Editor's Message
Because It's Spring
It's that time of year again! Late-winter crocus opened for early-spring masses of brilliant daffodils. The stage is set for glorious tulips and majestic irises to make their appearance. Who wants to sit in front of a LCD screen and crank out page after page (or even screen after screen) of documentation? Such an indoor, pale and sickly 98-pound weakling kind of word…
We, however, are technical communicators. Talented. Disciplined. Creative. Focused. Whether we are writers, editors, information architects, usability experts, user interface designers, artists, or instructional designers, we are responsible for better living through communication.
- We create instructions that sparkle with clarity.
- We turn complex and confusing process descriptions into model paragraphs of lucid, easy-to-understand and even interesting explanation.
- We make customers happier with their products, employees more productive with their tools, and technical marketers more persuasive, period.
Let's make this last month of spring the time of year when we think about why we do what we do and focus on ways to do it better.
Question of the Month
- What have you done recently that made life better for your employer, for a client, or for yourself? (The focus is on activities and accomplishments related to technical communication, but if you have an inspiring life story to tell, we'll take it!)
Share your answers via the comments section of this article.
What's In This Issue?
- The May meeting
This month we're recognizing the SWO community's volunteers and taking a look at one of the area's largest employers of technical writers - O'Neil and Associates. Join us at their state-of-the-art facility for free pizza and lots of good networking. - Calling All Verbivores
For a quick look into the mind of an experienced technical communicator, check out this column written by Harold Fox. It's a treasure trove for word lovers. - Past Meeting Topics
For those of you who missed the last two meetings, find out what went on in March and April. - Chapter and Society News
Keep up-to-date with what's happening in Southwestern Ohio and at the international level:
See you at the May meeting!
2 Comments on Editor's Message »
May 3, 2008
Mindy @ 11:49 pm:
I recently improved the life of my client by remaining professional in the face of stress. Recently, I was laid off from my mortage company client, just like so many others in the months before me, since that industry is struggling right now. My boss, in from Dallas just to give me my walking papers, told me they'd terminated my contract, and instead of getting the standard two weeks, they now no longer had that luxury, so I had about as long as it would take to pack my boxes. So I took a couple slow, deep breaths, consciously pulled my shoulders down out of my ears, and started typing up a detailed list of where all my files were, complete with hyperlinks to network directories, as well as the status for each of the projects I'd been working on. It wasn't an easy situation for either of us, nor for my co-workers who watched with worried faces, but I think the document I left behind helped to make the situation easier for everyone; it gave me something to focus on beyond the end of a 2.5 year era in my life, and it gave them direction and a fast ticket to be able to step in and take over where I left off.
May 4, 2008
editor @ 6:58 pm:
Like Mindy, I was recently informed by a client that my long-term contract was ending in June. I received more notice than Mindy did, but it's still a shock to the system. My story, however, is not about my reaction in the face of stress, but about a comment made by one of my co-workers during a global teleconference last week.
The meeting had been long (as usual), but an unusual number of questions and requests had come my way–more than the typical perfunctory 'any problems with the docs?' query). Judy, How will we communicate this change? Judy, do we need to update this procedure? Judy, what are the regulatory requirements for documenting these installation steps?
As I was fielding the questions, a Regional Manager IM'd me with this comment: "Judy, I just wanted to let you know how much we appreciate what you do. Thanks for helping us out in so many ways." Made my day. But, of course, I'm still facing the end of a long-term contract. Wonder if I can pay my high-speed Internet bill with appreciation-based currency? Nah. Probably not