STC Montana

The Digital Business Card

2009-10-09T13:02:00.001-06:00

If you're still handing out paper business cards, you'd better read this article from CNN Technology -- http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/01/digital.business.cards/index.html. Us "old" dogs just have to learn some "new" tricks.

The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same

2009-09-16T15:52:00.002-06:00

I was just reading an article on CNN Tech News about Facebook adding a new feature -- voice chat (http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/15/cnet.facebook.voice.chat/index.html?iref=newssearch). So you know the old adage, "the more things change, the more they stay the same. I can't help but think back over the past 8 years about my niece's communication evolution.

It all started with regular land-line communications. My niece would call her friends, ask them if they wanted to get together and go do something, they'd hang up, go meet somewhere, and talk face-to-face. At the most, she had call waiting.

Somewhere around 13-14 years old, along came Microsoft IM -- instant messaging to those of us who still speak in complete sentences. My niece was on the computer nonstop "chatting" with her friends. She even showed me how to do it, so I would IM with her myself from time to time.

Then around 15 maybe, she got her first cell phone. The phone was glued to her ear as she talked incessantly with her friends -- put one person on hold, talk to another, go back to the one on hold, put her back on hold, talk to someone else, and on and on. And the fights with her parents were on. "No phone calls during dinner time." "Get off that phone and get your homework done." "Does that thing ever stop ringing."

The phone calls tapered off as MySpace suddenly became the communication tool of choice. How many "friends" could you add to your account? She was sharing information about herself with people she really didn't know but a friend, of a friend, of a friend said it would OK to add this person to her MySpace page.

I don't even know when this happened, but all of a sudden, she wasn't "talking" on the phone as much anymore and she wasn't in front of her computer -- she was typing on a keyboard on her phone and sending text message to everyone. At least she was resting her neck from holding the phone against her ear and moving the stress points to her thumbs. The constantly ringing phone was replaced with a quick "bell" sound or a vibration noise to alert her to a new text message.

When she went off to college, she bagged her MySpace account and started one on FaceBook. She kept updating it for a while until one day she told me, "Aunt Janie, it's boring to go out to FaceBook anymore. I don't even update it anymore." Occassionally, she checks her account when she has time. She's still texting though.

Now FaceBook is adding Voice Chat. It seems to me she's back where she started -- talking on the phone. It's the same thing even if you add the video component. It's "virtual" face-to-face conversations.

And if you really want to stretch it, aren't "tweets" a little bit like hollering over the fence to your neighbor when you were a kid.

Wikipedia: No Longer the Wild West???

2009-08-28T14:13:00.002-06:00

Wikipedia is adding a layer of oversight to its system! It is going to try to assign editors to some of its entries. These volunteers would have to approve public edits before they are published to English-language stories about living people.

Repent. The End is Near. Crowds of people can no longer create the news, share information, and collaborate on online projects. Or so some people say while others see the change as a sign that these communities of online volunteers are getting more complex, and they need more rules.

Go to http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/08/26/wikipedia.editors/index.html to read the whole story.

I know that in my technical writing class, I cringe when a student tells me they found the information on Wikipedia. The old IT adage comes back to me: garbage in, garbage out. Maybe some controls are in order to give Wikipedia posts more credibility because I don't trust the accuracy and correctness of the entries. As the article points out, entries about Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd falsely stated both U.S. Senators had died (this was before Ted Kennedy actually did die).

I'm not a Facebook user, but for those of you who are, you might enjoy this article as well about the 12 types of annoying Facebookers.

Go to http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/08/20/annoying.facebook.updaters/index.html.

What kind of a tech user are you?

2009-06-12T13:17:00.002-06:00

I recently read an article on the CNN/Technology Web site that discussed whether or not people are suffering from Internet fatigue. In the article, the author talks about a report by PEW "called 'The Mobile Difference,' which places American adults into 10 different user types, depending on how they feel about information technology, what kind of information technology they have in their lives and how they use information technology in their lives." Then, the reader is asked to take the "what kind of tech user are you" quiz.

Well, I took the quiz and found out that I am a Media Mover. A media mover has a wide range of online and mobile habits and is bound to find or create an information nugget, such as a digital photo, and pass it on. These social exchanges are central to his or her use of information and communication technology. Cyberspace, as a path to personal productivity or an outlet for creativity, is less important.

Go take the quiz at at http://www.pewinternet.org/Participate/What-Kind-of-Tech-User-Are-You.aspx and let us know your type. Are you a Digital Collaborator, Ambivalent Networker, Roving Node, Desktop Veterans, Drifting Surfer, Information Encumbered, Mobile Newbie, or Technology Indifferent. Reveal....

What is the Technical Writer market like in Montana?

2009-05-19T14:25:00.001-06:00

Earlier this month I received an email from someone wanting to know what the Technical Writer market is like in Montana.
Is it concentrated in a particular area of the state? This person says he primarily develops Help systems.

Thoughts?

STC Montana Webinar: Finding Value in Social Networks

2009-02-19T09:58:00.002-07:00

I don't know how many STC Montana members are familiar with Scott Abel, but he has agreed to do our next Webinar on February 25 at noon to help us find value in online social networks.

Scott’s blog, The Content Wrangler (www.TheContentWrangler.com), is a popular online resource for technical writers with an interest in content management. Scott’s social networking site, The Content Wrangler Community (thecontentwrangler.ning.com), is a global network of content professionals that attracts thousands of members from around the world. A founding member of Content Management Professionals (www.cmpros.org), Scott previously served as Executive Director of the organization.

Scott is also involved with the Documentation and Training West 2009 Conference to be held in beautiful Palm Springs, CA, March 17-20, 2009. The theme is Moving From Unstructured to Structured Content (http://www.doctrain.com/west/2009). The event includes a special focus on the Darwin Information Typing Architecture. Paid registration includes two days of conference presentations, case studies, and panel discussions, as well as, access to 2 days of hands-on training workshops at no additional cost!

STC Members save $400 off the full price of admission when you register by telephone. You pay only $899. Call Eileen Savary at DocTrain Conferences at +1 978-649-8555. Use discount code STC. This offer is not retroactive and is limited to telephone registration only.

Anonymous Anger Rampant on Internet

2008-11-07T13:51:00.002-07:00

I found this article on Cnn.com/technology interesting http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/11/03/angry.internet/index.html. Check it out.

If anyone is looking for a masters or doctorate thesis, it would be fun to study the blogging and social media communication tools and the role of anonymity in how we interact with each these days. At the "job jar" meeting we discussed e-mail and its litigious nature (I love that word!), and I think online communication does give one a sense of freedom to express yourself any way you like without boundaries.

I know I sometimes find myself tapping away on my keyboard to compose an e-mail without giving it much thought about where it might land and who it might affect. As the article points out, MySpace and FaceBook have destroyed lives because of online postings. I have become more cautious in recent days about my use of e-mail and have even gone backward a bit to picking up the phone to have an actual conversation with my co-workers. It's kind of nice.

Comparing Open Source CMS

2008-10-30T15:11:00.002-06:00

Foliomag.com just published a review of open source CMS.

At our dinner meeting in Butte a few weeks ago, Brandi mentioned she uses DotNetNuke at work. I use Drupal.

I especially like the line in the article “'Drupal developers are in pretty high demand, so we weren’t able to staff up as quickly as we would have liked,' he noted..."

I'm pretty sure I don't qualify as a developer yet, but I'm working on it!

Technical Communications Lab Updated at Montana Tech

2008-10-10T10:15:00.001-06:00

Check out this story about the technical communications lab at Montana Tech. Go to http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2008/10/10/area/hjjbijijjcejfj.txt. I'm thinking that we could all take a tour of the lab as part of STC Montana's annual dinner in May.

Proposal Guide Podcast by Our Own Larry Newman

2008-06-04T14:17:00.000-06:00

Hopefully, everyone received the e-mail from our STC Montana member Larry Newman announcing his proposal guide podcasts. He is soliciting suggestions for podcast #5, so if you have any suggestions be sure to pass them along to Larry at lnewman@bresnan.net.

Here's the link: http://www.apmp.org/ca-169.aspx

STC Dinner in Butte

2008-05-06T10:10:00.002-06:00

Join us for the STC MT dinner in Butte:
When: Tuesday, May 20. 6:00 pm
Where: Broadway Cafe in Butte

Vanessa Murray, a technical communications graduate student at Montana Tech, will present her project on the Clark Fork Watershed Education Program (CFWEP). She's helping to create a fundraising campaign and grant-writing program for CFWEP.

We'll also announce the election winners at the dinner, and I hear rumors of door prizes!

RSVP to Ruthmeri Gleason.

It's a fuzzy, fuzzy world

2008-03-31T10:46:00.002-06:00

Could you still do your job if you couldn't see?
I had to ask myself this question this morning when I decided to go back to work today after having PRK surgery last Thursday. Friday I was nearly blind, Saturday I could see enough to figure out which toothbrush was mine, and Sunday I could finally open the window blinds and let some sunlight in.
I took a cautious peek at the newspaper this morning- I could read again!!! The words had to be within 12 inches of my face, but it was progress! I went to work.
The first thing I did was turn on all the low vision accessibility options on my computer- high contract fonts, the Windows Magnifier, increased text sizes in browsers, and anything else I could think of. I then had to prioritize what absolutely had to get done and what could wait, since I knew I only had a few good hours of eyesight today before my eyes are exhausted. Apparently, posting to the STC Montana blog made the list. I know my eyes will get better, slowly, but in the meantime I am gaining a whole new appreciation for web usability guidelines.

Switching gears here…but I haven’t heard a peep from anyone about helping with elections. How about helping out your nearly blind president and volunteering to set up a simple Survey Monkey election?

Elections

2008-03-19T14:04:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again—time to elect your STC Montana officers for 2008-2009! I am looking for a volunteer to be the Elections co-Chair. Susan Ledford volunteered to coordinate the Nominations portion, but she's traveling for a month beginning in mid-April and cannot run the elections after the nominations.

Please consider volunteering for this low-risk and easy opportunity to help your chapter (and Susan!)

The time commitment is minimal. Each small task (instructions provided!) can be done right from your computer. It's really quite simple. As Susan's co-Chair, you will receive the confirmed nominations (with short biographical statements.) You’d then have the choice to either do an e-ballot via an email message or set up the election using Survey Monkey and send out the link in an email message.

If you choose the e-ballot via email route, we have sample emails drafted already. You’d tell me the results before our annual chapter dinner, Tuesday, May 20, in Butte.

Don't hesitate to take advantage of the opportunity to serve YOUR Chapter! Email me at hollik at greatharvest dot com

Last and Most Important
Considering our Chapter size and geographic challenges, we have had a GREAT year, so please be thinking of clever ways to say "YES!" to Susan when she calls on you to step up to run for a Chapter Officer position in April.

With the strong coordination and knowledge sharing among our officers this year, incoming 2008 - 2009 officers can count on an easy transition and lots of support to be successful.

Neck and neck!

2008-03-13T11:48:00.002-06:00

Come on folks...we have the 3rd highest renewal rate of all the STC chapters! In our division, only Eastern Iowa is ahead of us by 1.47%.
I'll admit, since I am originally from Eastern Iowa, I've got a personal agenda on this one. However, we could win 4 free registrations to the STC annual conference in June!

Renew now!

STC Group Blogs

2008-01-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

Anne Wiley, Lou Quillio, and Destry Wion -- all STC members -- started group blogs a while ago. I have added a link to the group blogs (in upper right corner on the page) so we can jump from our blog to the group blog easily. I hope you find it useful.

November Tieline article on Dispersed Environments

2007-11-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

The November 2007 issue of the STC Tieline has an article on getting participation in chapters with "dispersed environments." The article talks about several options for overcoming this, and eventually ends up with a solution similar to ours (virtual meetings!) Seems pretty obvious, but still a good read.

http://www.stc-cdx.org/tieline/2007/11

-Holli

Vista and Word 2007

2007-11-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

If anyone is running the new Vista operating system and using Word 2007, you might find this article in the STC Atlanta CommLink newsletter interesting. Go to http://www.stcatlanta.org/newsletters/STC_July07_small.pdf. It may take a minute or two to download the file.

I was visiting with a friend over the weekend who recently purchased a new computer with both Vista and Word 2007, and she said the changeover is difficult at best. After reading this article, I think I understand why she is having problems transitioning to Word 2007.

Personally, I just think Microsoft thrives on making our lives miserable when every new product comes out. Their philosophy seems to be sell it and wait for the customers to tell us where the bugs are in the application; then, send out patches and fixes to make the customer happy. I'm glad to be spending most of my day with Adobe products these days.

Our Blog Temporarily Disappeared

2007-11-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

Our blog postings are archived every month, so if you open the blog and nothing is displayed, it looks like you have to post a new comment for the archive to be displayed.

New STC Dues for 2008

2007-09-26T14:43:00.000-06:00

Hi All,

By now I'm guessing you've all seen the new dues for the 2008 year. Yep, international increased their dues by 15%, then added the chapter and SIG dues on top of that for $25 and $10 respectively. They've eliminated the limited membership for next year, but created a couple of packages that will save you a little money. I've heard many of you say that at those prices you just can't afford to remain a member. I'd love to hear more thoughts from Montana members. I can assure you that your concerns about the jump in cost represent the concerns of many members beyond STC Montana. Have questions about the new process? Let me know.

Thanks,
Lori

PDF Prototypes: Mistakenly Disregarded and Underutilized

2007-08-17T11:00:00.000-06:00

We are all familiar with PDF documents, but I found this article in Boxes and Arrows very interesting. It has never even entered my mind to create a clickable PDF to prototype a new design concept. The article talks about adding dynamic elements to a PDF, using a PDF to mimic Ajax-like functionality to prototype a page-based application like a check out form, and including multimedia in a PDF. The author even goes on to provide the "how tos" for the reader. Check it out at http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/pdf-prototypes. You have to scroll down the page to get to the article. It looks like the Web page isn't displaying properly. I hope you learn something new as I did.

Content management

2007-08-03T11:09:00.000-06:00

Hi Holli.
I have been in the same boat for several years. I have loads of general and project descriptions in word files but no database. I was initially encouraged by one product, RFP Master. It was part of a very expensive suite of proposal software. I am not a fan of "create an instant proposal" software because I do not think they work for my services. But the RFP Master was to provide a location to which you could upload word descriptions and then search through the data. And the price was not terribly bad for the one piece. Unfortunately, it does not behave very well (without the mother ship$$ I imagine) and I am having a heck of a time getting around things. I gave up as it was taking too long and the search was not returning anything. My plan is to create my own database (in time hahahah). Please let me know if you come up with a good plan.Ruthmeri

Content Inventory- Where to start?

2007-08-02T12:21:00.000-06:00

One of the biggest items on my list of projects is to organize my company's files into some sort of system. Initially, they told me they wanted to "go paperless." After asking some probing questions, I realized that what they really meant was "get organized." I'm still figuring out what exactly to call this project: Document Control System, Content Management System, or something else? Once I get a grip on what type of information we have and how we use it, I'll have a better understanding of what we need to do to make work flows more efficient. Maybe then I'll know what to call the project.

Has anyone else started a similar project from the very beginning, as I am, surrounded by thousands of crazily named files in multiple unorganized versions?

Google "Street View" Online Maps

2007-06-06T18:31:00.000-06:00

Have you heard abaout Googles "Street View" online mapping tool? Read about it at http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/internet/06/01/google.candid.camera.ap/index.html. I think it's icky too. It wreaks of invasion of privacy, and I think we have enough of that already.

Hey, John, is that you I see on the street corner in Helena eating that Big Mac and fries! I thought you said you were on a diet. Oh, and Lori, is that you putting a nasty note on the car parked too close behind you. I saw you kick the tires! And, Susan, I saw you and Ron sipping a beer at that outdoor restaurant in Kalispell. I hope you didn't get in your car and drive home.

PULEEEEASE! Someone stop the madness.

The Helvetic Hegemony: How An Unassuming Font Took Over the World

2007-05-31T13:34:00.000-06:00

You have to go to http://www.slate.com/id/2166887/ and see this slideshow about the Helvetica font. Veeerrrryyyy interesting... I'm switching to Helvetica for everything now.

Distorted Word Puzzles Commonly Used To Register on Web Sites

2007-05-30T15:54:00.000-06:00

Have you ever wondered what they call those distorted word puzzles you have to type in when you go to a Web site? Well, they are called CAPTCHAs, short for "completely automated public Turing tests to tell computers and humans apart." Computers can't decipher the twisted letters and numbers, ensuring that real people and not automated programs are using the Web sites. Now researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have discovered a way to enlist people across the globe to help digitize books every time they solve these simple distorted word puzzles. These researcher say that instead of wasting time typing in random letters and numbers, we should be using the 150,000 hours every day to type in snippets of books to speed up the process of getting searchable texts online. To read the complete article go to http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/05/29/blather.to.books.ap/index.html.

Pet Peeve: E-mail without a Subject Line

2007-05-23T15:27:00.000-06:00

I can't count how many e-mails I receive in a day without a subject line! When you receive 30+ e-mails every day, you need a method for determining which ones need to be responded to right away and which ones you can let sit for a while. Without a descriptive subject line, prioritizing e-mail can be a problem. So I have a rule: no subject line, no response.

"And another thing, buster...." I don't know why people think that they can throw all of the grammar, punctuation, and spelling rules out the window when they write an e-mail. Don't they know that e-mail can be used in a court of Law, so they had better take as much care with their e-mail as they do with any other litigious type of correspondence. Just ask Jeff Skilling and the rest of the Enron executives.

As protectors of the English language, let's unite against e-mail abuse and at least force our coworkers to include a subject line. Create a rule in Outlook to let the senders know that you require a subject line. We can deal with the content of the message later.

Help Stamp Out the Colon Epidemic

2007-03-13T15:04:00.000-06:00

Susan's monthly news brief about the colon epidemic hit the nail on the head. I have also seen colons in the most superfluous places. I was told once that writers of all kinds are "the protectors of the English language." If anyone has any other examples of the colon placement problem, post them here. Let's have fun with this one: shall we! Oops!