WHO’S CHANGING THE RULES?

by Lisa Carbaugh

The October 17th event for the Southwestern Ohio Chapter of STC brought members and guests together in the historic city of Lebanon. The coffee shop setting at Common Grounds on Main Street offered a comfortable atmosphere while being fully wired to accommodate the evening’s guest speaker, Thea Teich, as she led us through the presentation, When Did Google Become a Verb?

Highlighting the constant evolution of language buffeted with text messaging shortcuts, new word inventions, and grammar rule breaking, Thea used her extensive experience and humor to lead attendees through the maze of obstacles facing communication authorities in the Too-Much-Information Age. Her presentation made some telling points for technical communicators.

• Despite a long list of new word entries in the dictionary which produced a few cringes in the audience, many new words are useful and meaningful in that they lead to faster, more succinct understanding.
• We're technical communicators. Our companies should expect us to provide guidelines for bringing in new vocabulary and accepting new standards.
• As communication decision makers, we can lead the way in communicating with style consistency.
• It is our job to recognize and embrace what is good and discard what adds only confusion and misinterpretation.

In May, Thea gave this presentation (then titled "Myths and Trends in the Changing English Language") at the 54th Annual STC Conference in Minneapolis. Those of you who weren't able to attend this meeting can find that presentation at .

Be sure to let other professionals know about the Southwestern Ohio Chapter of STC. It’s great that the Web site can lead potential members to STC, but sharing the membership benefits of networking, meeting events, education and more can certainly introduce fellow communicators to this valuable organization. Our next event, a panel discussion about"Survival Skills for Technical Communicators," will offer tips and techniques for bearers of the red pen (literally and electronically). It's the perfect opportunity for you to invite a guest! Be sure to register, mark the evening of Wednesday, November 14th, and join us at the Peerless Mill Inn in Miamisburg.

Remember to register early for December’s night—White Christmas at La Comedia. The registration and payment deadline is November 5th.

See you next month!