committee with a plurality of the votes cast!  And, adding honor to accomplishment, Thea will be named a Society Fellow at the Technical Summit in June. (You’ll read more about that in the next issue of BTL.)

Back to the Vote Count:
Out of the 1,134 votes cast, 57 were paper ballots. 12.67% of eligible members voted. A breakdown of the votes cast is listed below. The names of those elected are highlighted.

To fill the vacancies on the Board of Directors caused by the midterm resignations of STC directors Jeff Staples and Mike Murray, members elected five directors. The top three vote-getters among the director candidates will serve full three-year terms (from June 2008 through May 2011). Asterisks indicate those who will serve the remainders of Staples’s and Murray’s terms (until May 2009).

Second Vice President

Secretary

Director

Nominating Committee

You’ll Love Philadelphia!

But you’ll really love the Technical Communication Summit!

Why go to the Summit?

Listen to what Ron May (this month’s profiled member) has to say about the benefits of conference attendance:

My main motivation for attending has been the sessions. For example:

• I attended one session that changed the way I use Microsoft Word. The session was titled "Preventing Corruption in Microsoft Word Documents." Among other topics, this session spoke to the issue of how to prevent problems with autonumbering in long documents (a vexing problem).
• It has also been very helpful to speak directly to the Help Authoring Tool vendors that attend the conference. Many times these vendors will offer demo sessions.
• Meeting other technical writers from across the county can be fun. As you may recall from my profile, I enjoy motorcycles. At the Dallas session I talked at length with one of the tech writers at Honda who works on the team that writes the user manual for the Honda Gold Wing motorcycle.
• There is also quite an international presence at the annual conference. I have met writers from Germany, Finland and Israel.

Where in Philadelphia will you stay?

The official conference hotel for the Technical Communication Summit (June 1–4) is the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. STC encourages attendees to reserve rooms at the official hotel, which is connected via skywalk to the convention center where most activities and events will take place (several events are scheduled in the Marriott). The hotel has designated a block of rooms at lower rates during the conference available on a first-come basis. Other hotels are available several blocks away at higher room rates; however, there is no sponsored transportation available.

For each conference planned, STC negotiates a lower room rate and guarantees a set number of rooms will be reserved by attendees within the room block. This ensures an adequate number of rooms at the lower negotiated rate and discourages the host hotel from increasing room rates in response to a surge of reservations. If the room block is not fulfilled, STC must pay for unsold rooms within the block. Attendees who stay at hotels other than the official hotel are not counted toward meeting the room block obligation.

Filling the room block at the official conference hotel helps STC when negotiating room rates for future events. Hotels share room block information, as well as statistics about STC’s purchases of food and beverage, meeting rooms, and other revenue-generating activities.

Book by May 5 to take advantage of the rooms blocked at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. Members who make reservations at the host hotel will automatically be entered to win a selection of prizes, such as: complimentary room nights during the conference, restaurant certificates, or STC merchandise. Reservations may be made by calling +1 800-266-9432 or online on the STC Web site. The cost for a single room is $218 (USD) or double room $228 (USD) per day plus tax. Additional people in the room are U.S. $20 each.

© 2008 STC

Knockout Mice and Mood Disorders

During the summer of 2007, Tim Xu was an intern working under a postdoctoral fellow and a principal investigator at the National Institute of Mental Health. The aim of their study was to explore the involvement of a genetic modification in the treatment mechanisms of antidepressant and antimanic agents.

"After my internship," Tim says, "I realized that I had done a great deal of experimentation, so I decided to write it all up, and voilà!" The result was his chapter award-winning entry in SWO’s Student Technical Communication (STCC), Phenotyping of GluR1-Knockout Mice: Implications in the Treatment of Mood Disorders.

STCC encourages students to develop and demonstrate the technical communication skills they need to enter scientific, technical, and business careers by recognizing excellence in technical communication at the high school level.

Tim is currently a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology in Alexandria, VA. He plans to attend Vanderbilt University in the fall, where he says he "will major in neuroscience and perhaps French as well. In college, I plan to engage in more scientific research, so these same writing skills will come in handy during the rest of my education and beyond."

His entry earned an Award of Excellence in the chapter competition, and it has been entered in the International Student Technical Communication Competition (ISTCC). While waiting to receive the ISTCC judges’ evaluation, Tim expressed his appreciation for the experience, saying  "Thanks to the Society for Technical Writing (sic) for this opportunity to share my writing and to receive comments!"

On the Whole, I’d Rather Be in Philadelphia

by Al Brown

We [I?] hope you take W.C. Fields’ epitaph* to heart and join us [me] here for the Technical Communication Summit June 1-4. You know what to expect at the Summit itself: news about the latest developments and techniques in our field and the chance to get together with colleagues and friends, old and new. But there are plenty of surprises and unexpected pleasures waiting for you in the City of Brotherly Love.

Just a few examples: you can

• Visit the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where it all began. Or Franklin’s Court to see a working replica of Ben Franklin’s printing press and find out how things were done before laser printers.
• Wander out Ben Franklin Parkway to see the Museum of Natural History, the original dinosaur museum; climb aboard a full-size Baldwin locomotive at the Franklin Institute (almost everything here was founded by or named after Old Ben); or check out the world’s largest collection of work by Dadaist master Marcel Duchamp at the Art Museum.
• Hop on the SEPTA subway to take in a Philadelphia Phillies (baseball) home game at Citizens Bank Park. (Yep, they are in town May 30th through June 5th.)
• Head down the Avenue of the Arts for a musical, theatrical, or dance performance by one of our world-class companies.
• Or if you really want to go hard-core Philly, try the Mummer’s Museum (2nd Street at Washington Avenue).

In short, there are lots of things to see, do, and eat (not just pretzels and cheese steaks) in William Penn’s "Greene Country Towne." Stop by the STC-Philly Metro Chapter’s Hospitality Booth and say hello. We’ll be glad to suggest something exciting that fits your particular interests.

See you there!

——
*Well, it isn’t really, but why spoil a good intro?

by Clyde Parson
President, Suncoast Chapter

As we enjoyed Panera Bread’s outdoor seating during an Admin Council meeting a couple of months ago, I started thinking about why I belong to STC. My reasons, as would be expected, are unique to me. This means that the things which may be important to me may not be important to our overall membership.

During my recent employment search, those items that I view as important were brought into full view by way of a personality profile that I was asked to complete. It was a very interesting "test" that only required me to choose a series of single words from among twenty-four groups of words. The result was astoundingly accurate. During the interview process, the results were covered and a statement was made that I’ve continued to think about each time the Admin Council’s discussion turns to the topic of membership value.

We don’t often come across technical writers who are as extroverted as you are.

Since I know that I’m recharged by my alone time, I understand that I’m actually an introvert but it is nice to receive the feedback that I do as good a job with my verbal communication as my written. I do genuinely enjoy people and I can see how this combination of factors would influence what I would want from an STC membership.

I also recall an interview with a different company during the same employment search where one former long-term technical communicator turned hiring manager shared with me his preferred work method.

I would love it if they would slide my work under the door in the morning and I could slide out the completed tasks that afternoon.

Differences like those between myself and this hiring manager have given me reasons to seriously consider exactly why I’m a member of STC and what I hope to gain from my membership. With that in mind, here the top reasons why I belong to STC (in no particular order):

• Social interaction
  I used to believe that I preferred the warm glow of a computer monitor but in recent years I’ve found that I would much rather talk to someone face-to-face (never mind the fact that LCD monitors just aren’t as cozy to snuggle up with as CRT’s once were!)
• Status associated with membership
  Several employers during my employment search, including the one that I ultimately selected, seemed quite impressed with the fact that I was a member and the chapter president. I think this speaks to one’s personal commitment to his or her chosen profession. It says that I view this as a career rather than just another job.
• Sense of belonging
  As a "lone writer," it’s nice to know that there are others who share the same concerns and issues even if they happen to work for a different employer.
• Career related networking opportunities
  I’ve long held the belief that the sales function is significantly influenced by how good the salesperson is at building a relationship with a prospective client. In much the same manner, the hiring process can be significantly eased by the establishment of relationships outside the interview.
• Working toward a common goal
  In my Suncoast leadership position, I’ve been able to experience the synergy that can take place when multiple people are all pulling in the same direction to accomplish the same goals.
• Opportunities to express my creativity
  I tend to think in "big picture" terms but since I’m not running my own business I don’t always have an outlet for my ideas. Serving in a leadership position with our chapter has provided numerous opportunities to let my creative juices flow.

As the time for membership renewal has once again arrived, I would encourage all STC members to take a moment and reflect on exactly why they joined STC in the first place. Perhaps your list may include some of the items I mentioned. Maybe you came from a completely different angle and your list would be very different. Either way, there’s value in revisiting your original decision.

Further, I would encourage you to reaffirm that original decision by renewing your membership if you have not already done so. If you feel that you have not received all from your membership that you would have
preferred, I would ask you to consider getting involved with your chapter (your *community*) at a deeper level. Remember, like many things in life, you can only get out as much as you put in.

Over the last few months as I’ve settled into my new employment arrangement and my STC administrative duties, I’ve occasionally reflected on my decision to join STC. I can easily see how much of an impact STC membership has had on my personal and professional life. Further, I can easily see how I will continue reaping the numerous rewards associated with membership in this organization. I enjoy the people I get to meet and the things I get to learn. And, frankly, I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Make Your Vote Count!

If you’re a typical STC member, annual elections are not high on your priority list. More than 80% of us don’t bother to vote. We defy the common wisdom that says "you pays your money, you takes your choice." Despite paying good money in dues, we abdicate our choices by refusing to participate in decision-making on the chapter and international level.

This opportunity to help determine the vision and direction of the organization is one of the benefits of membership. Make your voice heard. Take an active part in chapter and Society activities. Let’s maximinize the personal and professional return on our STC investments. Vote!

If you paid your dues by February 28, 2008, you’re eligible to vote in this year’s election. The polls are open from mid-March through April. If you requested (on your dues renewal form or new membership application) an e-mail ballot, you will receive e-mailed instructions in March. If you did not request that option, you will receive your ballot by first-class mail. Either way, be sure to vote!

Here’s a look at the 2008 ballot., with links to information about the candidates.

Second Vice President

• Michael A. Hughes
  Bio: www.stc.org/candidatesFAQ/candBio01.asp?candID=1
  Web Site: www.mindspring.com/~mikehughes
• Larry Kunz
  Bio: www.stc.org/candidatesFAQ/candBio01.asp?candID=2
  Web Site: lk81924.googlepages.com/home

Secretary

• Sharon K. Garrity
  Bio: www.stc.org/candidatesFAQ/candBio01.asp?candID=3
• Char James-Tanny
  Bio: www.stc.org/candidatesFAQ/candBio01.asp?candID=4
  Web Site: www.helpstuff.com

Directors

• Suzanne E. Guess
  Bio: www.stc.org/candidatesFAQ/candBio01.asp?candID=6
  Web Site: www.210comm.net
• Rob B. Hanna
  Bio: www.stc.org/candidatesFAQ/candBio01.asp?candID=7
  Web Site: www.ascan.ca/stc/election
• Hillary Hart
  Bio: www.stc.org/candidatesFAQ/candBio01.asp?candID=5
  Web Site: www.ce.utexas.edu/prof/hart/
• Judith M. Herr
  Bio: www.stc.org/candidatesFAQ/candBio01.asp?candID=8
  Web Site: wellchosenwords.biz
• Linda S. King
  Bio: www.stc.org/candidatesFAQ/candBio01.asp?candID=9
• Rich Maggiani
  Bio: www.stc.org/candidatesFAQ/candBio01.asp?candID=10
  Web Site: users.adelphia.net/~richmaggiani/
• Lisa Pappas
  Bio: www.stc.org/candidatesFAQ/candBio01.asp?candID=11
  Web Sitewww.stc-carolina.org/tiki-index.php?page=Resume+of+Lisa+Pappas
• Garret H. Romaine
  Bio: www.stc.org/candidatesFAQ/candBio01.asp?candID=12
  Web Site: writingdocs.blogspot.com/

Nominating Committee

• Dia H. Burroughs
  www.stc.org/candidatesFAQ/candBio01.asp?candID=13
• Carolyn Kelley Klinger
  www.stc.org/candidatesFAQ/candBio01.asp?candID=14
• Carolyn Luttrell
  www.stc.org/candidatesFAQ/candBio01.asp?candID=15
• Thea Teich
  www.stc.org/candidatesFAQ/candBio01.asp?candID=16