I'd Rather Be Writing » wordpress.tv http://idratherbewriting.com The Latest Trends in Technical Communication Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:26:51 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Introduction to Technical Writing (podcast) http://idratherbewriting.com/2009/03/24/introduction-to-technical-writing-podcast/ http://idratherbewriting.com/2009/03/24/introduction-to-technical-writing-podcast/#comments Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:00:33 +0000 Tom Johnson http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=3194 more »]]> Download MP3 (to download, right-click and select Save Target As)
Length: 43 min.

In this podcast, I talk with Ricardo Amigo, a translator and podcaster in Mexico City and Costa Rica, about the field of technical writing. This podcast is more of a reverse interview. Instead of me asking the questions, Ricardo interviews me. The general topic is the field of technical writing, including all of the following:

  • My path into technical writing
  • Structured authoring
  • XML and DITA
  • Information architecture
  • Usability — for documentation and software interfaces
  • Publication formats for help material
  • Breaking into technical writing
  • Tools for help authoring
  • The growth of technical writing
  • Creativity and technical writing
  • A typical day as a technical writer
  • Translation techniques and tools
  • Simplified technical English

Ricardo’s company is called Amigo Audio, and they principally do translation. For example, if you need your manual or software interface translated, Amigo Audio can help. You can contact Ricardo Amigo at sinpapel@yahoo.com. Additionally, you can read more about their translation services at Amigo Audio.

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]]> http://idratherbewriting.com/2009/03/24/introduction-to-technical-writing-podcast/feed/ 3 WordPress TV Launches — The Appeal of Video Continues to Expand http://idratherbewriting.com/2009/01/18/wordpress-tv-launches-the-appeal-of-video-continues-to-expand/ http://idratherbewriting.com/2009/01/18/wordpress-tv-launches-the-appeal-of-video-continues-to-expand/#comments Mon, 19 Jan 2009 04:23:37 +0000 Tom Johnson http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=2685 more »]]> WordPress TV launched this week (go to http://WordPress.tv to view it). The concept of WordPress TV is similar to Adobe TV — it’s a multimedia site loaded with a ton of video tutorials and other video content, only WordPress TV is more user generated. Here’s a video introducing WordPress TV:

On WordPress TV, the quality of the videos varies, since many of them are recorded at Wordcamps around the world. Additionally, you can recommend videos to be added. For example, you can record a video tutorial on some aspect of WordPress, post it on your blog, and then suggest the link to WordPress TV through the site’s contact information. I assume the WordPress TV site managers pull in your video from wherever you’re hosting it.

I am tremendously excited about WordPress TV. This is the age of video, in my opinion. The days where technical writers simply wrote manuals are diminishing. A good majority of the people find video instruction more appealing, more engaging, and more attractive than written documentation. I find that video is more fun to create as well.

I also think the predominance of user-generated content is lowering the expected professional standards of video. Like the web, users care more about relevant business content  than correct grammar (not to diminish the value of grammar, surely). But if you’re struggling to learn how to fix your stylesheet to wrap text around images in your posts, do you care if the video tutorial relays the information with impeccably smooth transitions and trained voice talent? Sure it makes the video a little better. But you’re mainly interested in finding the solution to your problem. If the video provides that relevancy and solves your problem, you’ll forgive the unpolished voice and the lack of cool effects.

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