InfoPlus+ · XML in Technical Communication by Charles Cowan. The book has sold around the world,...

This is the Newsletter for technical authors, technical illustrators and information designers. InfoPlus+ is posted at www.istc.org.uk/Publications/Newsletter/newsletter.htm.

© ISTC April 2009 1

Launching Technical Communication UK 2009Paul Ballard is pleased to report that the new website is now up and running smoothly with the initial content. From the middle of April, you will be able to reserve your place at the Conference through the website.

MarketingSherri Bakewell and Rachel Potts have been researching ideas for how the event will be marketed and have prepared plans for both traditional and more webby channels. Joanna and the ASL team will be tasked with implementing some of these.

Call for SpeakersSpeakers attend the Conference FREE OF CHARGE. You would only need to pay for accommodation if you needed it. Alison Peck and I have been making progress with the Speakers and hopefully with the website and new pricing approach in place, we will be able to get the Programme full before too long. Please register your interest in speaking through the website.

SponsorsI have made some progress with the Sponsors but, quite soon, I still need to secure one or two companies wishing to benefit from the Platinum Sponsor slots. Joanna’s team will take on the main thrust now of contacting potential sponsors.

Need your helpWe really need your help to spread the word; even if you are not planning to attend yourself. If you think you could help with any of the Marketing, please liaise with Paul Ballard.

Thanks to allThanks to all on the team for the great effort in the last 6 weeks to get the new branding and site agreed and functioning.

ContentsISTC news ........................1Affiliate news ....................3Industry news ...................4Blog news .........................6Software news ..................7

Science communications news .................................9Training news ....................9Event news .....................14Back page ......................19

The ISTC is the United Kingdom’s professional association for technical authors, technical illustrators, and information designers.

ISTC Office: Airport House, Purley Way, Croydon, Surrey CR0 0XZ Tel: +44 (0)20 8253 4506 Fax: +44 (0)20 8253 4510 Email: [email protected] Web: www.istc.org.uk

This monthly Newsletter is emailed to about 1500 people. As well as ISTC news, InfoPlus+ aims to cover anything of interest to the profession. To subscribe, contact the office.

Advertising: Felicity Davie or phone 01344 466600 Editorial: Newsletter Editor Letters: Letters Editor Events: Events Editor Blogs: Blogs Editor

If you’re reading a printed copy of this newsletter, go to www.istc.org.uk/Publications/Newsletter/newsletter.htm and open it on-line to explore the links mentioned.

InfoPlus+

April 09

ISTC newsISTC BooksBy Marian Newell, FISTC

It’s nearly a year since the ISTC published XML in Technical Communication by Charles Cowan. The book has sold around the world, both directly from the ISTC and through online retailers, after receiving exposure from technical communication

associations in other countries. It is also supplied to students on the second part of the ISTC’s open learning course. We are about to break even on the publishing costs and have recently paid the author’s commission for 2008.

When we designed XML in Technical Communication, we did so with a view to publishing a series of titles on specific topics

http://www.technicalcommunicationuk.com

http://www.technicalcommunicationuk.com

mailto:[email protected]


http://www.istc.org.uk






http://www.istc.org.uk/Publications/Newsletter/newsletter.htm





‘in technical communication’. Each would be of similar length at around 45,000 words. The cover designer produced a design that could readily be adapted to a wide range of topics and we have an experienced typesetter who has worked on titles for several well-known publishers. We have since declined one proposal that seemed unlikely to add much to an existing book on the same topic. Other potential authors have expressed interest but have not yet submitted proposals for consideration.

So, all we need now are good ideas from committed authors. Proposals must include:

An overview of the book ■

A breakdown of the chapters and their ■

proposed content

The number and type of illustrations ■

The potential market, with particular ■

selling points and comparison with competitive titles

A brief biography of the author, including ■

any previously published work

If you would like to propose a title for the series, contact Marian Newell at [email protected].

ISTC West of Scotland area group – April meetingBy Katja McLaughlin, MISTC

The ISTC West of Scotland area group is meeting again on Wednesday 22 April from 7pm onwards, at the offices of Sumerian in Glasgow city centre: 19 Blythswood Square, Glasgow G2 4BG. Please come along for a relaxed networking meeting; non-ISTC members are welcome too. Tea and coffee provided. For more information, e-mail [email protected].

Cambridge Area Group newsBy Rachel Potts, MISTC

For the Cambridge area group’s February event, Indi Liepa gave a talk about the various ways that Nokia is using DITA. DITA is used across the business, with different business areas having their own implementations. Indi told us about examples of DITA in use to create websites and to support the complexity of building manuals for variants of mobile phones in a range of languages.

Many thanks to Indi for telling us about her experiences. Thanks also to CSR (Cambridge Software Radio) for hosting the event.

Hyperlinks disclaimerThe appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the ISTC of the linked websites, or the information, products or services contained on those sites. All external hyperlinks were accurate and working at the time of writing. However, the ISTC does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations, so the ISTC cannot be responsible for changes to content found at these locations or any material on those sites that may be inaccurate, misleading or offensive to you.All links are provided with the intent of meeting the mission of the ISTC and its Newsletter, and the ISTC disclaims any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness and availability of any linked site.Please let us know about existing external links which you believe are inappropriate or inaccurate and about specific additional external links which you believe ought to be included.

ISTC Cambridge area groups are free and open to anyone to attend. If you’re interested in hearing about future events, email Rachel Potts on [email protected].




http://www.ovidius.com/files/pdf/job.pdf





STAR UK – A new bronze-level Business AffiliateThe ISTC is pleased to welcome a new bronze-level business affiliate, STAR UK Ltd. Established in Switzerland in 1984, The STAR Group is now the largest privately held language services provider in Europe with over 900 staff based in 35 countries.

The mission of the company is to provide services and tools that support the entire information lifecycle, from information creation through to translation and multimedia publishing.

The STAR Group achieves this goal by following three basic principles:

The complete separation of information, ■

content and layout. This principle enhances the reusability of information and avoids redundancy throughout the information process

The delta principle – STAR ensures ■

that companies only work with the material that really is new in order to avoid redundant information and the duplication of work

For a full list of the ISTC’s current Business Affiliates, see www.istc.org.uk/Business_affiliates/ba_home.htm.You can read more about the scheme at www.istc.org.uk/Membership/business_affiliates.htm.

Affiliate newsCherryleaf to host mentoring meetings for Documentation ManagersBy Ellis Pratt, Cherryleaf Ltd

Cherryleaf will be hosting half-day peer group meetings for documentation managers and leaders. These afternoon meetings will be held initially on a quarterly basis in Russell Square, London, under the Chatham House Rule basis of confidentiality.

These will be run in a similar way to the peer group meetings run for Chief Executives by organisations such as Vistage in a trusted, confidential setting, leaders from diverse industries meet on a regular basis in a peer-to-peer environment to solve problems and take advantage of opportunities. A Chair leads each meeting, guiding both process and content to ensure members achieve real results.

These meetings are intended to complement the ISTC regional group meeting initiative. They differ in that there will be an emphasis on problem solving rather than networking, and they are aimed at a different audience.

Tools are there to help people. All its ■

business activities are based on the professional expertise of the people involved – its own staff and clients. Tools are important only because they assist the creative process by making text production more efficient and relieving authors of repetitive and routine tasks

With a global infrastructure, STAR is local to its clients and can operate in over 160 languages. Its translation teams and project managers ensure that client product information is always locally relevant and accurate.

www.istc.org.uk/Business_affiliates/ba_home.htm

www.istc.org.uk/Membership/business_affiliates.htm

http://www.vistage.com/en/vistage-experience/vistage-advantage/vistage-advantage.aspx



Industry newsThe Sign Design Awards 2009By Mike Wolff, Chairman of The Sign Design Society

The Sign Design Awards 2009 are open to anyone and everyone involved in the world of signing, wayfinding and graphic communication in the environment. The competition is very significant for the Sign Design Society as an important part of its mission is to promote all that’s best in this important field. The last awards in 2005 attracted entries from around the world and demonstrated the wealth of existing, latent and emerging talent. This year’s awards see a very different launch programme, including a dedicated website with on line submission of entries and a variety of downloadable publicity and display material. If you would like hard copies rather than printing yourself, please contact the Society. All print copy is made using eco-friendly procedures and material.

The Society is delighted to have attracted seven business sponsors and a prestigious team of seven judges from a range of relevant disciplines.

For more information, visit: www.signdesignawards.com. Please note that the closing date for entry is 31 May, 2009.

The 2009 Adobe® Design Achievement AwardsThe Adobe® Design Achievement Awards celebrate student achievement reflecting the powerful convergence of technology and the creative arts. The competition — which showcases individual and group projects created with industry-leading Adobe creative software — honours the most talented and promising student graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, animators, digital filmmakers, developers, and computer artists from the world’s top institutions of higher education.

Submissions are now being accepted until 5 June, 2009. For more information, visit: www.adobe.com/uk/education/adaa/.

The Wheatley Medal 2009From the Society of Indexers

Why not consult your colleagues and consider nominating some of the best indexes from among your recent publications? Anyone searching for information knows that a good index enhances the value of any publication, and the very best are deserving of wider recognition. Winning the Wheatley Medal confers prestige on both indexer and publisher and, like any award, can help in marketing the publication.

Established by the Library Association (now CILIP) and the Society of Indexers, this prestigious medal was first awarded in 1963. It has since been presented for indexes to a wide range of publications, from encyclopedias to journals, with subjects ranging from law and medicine to biography, literature and history.

All indexes published in the EU (not just ■

in the UK) between 1 January 2008 and 30 April 2009 are eligible for nomination (provided both text and index are in English)

Judging panel includes indexers, ■

academics and library/information professionals

http://www.signdesignawards.com

http://www.signdesignawards.com

http://www.adobe.com/uk/education/adaa/



Don’t miss the deadline – 30 April, 2009 ■

Remember to send a copy of the ■

publication with your nomination form

Visit the Society of Indexers’ website for further information and to download a nomination form: www.indexers.org.uk/index.php?id=61.

Quark’s ‘Dynamic Publishing’ newsletterThe Dynamic Publisher is a bi-monthly newsletter that provides articles and information about dynamic publishing from Quark Systems Limited. Quark defines dynamic publishing as ‘the automated assembly of customised documents with graphic-rich layouts for multiple mediums, including print, the Web, mobile and electronic devices’. Dynamic publishing allows organisations to deliver accurate, relevant, and high-fidelity communications across multiple types of media faster and at a lower cost.

All editions of the newsletter are available online from Quark’s website at: www.thedynamicpublisher.com/en/archives/.

Editors have their sayWith hard times for publishers looming on the horizon, ideas from one of the largest body of editors in the UK, the Society for Editors and Proofreaders (SfEP), may point the way forward. SfEP members work at the nitty-gritty end of creating high-quality text. Their experience shows that both the publishing industry and the nation at large need to be more aware of the importance of editorial quality.

Sarah Price, Society chair, says: ‘SfEP members are adaptable and flexible yet maintain standards. It is this combination that adds value to a published product.’

Sarah continues: ‘Editing tasks are complex. Only professionalism among all those in the publishing industry will enable them to thrive in the future.’

SfEP members pooled their experience in a stimulating session at the Society’s annual conference last year. The March 2009 edition of the Society’s magazine, Editing Matters, contains a précis of the most commonly heard thoughts in the discussion.

Information on how to obtain a copy of Editing Matters can be found at: www.sfep.org.uk/pub/mag/magazine.asp.

SfEP membership comprises freelance and in-house editors and proofreaders and corporate associates. For more information visit: www.sfep.org.uk.

New President for TCANZBy Steve Moss, Vice President, Technical Communicators Association of New Zealand Inc.

A few weeks ago Kaye Churches decided to step down as President of the Technical Communicators Association of New Zealand Inc. (TCANZ). Myself and others on the TCANZ National Committee want to thank to Kaye for the excellent work she has done over the past 16 months in the role.

We are fortunate in being able to announce that Maryanne Cathro will be taking over as President, effective immediately. Maryanne has been working as a technical communicator for 12 years and is currently Manager Business Improvement for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise in Wellington. She spoke at the last two TCANZ conferences and is passionate about the importance of technical communication in business.

The TCANZ website is at: www.tcanz.org.nz.

www.indexers.org.uk/index.php?id=61


http://www.thedynamicpublisher.com/en/archives/

http://www.thedynamicpublisher.com/en/archives/

http://www.sfep.org.uk/pub/mag/magazine.asp

http://www.sfep.org.uk/pub/mag/magazine.asp

http://www.sfep.org.uk

http://www.tcanz.org.nz



Blog newsSpring forwardBy Gordon McLean, MISTC

I’ve been reading blogs, of all kinds, for several years now and one thing remains constant; you will always miss something you’d wish you’d read at the time. So it’s good that the pool of technical writing blogs are still searching and hunting for useful information and pointing it out. Without that spirit of sharing I wouldn’t be able to share the first article featured this month, as it was published in 2006.

According to Amy Hoy, Tech Writing Sucks. A terrible thing to admit in an ISTC newsletter perhaps, but having read (and re-read) this blog post I can’t help but agree. Amy explains what she considers the five major sins of bad technical writing, things I’m sure many of us can identify and should avoid.

Whilst the book is not yet available in the UK, it’s worth listening to Tom Johnson’s interview with Richard Hamilton, author of Managing Writers. The interview covers several of the issues covered in more detail in the book, and should make interesting

reading to any of you managing, or about to manage, a team of technical writers.

A couple of months ago, in this column, I mentioned Twitter. I’ll be honest and say that back then I wasn’t really sure how it could be of much use. So I was pleasantly surprised when Ellis Pratt, over at the Cherryleaf blog, used Twitter to help answer, User documentation - Does it matter? By searching Twitter, across one day, he finds a wide and varied response, direct from the writers and users of documentation.

Whether you agree with the advice it proffers, Strunk & White’s Elements of Style is well enough known and likely features on one or two bookshelves. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first publication William Kates takes a look back at how the book came to be so well known.

And, sticking with the theme, Ben Minson offers his view on The Difference Between Grammar and Clarity; ‘My opinion about grammatical rules is that they give us something in common based on which we communicate with each other. Those who thoroughly understand the rules can then break them with style and flair.’

Finally an excellent post on Freelancing by Rahul Prabhakar, particularly given the

Quick links to the bloggers and their blogsAmy Hoy:

http://slash7.com/articles/2006/11/15/tech-writing-the-five-sins

Tom Johnson:

http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2009/03/23/managing-writers-interview-with-richard-hamilton-podcast/

Ellis Pratt:

http://www.cherryleaf.com/blog/2009/03/user-documentation-does-it-matter/

William Kates:

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--goldenstrunkampwhit0320mar20,0,4092190.story

Ben Minson:

http://www.gryphonmountain.net/archives/techcomm/the-difference-between-grammar-and-clarity

Rahul Prabhakar:

http://2brahulprabhakar.blogspot.com/2007/02/world-of-freelancer.html

A technical writer for almost 14 years, Gordon has been blogging for more than eight. He monitors a large breadth of blogs covering most aspects of both technical communications and software development. You can download the full list of RSS feeds from his blog at www.onemanwrites.co.uk.


























http://www.onemanwrites.co.uk



current economic climes, which offers some timely advice if you are considering going out on your own.

As it’s almost a year since I wrote my first column for the newsletter I’ve been looking back through the archives and noticed that the pool of technical writers who blog is still quite small. If I’m missing out on a blog, then please let me know, and if you are toying with setting up your own blog, then feel free to drop me an email if you have any questions: [email protected].

Software newsDoc-To-Help 2009 v2 releasedComponent One’s release of Doc-To-Help 2009 v2 is designed to bring improved document import/management, editor enhancements, and streamlined project management making Doc-To-Help easier to use and learn.

Doc-To-Help 2009 enables technical communicators, policy writers, and other content creators to author using Doc-To-Help’s XML-based editor, Microsoft Word, or HTML (with new or existing documents) and publish to the Web, Help systems, or printed manuals with a single click. Doc-To-Help bundles all its features into one self-contained product to reduce the learning curve and save both time and costs.

‘Doc-To-Help continues to evolve aggressively, mostly in response to user demands, which is why it is the preferred tool,’ said Dan Beall, Doc-To-Help product manager. ‘The initial release of Doc-To-Help 2009 added a ribbon interface and an XML-based editor, which were very significant technology upgrades. Our focus is to continue to deliver the industry’s

most trusted product with the powerful functionality users demand.’

New User Guidance

The project creation process is now automated with the Getting Started Wizard. Whether a user wants to start a project from scratch or import existing documents, this wizard walks through the process, step-by-step.

Document Import and Management

The release of Doc-To-Help 2009 v2 offers users the option of importing multiple documents at once, rather than importing them one at a time. Additionally, Doc-To-Help will automatically add the documents to the correct project folder. Doc-To-Help can also convert multiple documents to XHTML with a single click.

Editor Enhancements

The built-in editor, introduced in Doc-To-Help 2009, is designed to give authors an experience that allows them to focus on doing what they do best: write the content they need to produce.

Doc-To-Help 2009 v2 will now check your spelling as you type in 21 different languages. When creating hyperlinks, users can choose the appropriate target window.

Call us: 01483 211533High Street, Ripley,

Woking, Surrey GU23 6AF

www.3di-info.com

Documentation lostin translation?3di can help you provide effectiveinformation to your international customers by managing the translationof the information supporting yourproducts, processes and services.

Typical translation projects undertaken by 3di include:� Software user guides� Medical device manuals� EU regulatory information� Compliance documentation� Marketing, white papers & sales

information� Process & procedural documents




A Word-like style gallery makes style selection and editing simple and organises style sheets logically.

Streamlined Project Management

The demand to make content and project management more efficient was the driving force behind the new Doc-To-Help 2009 v2 project wizard, enhanced file management, and updated ribbons. The new project wizard allows the user to automate the project creation process, while the enhanced file management organises project files in a convenient ‘My Doc-To-Help Projects’ folder. The ribbon enhancements make it easier to choose and build outputs.

Pricing and Availability

For information about pricing, availability and resellers, visit the web site at: www.doctohelp.com.

Author-it Launches Stimulus Packages to Help Clients Beat the CrisisThe Author-it Software Corporation has announced the launch of two special stimulus packages. The packages provide software and services bundles aimed at helping companies to cut costs and drive revenues in this recessionary market. The bundles are ‘all inclusive’ and come with payment plan and subscription pricing to help clients through the budget approval process.

The current economy requires corporations to drive sales revenues, cut costs and conserve cash. But the corporate mantra to survive in this market can also put the brakes on initiatives that support these very actions. Budgets are frozen sometimes without reference to the potential value of an investment.

‘We understand the pressure on budgets in this economy,’ said Steve Davis, president of Author-it Software Corporation. ‘Business executives are conserving cash and delaying capital purchases. To drive, even a cost-saving, revenue-producing initiative through the budget approval process is

challenging. Initiatives need to prove return on investment and show extreme value to have any hope of success.’ said Davis.

To meet this need, Author-it Software Corporation has developed two packages based on the industry leading Author-it, enterprise authoring and content management solution. The packages are the Author-it Enterprise Pack (aimed at larger enterprise clients) and the Author-it Starter Pack (aimed at smaller corporations or departments within a larger enterprise).

‘The current market is placing extreme pressure on staff,’ said Davis. ‘They are expected to produce the same or greater results, to find cost savings, to generate more revenue, all with reduced budgets and often less people. We have proven all around the world that Author-it can double writer productivity, half localization costs and improve sales performance through sales proposal management. These packages and special pricing arrangements will support our clients strategies for cost cutting and sales efficiency.’

For more information on the Author-it Software Corporation Stimulus packages and pricing. Visit www.author-it.com/index.php?page=stimulus.

http://www.doctohelp.com

http://www.doctohelp.com

http://www.author-it.com/index.php?page=stimulus

http://www.author-it.com/index.php?page=stimulus



Science communications newsIntroducing a new section for InfoPlus+

By Andrew Marlow, FISTC

This new section will appear in future editions of InfoPlus+ dedicated to news and information that is relevant to scientific communicators. Although there has never been any deliberate emphasis on particular fields of technical communication, past ISTC newsletters have received most contributions from those working in IT and engineering environments rather than the scientific community.

Effective communication of technical content has long been regarded as an important skill for those studying and practicing science. It is just as vital to ensure clear communication of science matters to the lay public, as it is to instruct a user on the operation of equipment, or to document technical procedures. Indeed, all the associated fields of endeavour we typically associate with members of the Institute, such as publications and document managers, authors, illustrators, graphic

designers, translators, editors, broadcasters, lecturers and so on, are operating in significant numbers in the scientific and medical community.

If you are already working in this specialist field, we would like to hear from you and would welcome input such as news, information or articles that may be of benefit to other readers of InfoPlus+.

In addition to developing a section for science communicators, InfoPlus+ is already beginning to feature events and training that have some relevance. We’d like to hear from you if you are involved in running events or training programmes that might be appropriate.

Please send your contributions to [email protected].

Perhaps some of you working in other areas of technical communications have considered making a move into a science writing or journalism career. If so, you might be interested in the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW). The Association exists to help those who write about science and technology, and to improve the standard of science journalism in the UK. You can find out more by visiting: www.absw.org.uk/.

Training newsIndexing for editors: in-house workshopsFrom the Society of Indexers

An index prepared by a skilled professional indexer will enhance almost every work of non-fiction, but coming as it does towards the end of the production schedule, the process of commissioning an indexer may sometimes be undertaken in a last-minute panic, and often by staff with little experience. If you would appreciate some advice on finding and commissioning indexers, or have new members of staff who would benefit from training, why not invite the Society of Indexers to run a half-day in-house workshop in your company?

We don’t aim to teach you how to index, but a series of practical exercise will help you understand the basics of indexing and how to make the whole process of commissioning an indexer as trouble-free as possible. The precise content of the workshop can be tailored to your particular needs.

For more information, visit the Society of Indexers website at: www.indexers.org.uk/index.php?id=133.


http://www.absw.org.uk/

http://www.indexers.org.uk/index.php?id=133




Thinking of a career change?If you’re wondering whether a career as a professional indexer might suit you, why not attend one of our introductory workshops?

Wednesday 22 April, 2009 (Manchester) X

Friday 22 May, 2009 (London) X

For further information, visit: www.indexers.org.uk/index.php?id=267.

For more information on either of the above items, contact the Society of Indexers at [email protected].

Training courses

April

3 Introduction to Technical AuthoringThis is a one day course for people who are not career technical authors, but who need to carry out such work.

10% discount for ISTC members.

Armada, Bromsgrove, Midlands.

www.armadaonline.co.uk/techauthortraining

15-16 After Effects IntroThis Adobe After Effects training course will appeal to those who are interested in developing their skills in the field of multimedia, video and presentation graphics using Adobe After Effects. This will be the last After Effects course Mekon do as scheduled.

Mekon Creatives, Sutton, Surrey.

www.mekon-creatives.com/courses.cfm

15-16 Basic/Intermediate Adobe FrameMaker 8This course provides beginners with a thorough grounding in FrameMaker. Starting from first principles, delegates learn how to create new documents, modify existing ones and use FrameMaker’s most popular features.



www.armadaonline.co.uk/adobetraining

17 Advanced Adobe FrameMaker 8This course teaches FrameMaker’s advanced features when working in unstructured mode. Covers variables, books, contents, index and cross-references.




Listings are restricted to scheduled courses that are low cost or are in some way unusual. Listings are a service to members. A listing does not imply ISTC endorsement.If you hear of any training courses that you think might be of interest to InfoPlus+ readers, please contact the Newsletter copyeditor [email protected] you would like to promote your course or event to ISTC members, why not consider giving ISTC members a discount for courses and events listed in our newsletter. For more information, please email [email protected]




http://www.armadaonline.co.uk/techauthortraining


http://www.mekon-creatives.com/courses.cfm


http://www.armadaonline.co.uk/adobetraining









...April

20-21 Photoshop IntroThis Photoshop Introduction course enables delegates with no previous experience of Photoshop to acquire this level of theoretical and practical proficiency and those with a repro background, and an understanding of related theory to adapt their expertise efficiently.



20-21 Flash IntroThis Flash course is aimed at web designers and animators who need to create dynamic and exciting animations.



22 Introduction to IndexingThis workshop caters both for absolute beginners and for those who have begun indexing training, perhaps working on Unit A or Unit B of the Society Of Indexers’ Training Course.

Friends Meeting House, Mount Street, Manchester


23-24 Web Project ManagementThis course is designed for those with limited web experience or technical knowledge who need to plan, manage and deliver web projects.



27-29 Advanced Technical Authoring TechniquesThis is an intensive course for career technical authors who want to improve their skill set and the quality and effectiveness of the documentation they produce.




29 Design AdvancedThe Adobe InDesign Advanced course is suitable for those have attended the introductory level course, or have an equivalent level of knowledge. Familiarity with the operating system and the keyboard is a course prerequisite.

















...April

29-30 Quark IntroThis course is suitable for those with little or no previous experience of Quark or those who are self taught. Familiarity with the operating system and the keyboard is a course prerequisite.



30-1 Introduction to Adobe InDesign CS4This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the powerful capabilities of InDesign, including setting up new documents, shapes, frames and using InDesign’s most popular features.




May

5-6 InDesign IntroThe Adobe InDesign Introduction course is suitable for those with no previous experience of Adobe InDesign or those who are self taught.



8 Photoshop advancedOur Photoshop advanced course is aimed at delegates with previous experience of Photoshop. You may be self taught, taught by a colleague or have attended one of our Photoshop Introduction courses.



14-15 Introduction to Adobe Captivate 4This course for beginners teaches how to create software simulations, demos and tutorials for your application.




14-15 Flash Action script IntroThis course teaches fundamental programming techniques. The course covers core concepts including instance names, variables, functions, properties, and methods; then proceeds through conditions, loops, event handling, and animating with ActionScript. It also covers the concepts of all Flash applications, Object-Oriented, event–driven programming.

















June

5 Introduction to Technical Authoring This is an intensive one day course ideal for people who are not career technical authors, but who need to carry out such work. It covers project planning, writing from a design, structuring documents, good writing practice, punctuation and grammar, navigation techniques, proofreading and standards.




8-10 Advanced Technical Authoring TechniquesThis is an intensive course for career technical authors who want to improve their skill set and the quality and effectiveness of the documentation they produce.



www.armadaonline.co.uk/

techauthortraining

...May

18-19 Illustrator IntroOur course enables delegates with no previous experience of Illustrator or any graphics program to produce effective drawings and illustrations, and those with a design background to effectively utilise and manipulate this drawing tool. You will learn professional approaches to creating artwork projects efficiently and how to integrate Illustrator’s vast array of special effects into your graphics.



22 Introduction to Adobe Acrobat 9This course teaches Acrobat’s core functionality, including creating PDF files from various sources, adding bookmarks and thumbnails, adjusting output quality and security.




11-12 Introduction to Adobe RoboHelp 8This is a course for beginners that teaches how to use RoboHelp to create online help in most popular formats and produce hard copy guides in Word and PDF format from the same project. It covers the use of advanced features including templates, stylesheets, skins and conditional tags.




22-23 Basic/Intermediate Adobe FrameMaker 9This course provides beginners with a thorough grounding in FrameMaker. Starting from first principles, delegates learn how to create new documents, modify existing ones and use FrameMaker’s most popular features.



www.armadaonline.co.uk/

adobetraining















...June

24 Advanced Adobe FrameMaker 9This course teaches FrameMaker’s advanced features when working in unstructured mode. Covers variables, books, contents, index and cross-references.




25-26 Introduction to Adobe Captivate 4This course for beginners teaches how to create software simulations, demos and tutorials for your application.




Event newsAdobe FrameMaker 9® webinar from SDLBy Amy Hall, Marketing Communications Executive, SDL

The Adobe FrameMaker 9 webinar takes place on 15 April, 2009 at 4pm UK time, 8am Pacific time and 11am Eastern time. This webinar follows on from the announcement that Adobe Systems Incorporated is providing all its Adobe FrameMaker 9 users with SDL AuthorAssistant™, the client component of SDL Global Authoring Management System™. Expert speakers from SDL and Adobe will be discussing this functionality, that will enable users to write high-quality, consistent content from within their FrameMaker environment.

For more information, visit: www.sdl.com/en/events/2009-04-15-bring-your-style-guide-to-life.asp.

Society of Indexers’ Annual Conference – Search engines: driving indexing forwardThe Society’s annual conference will take place at the University of York on 11-13 September 2009. In today’s fast-changing information environment, as more and more materials are published online, the role of the indexer is rapidly evolving and expanding to include website indexing and metadata management. In addition to thought-provoking lectures, the programme will include seminars and workshops directly related to the practical issues of working as a freelance indexer in the twenty-first century. These will cover not only general indexing skills but also the problems associated with indexing specific types of material. There will also be plenty of time for networking and socialising with old friends and new acquaintances.

There’s a lot to see in the city of York, so stay an extra day to see the National Railway Museum, the Minster and the city walls – to name but a few of the city’s attractions.

Details of the programme will be updated regularly at www.indexers.org.uk. All enquiries should be directed to: [email protected].





http://www.sdl.com/en/events/2009-04-15-bring-your-style-guide-to-life.asp



http://www.indexers.org.uk

http://www.indexers.org.uk




Transatlantic scientific communication in an age of revolutionA public lecture will take place on Friday 17 April, 2009, at 1:00pm at the Royal Society Library. This talk will examine how scientific knowledge was communicated between North America and Europe during a period of great social upheaval. Sociable fellowship, rather than technological developments, underpinned transatlantic communication of scientific knowledge. Joseph Banks FRS was a prime example: his world-wide friendships made him a human hub of transatlantic and intra-European scientific communication. The speaker is Margaret Meredith, visiting scholar at Universiteit Maastricht.

For more information, visit: http://royalsociety.org/event.asp?id=8276. You can register at: http://royalsociety.org/contact/register_library.asp.

Events listings

April

2 April talk: International signage: pitfalls and how to avoid themA talk by Paul Mason, managing director of Cicero Translations, on preparing signage for international audiences.

London, UK.

www.signdesignsociety.co.uk/content.php?folder_id=21

3 Tekom Spring ConferenceThe Tekom spring conference will be held in German only.

Dortmund, Germany.

www.tekom.de/tagung/tagung.jsp

2 Structured authoring and information reuse: What authors and managers need to knowA free webinar provided by Information Mapping. To register, visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/991222915

17-19 Knowledge Globalization Conference 2009The goal of the conference is to share knowledge among developed and developing countries and discuss the challenges and opportunities of knowledge globalization.

Boston, Massachusetts.

www.kglobal.org

20-22 London book fairDiscounted online registration is available.

London.

www.londonbookfair.co.uk/

22 ISTC West of Scotland area group - April meetingThe ISTC West of Scotland area group will be held on 22 April from 7pm Please come along for a relaxed networking meeting; non-ISTC members are welcome. Tea and coffee will be provided.

Sumerian offices 19 Blythswood Square, Glasgow G2 4BG.

For more information, e-mail [email protected]

This section introduces new events and reminders of the most relevant events in the coming months. ISTC events are highlighted.You can view previous events listings on the ISTC website’s Newsletter archive at www.istc.org.uk/Publications/Newsletter/newsletter.htm To include an event in the listings, please email [email protected]

http://royalsociety.org/event.asp?id=8276

http://royalsociety.org/event.asp?id=8276

http://royalsociety.org/contact/register_library.asp

http://royalsociety.org/contact/register_library.asp

http://www.signdesignsociety.co.uk/content.php?folder_id=21

http://www.signdesignsociety.co.uk/content.php?folder_id=21

http://www.tekom.de/tagung/tagung.jsp

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/991222915

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/991222915

http://www.kglobal.org

http://www.londonbookfair.co.uk/








...April

23-24 Revival!The eighth annual Friends of St Bride Library conference.

London.

www.stbride.org/events/revival

24 9th European colloquium for user-friendly product information: Documentation Projects — Trends & Methods Stockholm, Sweden.

www.tceurope.org/upcoming_events/upcomingevents.htm

30-1 Future of Web Design London 09No sooner has the dust settled after FOWD New York in November, FOWD is returning for the 3rd time to London.

events.carsonified.com/fowd/2009/london

May

1-5 Show me the data — The science of editing and publishingThe annual meeting of the Council of Science Editors (CSE).

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

www.councilscienceeditors.org/events/annualmeeting09/index.cfm

LOCALIZATION WORLDCONFERENCE & EXHIBITS

Berlin, 8-10 June 2009, Hotel Maritim proArte

Global Business Best Practices

Managing Global Websites

with 2 new tracks:8 June 2009 – Preconference daywith workshops and roundtables9-10 June 2009 – Main conference

Keynote Speech byDr. Norbert Walter, Chief Economist, Deutsche Bank

Four informative conference tracks:

Localization Core CompetenciesFeaturing experts Daniel Goldschmidt, Richard Sikesand Angelika Zerfass

Advanced Localization ManagementPresenting companies include HypoVereinsbank,Sybase and SAP

Global Business Best PracticesInternational business insight from Deutsche Bank,Nero, Sony, and more

Managing Global WebsitesLearn web management strategies from Facebook,Expedia, Second Life, and others

[email protected]

Know-How for Global Business

Registration is now open! For the Early-bird Registration Discount,please register before 27 April 2009.

http://www.stbride.org/events/revival

http://www.tceurope.org/upcoming_events/upcomingevents.htm

http://events.carsonified.com/fowd/2009/london

http://www.councilscienceeditors.org/events/annualmeeting09/index.cfm

http://www.councilscienceeditors.org/events/annualmeeting09/index.cfm



...May

3-6 STC Technical Communication SummitThe annual conference of the Society for Technical Communication will hold its 56th annual conference.

Atlanta, Georgia.

conference.stc.org

3-6 Localization Management RoundtableA detailed agenda will be available in early 2009.

Lake Tahoe, California.

www.localizationinstitute.com

11-13 & 25 Tcworld roadshows in EuropeA series of one-day-events planned by tekom with the aim of promoting technical communication as an industry and to draw attention to the upcoming tcworld conference in November. The roadshows will deal with the main topics

of the conference: information development, content management, terminology, translation and localization, visual communication, standards and guidelines, technical authoring, process optimization and quality management.

11th in Sophia Antipolis, 12th in Paris, 13th in Antwerp, and 25th in Helsinki.

www.tekom.de/index_neu.jsp?url=/servlet/ControllerGUI?action=voll&seite=1&id=2702

11-12 IDPF Digital Book 2009The International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) is the trade and standards association for the digital publishing industry. Digital Book 2009 will be held in NYC.

New York, USA.

www.openebook.org/events.htm

June

8-10 Localization World 2009Call for papers announced for Localization World 2009.

Berlin, Germany.

tinyurl.com/9gy3bo (links to the template for submissions).

9-19 & 23 Tcworld roadshows (see May listing)9th in Prague, 18th in Moscow, 19th in Milan, and 23rd in Barcelona.

www.tekom.de/index_neu.jsp?url=/servlet/ControllerGUI?action=voll&seite=1&id=2702

10-12 AMEC/IPR 1st European Summit on MeasurementThe International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication’s (AMEC) first summit on measurement.

Berlin, Germany.

www.amecorg.com

http://conference.stc.org

http://www.localizationinstitute.com

http://www.tekom.de/index_neu.jsp?url=/servlet/ControllerGUI?action=voll&seite=1&id=2702



http://www.openebook.org/events.htm

http://tinyurl.com/9gy3bo




http://www.amecorg.com



...June

15-16 Web Content 2009 Chicago: Delivering Personalized Dynamic Web ContentCall for presentations is open as of 27 January.

Chicago, Illinois.

www.webcontentconferences.com/2009/news/call_for_presentations_open_january_27_2009/

July

13-15 Association Congress 09The Association Congress is a key event for executives concerned with providing a high-value service to members in the area of events, membership, education, online services, publishing and networking; as well as the strategic development of their organisation.

London, UK.

www.associationcongress.com/

14-16 The RealWorld DITA 2009 ConferencePresentation submissions are now being accepted for this DITA conference.

Raleigh, North Carolina USA.

www.aboveandbeyondlearning.com/ditaconference.html

16-19 EASE Conference 2009: Integrity in Science CommunicationThe tenth EASE general assembly and conference.

Pisa, Italy.

www.ease.org.uk/con/index.shtml

27-28 The Summer XML 2009 ConferencePresentation submissions are now being accepted for this XML conference.

Raleigh, North Carolina USA.

www.aboveandbeyondlearning.com/xmlconference.html

September

13-15 SfEP AGM and 20th annual conference: Editing in the 21st centuryThe Society for Editors and Proofreaders will hold its 20th annual conference at the University of York.

York, UK.

sfep.org.uk/pub/confs/conferences.asp

http://www.webcontentconferences.com/2009/news/call_for_presentations_open_january_27_2009/




http://www.associationcongress.com/

http://www.aboveandbeyondlearning.com/ditaconference.html

http://www.aboveandbeyondlearning.com/ditaconference.html

http://www.ease.org.uk/con/index.shtml

http://www.aboveandbeyondlearning.com/xmlconference.html

http://www.aboveandbeyondlearning.com/xmlconference.html

http://sfep.org.uk/pub/confs/conferences.asp

http://sfep.org.uk/pub/confs/conferences.asp



Back pageThe manager and the engineerThanks to John Hooley, FISTC, who sent in this amusing piece that points out the difference between engineers and managers rather well. I’m sure technical communicators would relate to the engineer’s role in this:

A man is flying along in a hot air balloon, but soon realises that he is lost, so he reduces altitude and spots a man on the ground. He goes lower and shouts ‘Excuse me, can you tell me where I am?’

The man on the ground shouts back ‘Yes I know, you are in a hot air balloon hovering 30 feet above the ground!’

The balloonist shouts ‘You have got to be an engineer.’

‘I am’ said the earthbound man, ‘how did you know?’

‘Well’ said the balloonist, ‘everything that you have said is technically correct, but it is of no use to me’.

The man below shouts up ‘And you must be a manager’.

‘I am’ said the balloonist, ‘how did you know?’

‘Well,’ says the man, ‘firstly, you got yourself into a higher position than me using nothing but hot air. Secondly, you don’t know where you are, or where you are going, but you expect me to be able to help. Finally, you’re still in exactly the same situation that you were before we met, but now it’s MY FAULT!’

The science of implicationAs mentioned in the new Science communication pages section of InfoPlus+, it’s time to include a little more material for those working in the scientific community and there’s no reason why the Back pages should escape. So, with apologies to those who may have encountered this amusing yarn before, here’s your guide to ‘effective scientific communication’:

The phrase… The meaning…

It has long been known I haven’t bothered to look up the reference

It is believed I think

It is generally believed A couple of other guys think so too

It is not unreasonable to assume

If you believe this, you’ll believe anything

Of great theoretical importance

I find it kind of interesting

Of great practical importance

I can get some mileage out of it

Typical results are shown The best results are shown

Three samples were chosen for further study

The others didn’t make sense, so we ignored them

It has not been possible to provide definitive answers

The experiment was negative, but at least I can publish the data somewhere

Correct within an order of magnitude

Wrong

It might be argued that I have such a good answer for this objection that I shall now raise it

Much additional work will be required

This paper is not very good, but neither are all the others in this miserable field

These investigations proved highly rewarding

My grant is going to be renewed

I thank ‘x’ for assistance with the experiments and ‘y’ for useful discussions on the interpretation of the data

‘X’ did the experiment and ‘y’ explained it to me

If you have any material suitable for the back page, please submit it to: [email protected].


InfoPlus+ · XML in Technical Communication by Charles Cowan. The book has sold around the world,...

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Transcript of InfoPlus+ · XML in Technical Communication by Charles Cowan. The book has sold around the world,...