--- title: "I’d Rather Be Writing blog" description: "{% for post in paginator.posts %} {{ post.title }} {{ post.date | date:" canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/page158/ --- # I’d Rather Be Writing blog [Presentation on Writing and Web 2.0 by Keith Hoffman — Given at the University of Wisconsin](/2007/05/08/keith-hoffman-presentation-on-writing-and-web-20/) May 8, 2007 • [podcasts]( /category-podcasts) Listen here: This is a presentation Keith Hoffman gave on writing and Web 2.0 at the University of Wisconsin a few months back. If you recall, Keith wrote the feature article in January's Intercom on Web 2.0. This podcast also has a video component, which you can watch it here. Here's a little bit about Keith: He's the [soon-to-be past] president of the Madison Wisconsin STC chapter He's now the president of a group cal... [Wikis Are Coming: An In-Depth Exploration of Using Wikis in Documentation — Interview with Katriel Reichman (Israel)](/2007/05/06/wikis-documentation-technical-writing-wikis/) May 6, 2007 • [podcasts]( /category-podcasts) Listen here: In this podcast, Katriel Reichman, a technical writer at Method M in Jerusalem, Israel, talks in-depth about how to use wikis for documentation. Here are the topics covered in the podcast: When to use wikis instead of traditional help authoring tools The best projects for wikis Challenges with wikis The ongoing nature of wiki projects Tampering with user contributions Exporting wiki content to other formats... [Setting Up a Wiki in a Few Minutes — Installing Dokuwiki](/2007/05/06/installing-dokuwiki/) May 6, 2007 • [technical-writing]( /category-technical-writing), [wikis]( /category-wikis) The other day I interviewed Katriel Reichman about wikis and he recommended Dokuwiki and Mediawiki. Mediawiki runs Wikipedia, so you're probably familiar with how it looks. After the podcast I installed Dokuwiki to create the Tech Writer Blog Directory that I mentioned in an earlier post. Dokuwiki turns out to be incredibly easy to install. The ease of setup and use is something a Doc Train speaker said about most every Web 2.0 technolog... [Help Support Tech Writer Voices — Consider this Our Spring Membership Campaign](/2007/05/05/donatetotechwritervoices/) May 5, 2007 • [technical-writing]( /category-technical-writing) The STC Conference in Minneapolis this year will be a good experience for all those who attend. But for the thousands who can't make the trip, they'll be left out. I'd like to record podcasts live from the STC Conference—talking with speakers, participants, consultants, and vendors. These podcasts will have an impact on the thousands of communicators who can't attend the conference because they live too far away. The Tech Writer Voices po... [Calling All Tech Writing Bloggers: List Your Blog in the New Tech Writing Blog Directory Wiki](/2007/05/05/blogdirectory/) May 5, 2007 • [blogging]( /category-blogging), [technical-writing]( /category-technical-writing) You can now list your blog in a technical writing blog directory at www.techwriterblogs.com. (I just set this up with a wiki.) If you're a technical writer/communicator and you blog, or if your blog contains information of interest to technical writers, please list it on the wiki by clicking the Edit this Page button in the upper-left corner (see image below). Then just follow the example formatting of the first entry. After one week I'll... [Neil Perlin Enters Blogosphere and Gives Away Free Flare Stylesheets](/2007/05/04/neilperlin/) May 4, 2007 • [blogging]( /category-blogging), [technical-writing]( /category-technical-writing) Neil Perlin, a well-known figure in the tech comm world, now has a blog at www.hyperword.blogspot.com. Neil's also giving away some pre-defined Flare stylesheets. He says, Flare's stylesheet editor is very powerful but can be intimidating at first, so my stylesheet's purpose is to help people get comfortable with the editor. This stylesheet, and a document that explains how to use it and discusses styles in general, are available at www... [Advertise on the Podcast](/2007/05/03/advertise/) May 3, 2007 • [podcasting]( /category-podcasting) You can advertise your product or service on Tech Writer Voices podcasts. Most podcasts have between 200-300 downloads, with a total audience of 600+ plus subscribers. I will advertise your product or service on the show for free in exchange for a copy of your product or a period of service. For example, if you make a screen capture program, I will promote your product on the show via commercials or discussion in exchange for a copy of th... [Google 411 -- Free Information Listings via Phone](/2007/05/02/google-411-free-information-listings-via-phone/) May 2, 2007 • [technical-writing]( /category-technical-writing), [web-design]( /category-web-design) If you call 800-466-4411, Google provides you with free business information listings, equivalent to calling information, only free. This Goog-411 service is worthwhile to enter as a contact on your cell phone so you can access it while driving. When I was lost in Seattle I called Google to connect with the place I was headed. Here's a sample of me calling for Sam Ash music store: Sponsored [Perfect Explanation of RSS -- Engaging Video Tutorial](/2007/05/02/rssvideotutorial/) May 2, 2007 • [technical-writing]( /category-technical-writing), [web-design]( /category-web-design) I saw this perfect explanation of RSS on the STC-Chicago blog (original source: Commoncraft). For people who don't quite get RSS, the guy makes a neat video explanation. If all video tutorials were this fun to watch, users would love us. Click To Play There are two types of Internet users, those that use RSS and those that don't. This video is for the people who could save time using RSS, but don't know where to start. ... [A Few Conversations at Doc Train — User Personas, Data Conversion, and Simplified Technical English](/2007/05/01/afewconversationsatdoctrain/) May 1, 2007 • [podcasts]( /category-podcasts) Listen here: While I was at Doc Train, I recorded a few brief podcasts with several people. Unfortunately I had some microphone issues so the sound quality isn't good. But you can still hear them. I talked with experts on user personas, data conversion, and simplified technical English. I talked with Joan LaSalle of Lasselle-Ramsay about user personas, ethnographies, and user-centered design. I also talked with Don Brid... [My First Carcast: Driving Home from Vancouver After the Doc Train Conference](/2007/04/30/myfirstcarcastpodcast/) Apr 30, 2007 • [podcasts]( /category-podcasts) Listen here: While driving home from the Documentation and Training Conference in Vancouver, B.C., I recorded my first carcast. It was a really interesting experience. I hadn't planned to do a carcast, and then on the way home I was a little bored and thought hey, why not try a carcast? I first heard about carcasting from a carcast Tee Morris did (see episode 3: Podcasting on the Go). Carcasting is actually a lot of fun... [Free Conference Call Recording/Podcasting Service at FreeConferencing.LiveOffice.com](/2007/04/29/free-conference-call-recordingpodcasting-service-at-freeconferencingliveofficecom/) Apr 29, 2007 • [technical-writing]( /category-technical-writing), [web-design]( /category-web-design) I've been experimenting with a free conference call recording/podcasting service called FreeConferencing from LiveOffice — free if you don't mind calling long-distance to Minnesota, U.S.A., that is. Most people have free long-distance with their cell phone plans. Or even if you don't have free long distance, you can use Skype and get long distance for nearly free. What's cool about this service is that it allows you to record the conversa... [Managing Virtual Teams: Getting the Most from Wikis, Blogs, and Other Collaborative Tools — Interview with the authors](/2007/04/29/managingvirtualteams/) Apr 29, 2007 • [podcasts]( /category-podcasts) Listen here: In this podcast, I talk with Katherine (Kit) Brown, Brenda Huettner, and Char James-Tanny about their latest book, Managing Virtual Teams: Getting the Most from Wikis, Blogs, and Other Collaborative Tools. Some of the topics from the podcast include the following: Challenges with virtual teams How to hold meetings virtually Selecting tools for virtual interactions Managing employees on a remote team Social ... [How Blogs Dominate Google — One Highly-Linked-To Blog Can Rule the World](/2007/04/28/how-blogs-dominate-google-one-highly-linked-to-blog-can-rule-the-world/) Apr 28, 2007 • [blogging]( /category-blogging), [technical-writing]( /category-technical-writing) "The See-Through CEO," an article by Clive Thompson in the March issue of Wired, provides one of the most compelling arguments for companies to start blogging that I think can be made: Google search rankings. Because Google's search results algorithm is heavily based on links (the more people who link to you, the higher you rise in the search results), getting hip-deep in the blogosphere can make you rise to the first page of Google. I'm... [Jott—a Free Voicemail to Transcribed Text Memo Service](/2007/04/28/jott-a-voicemail-to-text-memo-service/) Apr 28, 2007 • [technical-writing]( /category-technical-writing), [web-design]( /category-web-design) I just discovered Jott today. Jott transcribes voicemail you leave on its service as text, and then sends that text to you via e-mail. So if you're driving along and you have a memo to note, instead of writing it down, you just call a special Jott toll-free number, speak your memo, and Jott transcribes it as text and e-mails it to you. You can also "jot" voicemail transcribed memos to others you've added to your Jott contact list. It's a ... [« Previous](/page157/) Page: 158 of 174 [» Next](/page159/) var contents = new Array() // One ad slot, two creatives, same as the sidebar: the new dark State of // Knowledge creative in contents[3] alternates with the light August one // in contents[1]. contents[0] is the dark August creative it replaced -- // paused Sep 21, 2026, and expected back in ~2 months, at which point // swap it in for contents[3]. // contents[0] = '