Category: Tech Writing

  • OpenOffice v. MS Word

    Bruce Byfield writes an article about Breaking the Word Processor Curve which compares Open Office and MS Office from an expert’s point of view. (Thanks, Jenny).

  • Tech Writing Blogs?

    While searching the web for technical writer resources, I realized that there aren’t any big technical writing blogs. Maybe it’s because tech writers are more inclined to blog about video games or Asian art than their profession. Where do you go for blogging about technical writing? First there is elearningpost which is more about e-learning…

  • Resumes Part II: This Resume is Terrible!

    The woman looked at resumes mainly to find a person’s job history, so she wanted a “job obituary” format. For a recruiter, it is much more convenient to favor candidates with experience most resembling that of the current assignment. It is much easier to reduce a candidate to simply the sum of his/her previous jobs.…

  • Edward Tufte, Resumes and 5 Years Experience

    In my previous post, I discussed the excellent ideas from the world?s leading expert on interfaces and design, Edward Tufte. Tufte encourages designers to maximize the use of space as a general rule. The problem is that white space can reduce clutter and highlight certain information on the screen or page. It also can present…

  • How Long Should a Consumer Wait on Hold for Technical Support?

    A friend of mine regularly calls me up to ask tech support questions about commercial applications. While I generally have no problem about helping him (I’ve pestered enough of my own geek friends at one time or another), I’ve frequently advised him to call technical support of the company supporting the application. That is after…

  • Documentation = Sales

    The need for good software documentation is obvious for people using the product. But its value is less clear for prospective buyers. Many websites maintain a wall between marketing/sales information and user documentation (which falls under the rubric of “support”). The marketing people don?t want consumers to see all the bugs and functionality problems with…