Hyperviews Online

WritersUA has published its 2006 Skills and Technologies Survey results.

A report appeared today on Search Engine Watch that is especially useful because it distinguishes among various types of disabilities and the assoicated requirements for accessibility.

STC 54th Annual Conference: Technical Communication Summit. May 13-16, 2007. Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Registration and information:
http://www.stc.org/54thConf/index.asp

March 25-28, 2007. Long Beach, CA, USA. http://www.writersua.com/ohc07/index.html

Flow theory is a psychological concept. Applied to online games, it means play without disruptions, easy to understand and follow by impulse. This means no menus or instructions in the way of the gamer. Read about it in the November 28, 2006 online Wall Street Journal.

The Online SIG submitted a proposal for a progression at the STC Annual Conference, and it was accepted. Only 21% of the proposals were accepted, so please thank Rachel Houghton and the presenters for this fine work.

The topics in the progression and the presenters in the proposal are:

• Advanced Tips for Madcap Flare, Rob Houser
• Incorporating Accessibility Compliance into the Online Information
  Development Process, Lisa Pappas
• Hiding help: Incorporating Java-based hovers into online help, Garret
  Romaine
• Using XML in a Command Line Interface, Rachel Houghton
• Why Web Standards Matter, Char James-Tanny
• Enhancing Microsoft Sharepoint Project Websites to Track Email
  Information Exchange, Stephen Massey
• Structured Blogging: Creating Structured XML content without specialized
  authoring tools, Scott Abel
• Rapid Delivery of Short Technical Topics Using Digital Film, Brian Collins

STC is inviting technical communicators to serve as judges in STC’s international competitions (technical publications, technical art, or online communication).  Judging in the international competitions provides a unique opportunity to share information with peers, network, and get a marvelous view of the best work that our colleagues are producing.  The deadline to apply is December 1. If you’re interested, the details are here. (more…)

The text of this article and the latest news from the STC Certification Task Force is posted on the STC Forum: http://stcforum.org/viewtopic.php?pid=2470#p2470

Cheryl Landes, Senior Member of the Boston Chapter, presented “Figuring Out What to Learn” at a recent meeting of the Boston Chapter’s Consulting and Independent Contracting SIG (CIC SIG). The handout is available for download from Hyerviews Online. This program includes tips on how to decide whether to learn something, and how to acquire the needed skills and knowledge. Cheryl provides ideas and her interviews with several leaders in technical communication.

Online SIG Education Lead Tom Johnson publishes educational podcasts continually at http://techwritervoices.com/. There is a link in the sidebar of Hyperviews Online. These podcasts include educational programs and interviews.

Please welcome the 47 new members who joined the Online SIG in October; two members departed. The Online SIG has 2002 members, and STC has 15,451 members.

Please renew your membership in STC. The renewal form is posted at https://www.stc.org/duesrenewal/ Dues for SIGs have doubled to $10.00. As always, please choose your options carefully to obtain the best value for you. If you renew your membership in the Online SIG, please send a message to the manager, ann@annlwiley.com and let the leadership team know what you would like the SIG to do for you.