How to get a job in technical writing 1.0 Introduction to getting a job in technical writing (TW Job) 1.1 → Learn the basics of technical writing (TW Job) 1.2 Get real experience doing technical writing (TW Job) 1.3 Learn some tools (TW...
In a previous post, Adding the Human Element in Screencasts, I argued that adding a human element in a screencast (by human element, I mean someone you can actually see talking) increases the appeal of the video significantly. So I tested this out by adding a picture-in-picture (PIP) effect for two WordPress screencasts. (By the way, the WordPress screencasts I create are mainly to test out some screencasting methods. But I hope they're a...
If you're interested in the PowerPoint for my screencasting webinar, here it is below. Powerpoint for Screencasting webinar (click the image to download the file) I always smile a little when people ask for the PowerPoint, because it just consists of pictures. I resist detailed bullets points on each slide because it locks you into a certain order that may be at odds with your presentation's flow. Also, when you give people text to read w...
This weekend my wife and I had dinner with some of her blogger friends. As I was getting to know the family, one of the children (age 12) showed me some of the stop-motion videos he'd put on youtube. He also had a string of video tutorials he made for Starcraft as well, which he created using Camtasia Studio. The videos aren't the work of a young film genius -- they're simple little screencasts on how to do certain things in video games. ...
When you transfer WordPress from one web host to another, you have to go through quite a few steps, especially if your current web host owns the domain name. Transferring the domain name is the biggest hassle, because it requires a handful of special codes and verifications, but just understanding what's involved in a site transfer can be somewhat overwhelming. I just helped a person with Yahoo web hosting move to Bluehost, but there are ...
I spent much of last week with my head inside a Mediawiki skin (when I probably should have been working on another project). I'm not entirely sure what it is, but I sometimes get fixated by technical problems I can't seem to solve. I first customized the FraternalRelief Mediawiki skin to match my organization's home page. My customization wasn't too bad, but I saw a few errors, and when I queried a forum, they told me FraternalRelief was...
How do you go from 5 authors to 47, all collaborating on the same documentation? This is the issue Anne Gentle wrestles with in her post Collaborative Authoring -- Tools and Costs. She explores everything from Author-it Live to Drupal, Mediawiki, Alfresco, and SharePoint, including cost breakdowns for each tool. Anne also cites research from Forrester about the rising trend of collaborative authoring: 37% of organizations surveyed in Forr...
Brooks Andrus has a good post and video about including the human element in screencasts. Brooks writes: Screen video alone is not enough. You need to humanize your content by getting in front of the camera and engaging your audience. And no, I'm not talking about long-winded monologues either. Several 5-7 second talking-head elements can go a long way toward winning over and maintaining the interest of your audience. Let people see your ...
I mentioned in a previous post that I think traditional help authoring tools are becoming less and less viable for robust software projects in which multiple subject matter experts in distributed locations need to collaborate, and when these same subject matter experts need to own the documentation after release. I think traditional help authoring tools (HATs) will fade in place of more collaborative tools like wikis This wasn't just a fl...
12/9/09 update: I changed it back. I recently decided to change my blog theme. I know that people are interested in content more than design, but it's worth a post explaining why I changed this theme. I recently switched blog themes I've had the Limau Orange theme on my blog for about two years now. I grew tired of looking at it, and the design seemed a little out of date. Woothemes.com was running a Black Friday 50% off deal, and since ...
I'm giving a webinar for STC community leaders on January 28 titled "Site Critiques and WordPress Q&A." Here's the description: Because most communities have far more virtual participants than physical participants, establishing a strong web presence where members can find information, interact with each other, and access resources is critical. In this community webinar, we'll review a handful of chapter or SIG sites and discuss what'...
The other week I visited Performance Audio in downtown Salt Lake to see what recommendations they had for microphones. The clerk asked me what audio interface I was using. I said I was just plugging my mixer directly into the computer. He looked shocked and said no matter how good of a microphone I bought, the real increase in performance would come with an audio interface. The Audio Interface An audio interface converts the analog signal...
I'm presenting an STC webinar titled Screencasting: Video Tutorials for the Web on Dec. 16. Screencasting webinar Dec 16 Here's the description: Screencasts refer to short video tutorials usually embedded on a blog, uploaded to Youtube, or otherwise displayed on the web. Screencasts are part of the explosion of video and other multimedia on the web, and users are growing more accustomed to watching screencasts to learn how to use softwa...
The other week I visited my brother-in-law Sean in Tampa, Florida. Sean is an interactive web designer who creates everything from flash games for Disney to augmented reality applications for the Adobe marketplace. While I was there, he showed me his latest creation: ChessJam. Usually when I think of chess, I think of two people sitting around a small round table in moments of intense concentration, staring at the chessboard for hours as ...
As part of my contribution to the Thanksgiving dinner, Shannon tasked me to cook a banana cream pie. She had a simple recipe already printed out. The banana cream pie recipe All the ingredients were available in the kitchen. The kitchen even had a double oven. I thought this would be easy, except it wasn't. Because I suck at cooking. I hate cooking. If I cook, I need a "man's cookbook," one that cuts through the jargon and explains cookin...
