The recording is available in a variety of formats: Audio with Slides MP3 Audio Only PowerPoint Show File PowerPoint Original File iPod format I recently gave a presentation at the STC Summit in Sacramento titled “Organizing Help Content: Breaking Out of Topic-based Hierarchies.” I would have recorded my presentation, but recording is not allowed. I did, however, record a practice run-through in my hotel room … more »

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Download MP3 Length: 40 min. I recently spoke with Noz Urbina, consultant from Mekon Ltd, about his upcoming conference, Congility, and about content strategy. Based in Valencia, Spain, Noz is one of the industry’s thought leaders on XML, DITA, component content management, and content strategy. This year he and Mekon are running a conference called Congility (formerly X-Pubs), … more »

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Download MP3 Length: 40 min. Donna Spencer is the author of A Practical Guide to Information Architecture as well as two other books (on card sorting and writing for the web). She’s an experienced information architect, based in Australia, who gives regular workshops on information architecture at conferences such as the IA Summit and also runs the UX … more »

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Download MP3 Length: 45 min. Recently Jo Mackiewicz (Auburn University) and Kathryn Riley (Illinois Institute of Technology) published Visual Composing: Document Design for Print and Digital Media with Pearson. This book covers the visual side of document design, including all the design decisions from the font you use to the colors you choose to the tables, column widths, … more »

I recently interviewed Alan Houser, candidate for STC vice president, in a podcast about his perspectives and plans for the STC. Both Alan and Vici Koster-Lenhardt are running for this position. I asked each of them the following five questions: What’s one of the greatest challenge STC members face right now. Any solutions? What would you like to see differently in the STC?

In this podcast, I talk with Victoria Koster-Lenhardt, candidate for STC vice president, about her perspectives and plans for the STC. Both Alan and Victoria Koster-Lenhardt are running for STC vice president. I asked Victoria following five questions: What’s one of the greatest challenge STC members face right now. Any solutions? What would you like to see differently in the STC?

Last week we recorded an Intermountain-STC chapter event, “Educational Programs and Workplace Practices,” held in Layton, Utah. The event included a panel of academics from local technical communication programs in Utah. We had six programs represented: BYU Provo, Westminster College, Utah Valley University, University of Utah, Utah State University, and Weber Utah State University.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Download MP3 Length: 50 min. This is a presentation I gave at BYU Idaho last week to students interested in entering professional writing. For the accompanying slides, see this post. For the overall question I was trying to tackle, see Students Contemplate Whether a Technical Writing Career Will Be Fulfilling.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Download MP3 Length: 70 min. In the barrage of information created by all the social media channels, how can you find relevant content? How can you move past forms of noise to actually produce content that engages users? What forms of social media do students respond to the most? These are some of the questions we explored in … more »

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Download MP3 Download the PowerPoint PowerPoint in Zip file (in case you have trouble with the above) Length: 60 min. A while ago, our chapter held a half-day eLearning event, and I presented a version of my Developing a Personal Voice in Audio presentation (similar to what I presented at the STC Summit in Dallas). The recording has … more »

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Download MP3 Length: 12 min. In this podcast (another monologue), I respond to more student questions about technical writing. The questions are as follows: Question 1 – Who/what are the people and purposes that you write for now? And in the past? Question 2 – What are the kinds of things that you write? Question 3 – What … more »

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Download MP3 Length: 27 min. In this monologue podcast, I answer a student’s questions about the field of technical writing, including how I fell into it, what kinds of projects I work on, and other details. Her questions are as follows: What did you study in college and where did you attend? What degrees/certificates do you have? Did … more »

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Download MP3 Length: 45 min. Powerpoint This podcast is a recording of a presentation I gave to students at the Missouri State University technical writing conference on April 23, 2010. This presentation has some overlapping content from the previous presentation on Trends in Technical Communication that I gave to the teachers, except that with this presentation, because the … more »

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Download MP3 Length: 45 min. Powerpoint This podcast on Trends in Technical Communication is a recording of a presentation I gave at the Missouri State University Workshop for Teachers of Technical Writing on April 22, 2010. Although trends in technical communication could cover a variety of topics, I chose to focus on four trends: hybrid roles, social media, … more »

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Download MP3 Length: 45 min. Powerpoint This podcast is a recording of the presentation I gave at the STC Currents conference titled “From Overlooked to Center Stage.” If you read the essay and then listen to the recording, you’ll notice some differences because (a) I can’t remember everything I wrote in the moment that I’m presenting, and (b) … more »