In Screencasts: So what?, Kristi Leach tells an engaging story about a turnaround screencast. She explains how one good screencast can change users’ attitudes about software. Here’s an excerpt: I rarely watch video online. Unless it’s a funny meme I have deliberately searched for, or a show that I missed, or Netflix, I won’t press play. If a blog post is all video, I skip … more »

Given that it’s a new year, a lot of people are writing about trends and predictions in technical communication. Ellis Pratt at Cherryleaf has an interesting post on the Top 10 Trends in Technical Communication for 2010. Larry Kunz has a post on Technical Communication Trends in 2010. Sarah O’Keefe chimed in with 2010 Predictions for Technical Communication. And Ben Minson has Ten New Year’s Resolutions. … more »

Being irresponsible is the fifth sin in my ongoing series on the Seven Deadly Sins of Blogging (other sins include being fake, irrelevant, boring, unreadable, unfindable, and inattentive). Blogging responsibly includes awareness of proper disclosure, approvals, and representation, as well as avoiding sensationalism in the posts you write. Disclosure Recently the FTC updated the rules about proper disclosure when receiving compensation for promoting a product or … more »

Being boring is sin #3 in my list of the seven deadly sins (other sins include being fake, irrelevant, unreadable, irresponsible, unfindable, and inattentive). Perhaps a more tactful way of saying something is boring is to say the writer neglects to “keep the audience’s attention.” I’m always hearing about the short attention spans of online audiences, that readers only skim your content and spend a minute … more »

I listened to a good discussion about writing from a group of Mormon writers on episode 7 of Everything Creative, an LDS sponsored podcast. Some parts of this podcast are a little lame — I hadn’t heard of any of the writers, and parts of it are churchy. But the advice is on target. Here are few notes: The things that get in the way … more »

I’m giving an STC webinar on blogging this Wednesday, July 29, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. ET. Here’s the title and description: Converting Readers from Casual Subscribers to Devoted Followers: Best Practices for Blogging Although many people feel blogging is an activity with no best practices or rules—you publish what you want, when you want, and how you want—these same bloggers usually crave readership, comments, … more »

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Download MP3 Length: 50 min. This podcast is a recording of the Blogging, Podcasting, and Screencasting presentation that I gave to the TransAlpine conference in Vienna in June 2009. In the presentation, I explore what well-known bloggers, podcasters, and screencasters do to inspire readers to become devoted followers rather than just casual subscribers. Devoted followers stay updated with … more »

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As) Length: 40 min. This is the second half of the Blogging for Technical Communicators webinar that I gave to the STC-Rocky Mountain chapter on February 19, 2009. Here’s the accompanying PowerPoint visual. Note: Make sure you listen to Part 1 first. Otherwise you’ll come into this podcast in … more »

Last week I had the opportunity to listen to Chad Hymas, an inspirational speaker (not the Chris Farley type), who related several powerful stories that changed him. A quadriplegic after a tractor-hay bale incident, Hymas shared how one can live a happier, more fulfilled, more productive life even without the use of one’s limbs. We all sat mesmerized while Hymas related story after story. His … more »

Harry Miller Media. Engaging video skits that describe documentation procedures.

I wrote this post for Poewar.com last year, but I like to keep my own writing consolidated on my site, so I’ve added it here. Literary nonfiction gets its energy, Richard Locke says, from the intersection of the personal and professional. The tension and appeal of literary nonfiction comes from the interplay between the writer’s personal experiences and the topic he or she is exploring. … more »