2010 November | I Heart Technical Writing, Tips, Tools and Templates for Technical Writers

Entries from November 20th, 2010

Two Ways to Chunk Content for User Roles using MadCap Flare

November 20th, 2010 · View Comments · Technical Writing Software

Mike Hamilton on the MadCap blog wrote an excellent tutorial on how to chunk content. We’ve covered this subject before, especially when looking at information architecture and how to write for the web. What’s interesting about Mike’s article is how he uses conditional markers to do this in MadCap Flare.

Sample Guidelines for Writing Online Help

November 18th, 2010 · Comments Off · Technical Writing Software

If you’re looking for guidelines to write your online help documentation, then use this checklist to get started.

Bling Your Technical Documents with MadCap’s Free Flare Skin Gallery

November 16th, 2010 · Comments Off · MadCap Flare

Do technical writers like bling? You betcha. You can now give your MadCap Flare web output a new look by updating its skin. This makes the online documents look that bit flashier. You can also look at modifying the skins to give your technical docs an interested edge. Download MadCap Flare Skin Gallery To add [...]

4 Golden Rules of Capitalization in Technical Documents

November 14th, 2010 · View Comments · Style Guide

It is ebay or eBay or Ebay? How Technical Writers use capitalization in user guides creates many problems for editors, reviewers, and users. Part of the problem is a lack of guidelines and style guides. What you think looks fine break some style guide rule you were unaware of. The Capitalization of Microsoft A good [...]

21 Words That Make Your Technical Documents Look Dumb

November 12th, 2010 · Comments Off · Style Guide

We both know that a Microsoft Exchange Server doesn’t have feelings, hopes and desires. But when we write technical documents, these type of human feelings can creep in. You need to be careful when writing user guides, design documents, and specifications as these false words give the wrong impression and undermine the quality of your material.

9 Ways To Create Peer Reviews for Technical Writing Projects

November 11th, 2010 · View Comments · Technical Writing

I’ve always had mixed feelings about peer reviews. What they’re done right, we all learn but like Lesson Learned review can easily degenerate into bitching sessions if not managed correctly.

How Much Does It Cost To Write a User Guide?

November 10th, 2010 · View Comments · Technical Writing

I write all types of technical documents. This is one of the services I provide to clients that works the best for me over the web. One of questions I get asked most every week is something like, ‘how much does it cost to write a user guide?’ How To Price A User Guide There [...]

How to Setup a Profitable Technical Writing Shop On Amazon

November 10th, 2010 · View Comments · Technical Writing Software

You know you spend too much time on the internet when you search for technical writing software and find an Amazon shop for technical writing software… and then realize you built it. And forgot about it! Yes, this is what happened to me yesterday. Maybe I need to slow down because…

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Tags: Amazon·books·CDs·DVD·education·Robohelp·Shop·Technical Writing

Business Process Design: Getting Started

November 7th, 2010 · View Comments · Business Process

Post by Ivan Walsh. Follow me on Twitter. At the end of the workshop, our client confessed, ‘I didn’t know our business worked like that’. We’d come onsite and over two months mapped out the entire processes for his Sales, Finance, IT and Operations Departments. For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of Business [...]

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Tags: Analysis·BTO·Business·Design·Example·Flow·flowchart·process·Visio

Getting Started With Adobe TV

November 6th, 2010 · Comments Off · Technical Writing Software

Did you know that Adobe has its own TV channel? Well, it has sort of. I’ve been downloading some of the movie clips from the site and reading them offline or on the train when travelling.

Lessons Learned for Web-Based Technical Writing Projects

November 5th, 2010 · View Comments · Technical Writing Software

We make mistakes every week on our Technical Writing projects. However, since we’ve started to capture things in our lessons learned meetings, the ‘repeat offenders’ have gone down. Running web-based Technical Writing projects is difficult as you don’t get to meet the team you’re managing, so sessions like this can make a real difference.

How to Get Free Membership to Society for Technical Communication

November 3rd, 2010 · Comments Off · MadCap Flare

If you’re thinking of joining the STC but don’t have the budget, then this free offer from MadCap Software will make things easier. To get the free membership, all you need to do is buy a new license or upgrade for any existing license of Flare, MadPak or MadPak ML together with any maintenance plan. [...]