A hierarchy of content needs
Some thoughts on how to evaluate a hierarchy of content needs as a foundation for content strategy.
Opinion
What I learned at tcworld India
Some thoughts after a trip to Bangalore for the tcworld India event.
What I learned at tcworld India
Some thoughts after a trip to Bangalore for the tcworld India event.
Greatest hits for your listening content strategy pleasure
Transitioning to new publishing processes? Release your greatest hits collection first!
Strange bedfellows: InDesign and DITA
or, What you need to know before you start working on a DITA to InDesign project.
Trends in technical communication, 2014 edition
Our annual prognostication, along with an assessment of our predictions from last year.
“You don’t own me—or your content!”: the motivated consumer’s mantra
I love Downton Abbey. I love my Honda Fit.
And I will consume content about those things—even when their creators would prefer I not.
Will it blend? Content management software and localization companies
Vasont, TransPerfect, and Astoria. Really??
The temperature check
This anonymous guest post is part of the Blog Secret Santa project. There’s a list of all Secret Santa posts, including one written by Sarah O’Keefe, on Santa’s list of 2013 gift posts.
Minimum viable content
…in which we explore the idea of minimal viable product as applied to technical content.
Are you ready to rumble for your content strategy?
If you can’t handle some rough-and-tumble adversity, you are not ready to manage the implementation of a new content strategy.
Light-weight authoring tools are taking over
The basic idea of structured content—separate storage of content and formatting—is changing production workflows and, increasingly, content creation tools. In FrameMaker 12, Adobe joins the party on the tech comm side.
Impressions of the tcworld conference from a jet-lagged mind
BIG.
That’s my first impression of the tcworld conference, from which I just returned. I’m still jet-lagged from my trip, but I wanted to briefly share my experiences with those—especially from the US—who are considering attending in the future.
Extending our content strategy empire—at least to the Empire State
Longest. Interview. Ever.
Bill Swallow and I first met in person at the Help ’99 Conference in Dallas, Texas. (1999, not 1899!) Today, we are pleased to announce that Bill is joining Scriptorium as a full-time technical consultant.
How the “we-meeting” kills good tech comm
Does this sound familiar?
One reason for lack of accountability is the we-meeting. You know the one: “We need a new process for handling customer service issues.” Lots of discussion follows, but no clear direction is given, nor is any responsibility taken.
Bruce Clarke (The View from HR column) referencing consultant Kathleen Kelly
Why publishing architecture matters in localization
“It’s not about the tools.” Except when it’s totally about the tools.
The framing effect in content strategy
Different flavors of content strategists seem to be having trouble talking to each other. I think it’s because of the framing effect.
Why is content strategy implementation hard?
We are moving companies away from a heroic model to a process-driven model. Processes are much less exciting that the adrenaline rush that comes from working miracles to deliver the impossible.
Blemished—but better—tech comm?
Consumers’ demand for perfect things drives a lot of pesticide use….Ninety percent of pesticide use in apple crops is to get the last five percent of quality of the fruit.
The problem of tech comm WINOs
If you have worked in or around technical communication, you have probably met at least one WINO (Writer In Name Only).
The ten commandments of DITA
Because the phrase “best practices” is boring, we provide, for your reading pleasure, the ten commandments of DITA.
Avoiding buyer’s remorse: techcomm tools edition
Yes, you can call me overly cautious.
Before making a purchase, I will research the you-know-what out of the item. If it’s a big purchase, I’ll hire a professional to help me make my decision (particularly when it comes to real estate). I’d rather part with a bit more cash than get angry with myself later for a bad purchase.
