EzineArticles - Expert Authors Sharing Their Best Original Articles


  Submit Articles
  Members Login
  Benefits
  Expert Authors
  Read Endorsements
  Editorial Guidelines
  Author TOS

  Terms of Service
  Ezines / Email Alerts
  Manage Subscriptions
  EzineArticles RSS

  Blog
  Forums
  About Us
  What's New
  Contact Us
  Article Writing Shop
  Advertising
  Affiliates
  Privacy Policy
  Site Map


Advanced Search


Home » Expert Authors » Ugur Akinci

Ugur Akinci - EzineArticles.com Expert Author  

Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a senior technical writer with 20 years of technical communication experience, including over 10 years with Fortune 500 IT corporations. He is a senior member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC). As a member of STC's Washington DC chapter he has served as a Lead Juror and Juror in STC Technical Documentation competitions since 2000. Dr. Akinci is specialized in software, hardware, networking, security access and intrusion detection documentation. ... [More]

[View Ugur Akinci's Extended Author Bio]

[Display Categories] Sort By [Title] [Newest] [Oldest]

Displaying 1 - 250 of 638 [Prev] [Next]

  • API Writing - As Technical As Technical Writing Gets
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Some technical communication fields have low entry thresholds (like press release and resume writing, for example). Others have far tougher entry conditions and they also pay accordingly. API (Application Product Interface) writing is one such highly technical documentation field. API writing is for software engineers who would like to switch to documentation, or technical writers who know programming and have an intimate grasp of software design and build process. It's a tough specialization that pays well.


  • Two Reasons Why You Should Not Discount Your Products and Services Deeply
    [Business:Sales] Make the case that you're not a "Cost Center" but a "Profit Center" for the business in question. Otherwise you'll be chasing one $50 dollar hack job after another on job bidding sites since there's no end to lowering your fees and prices. It will be a RACE TO THE BOTTOM where there are no winners -- the customers included. You have to nip that spiral in the bud, with courage, conviction, and full belief in your own worth.


  • Writers - Don't Quote an "Hourly Rate" Or Fixed Fee For Your Writing Job
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Here is something I've learned the hard way: if you publish or quote a fixed hourly rate or a fixed fee for different types of writing services, you'll end up attracting the cheapest and hardest clients and you'll never make money in this freelance writing business. We writers are generally very nice people.


  • Create Lovely Microsoft Word Borders With Plain Fonts and Horizontal Lines
    [Computers-and-Technology:Software] Do you know that you can create great looking borders for your Microsoft Word documents by using nothing but the fonts that already exist on your machine? Here are a few combinations that you can create TOP and BOTTOM borders for your all your documents.


  • Movie Review - Butterfield 8 (1960)
    [Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Movie-Reviews] Another "bad girl with a heart of gold" story that won gorgeous Elizabeth Taylor her first Best Actress in a Leading Role Oscar in 1961 (the other for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" In 1966). The ridiculous transparency of her character's name ("Gloria Wandrous") aside, Taylor brings an implosive vulnerability to her role that is hard to match.


  • 4 Layers of "Learning Pyramid" For a Junior Technical Communicator
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Once you take an interest in technical communication and documentation you'll quickly discover that's it's an "endless country," really. There is so much to learn and track since both the market and the technology changes constantly. But this does not mean that you can learn things randomly and become a successful technical communicator. Actually there's a better way that I call the "Learning Pyramid" which requires you establish a wide base of learning first and keep on building the upper layers on top of such a strong foundation. Each layer of this pyramid supports the more specialized layer established on top it. Read this article to learn more about the "Learning Pyramid."


  • Movie Review - The Honeymoon Killers (1970)
    [Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Movie-Reviews] This Leonard Kastle film is based on the real-life story of Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck who met back in the 40s through "Lonely Hearts" ads. Then they became a part of American crime annals by going on a murder spree by trapping lonely but wealthy widows into Ray's "love net." Perfect casting, a scary story, plus the "amateurish" candor of a first-time director created a movie masterpiece indeed.


  • Movies - Facts and Trivia About "The Honeymoon Killers (1970)"
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] It is the only film ever shot by director Leonard Kastle who at the time was writing operas and librettos. Having written no screenplays earlier and being completely new to the movie business, Kastle was asked to ghost write the script by producer Warren Steibel. His identity was finally revealed when the script (originally written by hand) was liked by everybody, including the investors and the producers.


  • Book Review - Descartes's Secret Notebook
    [Book-Reviews:Biographies-Memoirs] If you'd like to understand the world we live in at a much deeper level you owe it to yourself to read this book because, as Aczel reminds us, even the GPS system that we use today in our cars and airplanes would've been impossible without Descartes' principles of analytical geometry and his Cartesian System. (Did you know that?)


  • Movie Review - Tokyo Story (1953)
    [Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Movie-Reviews] There are movies in which "production value" is nothing to write home about (to put it mildly). The sound is so-so. Camera is o-kay. No sex or car chases either. But the story is so real and so heart-wrenching that it sears into your memory indelibly. "Tokyo Story," a modest production by all means, is one such powerful story that sweeps you along with its strong narrative current. A G-rated drama classic for all ages by director Yasujiro Ozu. Beautiful pacing with lovely black-and-white photography. A film to remember and revisit for ages.


  • Movie Review - Le Doulos (1962)
    [Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Movie-Reviews] A convoluted crime story shot in gorgeous black-and-white frames by a great director who nevertheless could not help but be a witness and victim of the culture he was raised in. Hold the judgment and pass on the popcorn.


  • Technical Writing - What Constitutes "Doctoring" an Image in a Technical Document?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] First of all, as a technical writer, make sure that you have the legal right to use an image in your technical document before doing anything with it. Period. Then (assuming that you have the legal right to use the image in question) if you modify it, the new image is sometimes referred to as the "derivative" work or image.


  • How to Use RSS Feeds to Subscribe to Craigslist Job Search Results
    [Business:Careers-Employment] Craigslist-dot-com is a wonderful resource for those looking for copy or technical writing job assignments. I personally have used it many times in the past to find excellent part-time writing assignments. But most people check out the ads by eyeballing them daily. That's a lot of work. Here is a much easier and automatic way of finding out about new jobs: create your own Craigslist RSS feed.


  • How to Find a Job Without Asking For One
    [Business:Careers-Employment] The worst thing you can do when looking for a job is to pick up the phone or write a letter and ask if they've got one. The answer, 99 out of 100, would be a firm "No!" If the company has taken out an ad inviting a response, then of course that's a different story. Then you need to address all the points mentioned in the ad and send in a formal application. But let's say you "hear" things about this one company that they "might" be hiring, even tough there is no official word on it, yet. Or perhaps that's one company that you'd really like to work for. What do you do? Read this article to learn the secret of finding a job without necessarily asking for one...


  • A Great Time to Retrain For Technical Communicators and Writers
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] The U.S. and the world economy is going through some dire straits as these lines are written. But have you considered that the economic recession might also be an excellent time for retraining? That way, when the economy bounces back, you'll be in an excellent position to take advantage of the new opportunities out there. Here are 4 suggestions to bolster up your training as a technical communicator...


  • Technical Writing - How ADP Solved Its "Web-Based Tutorial Storyboard Template" Problem?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] The ADP technical writing team tackled a well-known problem faced by all who develop storyboards for online training modules. Changes to the final HTML module is very difficult to make once the initial development and review phase is over. Yes, the SMEs wanted to see a "finished prototype" before giving a green-light. But who said this had to be an HTML prototype? What if the whole module could be simulated in MS Word, as a Word document with a FORM that looked exactly like the finished product?


  • Technical Writing - An Elite Technical Publication - "Pictures of the Future" by Siemens
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Siemens corporation's "Pictures of the Future" (POF) bi-annual publication has won the STC (Society for Technical Communication) Washington DC Chapter's BEST OF SHOW Award in the 2008-2009 Technical Publications Competition (in which I served as a Lead Judge). Let's remember that POF is published on behalf of a R&D department that spends 3.4 Billion Euros a year for 8,000 inventions (or 21 inventions EVERY day!), developed in 150 corporate locations around the world. It's a great publishing and communication responsibility that Pease and his team discharged very well indeed.


  • 7 Tips For Enhancing Your Value As a Technical Writer by Drawing Great Labels in Adobe Illustrator
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] You can enhance the value of your services as a technical communicator and writer if you learn how to draw labels. Thousands of companies out there need labels to market their products. While some of these labels are rather elaborate and require the skills of a trained graphic artist, not all labels require that level of artistic skill. There are many businesses in the industrial, manufacturing and hi-tech fields that require simple labels consisting of the product name and similar basic information that you can easily create and supply in the form of a label. Read this article to learn the 7 useful productivity tips to create such basic labels in Adobe Illustrator...


  • Technical Writing - How to Write a Section of a Chapter
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Every chapter consists of more than one section. Reserve the first section for a "mini overview" of what follows inside the chapter.


  • Is Technical Writing Really "Boring" Or Consistent and Reliable?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] One traditional complaint leveled at technical writing is that it's "boring." I obviously strongly disagree with that charge and I'll explain why. Here is my argument, in a nutshell: Technical communication aims to explain, train, and teach us. And to achieve that, it needs to be disciplined, and consistent. If it calls a widget "Part A" on page 1, it needs to refer to the same widget with the same label on ALL the other pages.


  • Is Technical Writing Really "Unnecessary"?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] One sometimes hears the comment that technical writing is not only "boring" but "unnecessary" as well. Nothing can be further from the truth than that. Good technical writing at its best is INVISIBLE. You don't even know it's there and that scores of people have benefited from it. And at its most extreme, yes, good technical documentation do save lives. Bad technical writing, on the other hand, can be a frustrating and maddening consumer experience, at the least. And at its worst, bad technical documentation can outright kill people.


  • 5 Tips For Holding a Great Technical Writing Webinar
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Pay attention to the following tips if you'd like to hold a successful technical writing webinar: 1) Do not rush your technical writing or product presentation even if you are used to speaking at a machine gun pace. There might be people in your audience with hearing problems, international participants who do not know your language that well, or there might be a technical problem with the way your voice is transmitted across the line.


  • How to Host a Good Technical Writing Webinar - 2 Top Recommendations
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A few days ago I participated in a technical writing webinar that I was looking forward to. But it didn't go well. It was not a good "technical communication experience" at all. I had to disconnect after 15 minutes. Afterward, I thought a bit about all the things that went wrong in that webinar and I came up with a list of "positives." Here are the two MOST IMPORTANT things that I recommend you do to hold a successful webinar.


  • Technical Writing - What is "Content Strategy"? - Who is a "Content Strategist"?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Your organization perhaps does have a STYLE guide. But does it have a CONTENT guide too? And if it doesn't, who is positioned better than you, a technical communicator, to bring that up?


  • "Technical Writing For Engineers and Scientists" by Barry J Rosenberg
    [Book-Reviews] This is definitely one of the better technical writing books out there. You can tell it was written by an industry professional who himself spent quite a few years in the "trenches," trying to solve one pesky documentation problem after another and learning a valuable bunch along the way.


  • Where Technical Writing Meets Scientific Writing - "Euclid's Proof"
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writing shares a number of characteristics and overlaps with other types of writing, including business, creative, copy, and scientific writing. Technical writers, for example, also make excellent science writers since they do not always have to write user manuals and other standard products of the trade.


  • Technical Writing - How to Write a Corporate Form 10-K Annual Report
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] All U.S. companies that issue publicly traded stock shares must file an Annual Report with the U.S. SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) by law. They have to disclose their financial dealings, strengths and vulnerabilities, by filing Form 10-K every year.


  • Technical Writing - 3 Tips For Writing Corporate Form 10-K Annual Reports
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Writing Form 10-K Annual Report writing as a lucrative niche that you should consider if you have a finance or investment background or feel comfortable with terminology of economics. Every U.S. company with assets over $10 million and with 500 or more shareholders need to file an Annual Report by law and file it every year with the U.S. SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission).


  • Technical Writing - What to Do During Economic Downturns?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] We are in the midst of an economic downturn as these lines are written. Things are not peachy for a lot of people right now, including writers. For technical writers, location is important in times like these. For those who do not live in hi-tech metropolitan areas, well-paying jobs might not be that easy to come. So what should a technical writer do in-between jobs? Such temporary downtimes can actually be an excellent opportunity to work on basic skill sets and build up one's portfolio.


  • Technical Writing - A Short Summary of Basic Grammar Rules in English
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] We technical writers usually do not stop and think about any grammar rules the way a driver never thinks about how the carburetor or alternator works. But sometimes I get letters from my readers asking various grammar questions. So let's review some of the basic rules of English grammar for a refresher.


  • Technical Writing - How to Use Fonts Properly in a Technical Document
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] As a technical writer, you should be aware of certain basics about fonts and some basic rules to observe in your documents. The most basic distinction about fonts is whether they have a "serif" or not. That's why font families are split into two major categories: Serif and Non-Serif fonts.


  • Technical Writing - What's the Difference Between a "Font" and "Font Family" Or "Typeface"?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A sound knowledge of fonts is a must for any technical writer. In about fifteen or twenty years that may not be as crucial as it is today if and when the technical communication field makes a wholesale shift to "structured authoring" in which the writers may lose control over how their "content" will be formatted and "presented."


  • Technical Writing - Use Acrobat 7 Or 9 to Export Your PDF Files Into Word With Same Formatting
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Adobe Acrobat is a basic tool that technical writers use on a regular basis, not only to read the PDF (Portable Document Format) documents but also to create them. Once a document is converted into PDF it can be read on any machine running any kind of operating system. It acquires a cross-platform "immortality" of sorts. Acrobat's newest version (Version 9) has a few features that you should pay close attention to since it can save the day in certain situations. Read this article to learn more about it.


  • How to Follow the Market and Re-Position Yourself As a Technical Writer
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] We live in a fast-moving world. Nothing remains the same for too long. New trends, new developments, and new facts rock our world on a daily basis. The election of President Barack Obama was one such momentous event. What that means for us writers is that we also need to "go with the flow." But that of course does not mean jumping tracks and trying our hand in topics that we don't know anything about. No. What it requires is re-positioning our profiles. If you are in the job market, study your strengths and see how you can re-package them in your updated resume as sources of strength and continuity rather than weakness and discontinuity.


  • Technical Writing - How to Design Boxes Around Paragraphs in Your MS Word Template
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Microsoft Word is easily the most widespread text and page layout software used in the world. Thus it is important that as a technical writer you know your way around this powerful software to design the best possible template for your technical writing document.


  • Technical Writing - How to Custom Design Numbered and Bulleted Lists in Your MS Word Template?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] MS Word, the world's most popular text and layout editor, comes with a number of built-in numbered and bulleted list templates for technical writers. But you can also go ahead and custom-design your own lists for special document templates.


  • Technical Writing - How to Use a Concordance File to Index Your MS Word Technical Document?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] You can create indexes for your MS Word technical documents by two methods: 1) Manual, and 2) Automatic (Concordance) method. In this article we will focus on the concordance method.


  • Technical Writing - How to Auto Format Your Technical Document With MS Word
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] MS Word has a powerful "auto format" function that you should take advantage of as a technical writer when writing your technical documents. To set up the auto correct options, select Tools AutoCorrect Options... from the main menu of your MS Word to display the AutoCorrect dialog box.


  • 3 Rules of Good English in Technical Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Here are three rules that will help you write technical documents that are much easier to read, understand and remember. 1) Follow the subject of the sentence immediately with the verb. 2) Chain-link multiple sentences in a paragraph by ending and starting consecutive sentences with the same topic. 3) Consolidate the group of short sentences written about the same topic.


  • In Defense of Technical Writing As a Job and Technical Communications As a Field
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Once in a while I come across remarks lambasting technical writing for how "boring" or "unnecessary" it is, or worse... I both understand and do not understand the level of emotional reaction to this unique writing niche. There are bad technical writers in this world just like there are bad movie directors and bad financial advisers. And neither of these occupations is for anyone and everyone. You really have to love the essence of these disciplines to enjoy their challenges and produce superlative work.


  • Technical Writers, Screen Writers and Financial Writers - Are They All Good and Exciting?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There are some people who take delight in disparaging technical writing as a job and technical communications as a field for being "boring" and "redundant." "Who spends a Saturday night reading user manuals?" they quip. Well, you'd be surprised... I've spent "quite a few hours" in my spare time just reading and examining manuals and dreaming of ways to improve them.


  • Technical Writing - Old Tired Expressions and Phrases a Technical Writer Should Never Use
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] All the rules of good writing apply to technical writing as well - with the exception of a few (like the one about "using a colorful language that varies in rhythm and vocabulary"). One such rule is to stay away from old and tired phrases and expressions. There is no reason why technical writers should use the following expressions in their documents: "As a matter of speaking..." - What kind a new information this expression provides? Nothing. Read this article to discover other expressions that you should never use in a technical document.


  • Technical Writing - Why Should a Technical Writer Be Familiar With Design Specs and Testing Specs?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Spec sheets are like "maps" for the captain of a ship or the "blueprints" for an architect. No project can start without first putting the "specs" on paper. We have already covered in another article what Scope Statement, Marketing Specs, and Functional Specs documents are and why a technical writer should be familiar with them. Here are two more spec sheets that a technical writer should be familiar with.


  • Technical Writing - Importance of Scope Statement, Marketing Specs,and Functional Specs Documents
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There are many different kinds of "spec sheets" that a technical writer should pay close attention to since they may (and they do) prove to be indispensable for writing all sorts of technical document. We have already covered in another article what Design Specs, and Testing Specs documents are and why a technical writer should be familiar with them. Here are some other important "spec sheets" you should know as a technical writer.


  • Technical Writing - Why Should a Technical Writer Know How to Ask For the Right Kind of Spec Sheet?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Imagine a situation in which a technical writer does not know the difference between a "testing" and a "marketing" spec sheet, and even perhaps their difference from a "scope statement." If in such a situation the writer asks to see the "marketing specs" or the "scope document" as a reference material for the troubleshooting chapter, there may be questions about his or her competency. That's why it is important that as a technical writer you know your way around these various spec sheets and know when to consult or ask for one.


  • Technical Writing - What Are the "Spec Sheets" and Why Are They Important For Technical Writers?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Can you build a house without a blueprint? Technical writers are equally helpless if they are asked to "build" a document without any "specification sheets," or "spec sheets" for short. We use the term "sheet" but actually what we are referring to is just another multi-page document SPECIFYING the DETAILS of WHAT certain ITEMS in a LIST should LOOK LIKE. In essence, that's what a "spec sheet" is all about.


  • Technical Writing - How to Eliminate Equivocation and Uncertainty From Your Technical Documents
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] As a technical writer you are supposed to tell your readers what to do and how to accomplish specific tasks. It would not be an exaggeration to say that your task, in essence, is to show them "how the world works and how to act correctly when the situation demands it." When that is your mission, you'd better do it with authority and clarity. That's your responsibility as a professional communicator. Prevarication, equivocation and "hedging your bets" might be a good tactic in politics and diplomacy so that there is always room for "plausible deniability." But in technical writing you should have no room for such uncertainty.


  • How to Express Percentage Changes and Use Numbers Correctly in Technical Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A number is tricky thing. As a technical writer you have to pay attention to the way you are using numbers and expressing changes in ratios and percentages. Here is an easy but fool-proof method to calculate such numeric changes correctly in your technical documents.


  • Technical Writing - 4 Cool Tricks to Draw Page Borders in a Microsoft Word Document Template (7)
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] As a technical writer you can draw tastefully done borders around the pages of your MS Word document template. Here are four cool tricks how you can do that.


  • Technical Writing - How to Design Borders Around Pages of a Microsoft Word Document Template (6)?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A technical writer needs to know the MS Word inside out. Why? Because Microsoft Word is the world's most used text and page layout software. The chances are, in one technical writing job assignment or another, you'll be asked to use MS Word to design a document template or edit an existing one. So you'd better know all the wonderful things you can do with it to enhance your technical writing career. Read this article to learn how to draw all kinds of borders around the pages of your MS Word document template.


  • 2 Features That Technical Writing Shares With Screenplay Writing, and 2 Others That it Does Not
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] At first sight, there cannot be any two writing niches as different as technical and screenplay writing. But these two different writing niches share two important characteristics as well.


  • Technical Writing - 4 Advantages of Hiring a Freelance Technical Writer
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Freelance technical writing demands a lot more personal energy, sacrifice, and drive than payroll work. If you are a freelancer, you already know how hard it is to find 2,000 hours of work a year; year after year. However, individuals differ greatly of course. And I'm sure that a top-earning freelancer will always make more money than a top-earning payroll writer. Having established that, let me also count the four reasons why employers may consider hiring a freelance technical writer.


  • 2 Features That Technical Writing Shares With Copywriting and 2 Others That it Does Not
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writing is different from copywriting but then there are things shared by both as well. Read this article to discover the 2 features that technical writing and copywriting do share and 2 others that they don't.


  • Technical Writing - What is "Variance" and How Can a Technical Writer Eliminate it in Documents?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] "Variance" is an important term in statistics and plays a crucial role in technical documentation as well. Without getting too technical about it: "variance" denotes the way the values of a set of elements vary around a central mean value.


  • Technical Communication - 3 College-Level Technical Writing Jobs That Pay Well
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Some technical writing jobs require that you have a science background or that you are familiar with finance and banking terminology and know how the financial markets work. Here are three such well-paying writing opportunities for technical communicators with a college background.


  • Technical Communication - 4 Computer Industry Technical Writing Jobs That Pay Well
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] If you are a technical writer with a science or engineering degree, or have extensive on the job experience with computer systems, you can find yourself a well-paying job as a technical communicator in one of the below four well-paying niches: 1) Software Documentation. This is probably the most widely available hi-tech writing job there is due to prevalence of software in our lives.


  • Technical Writing - How to Write Objectively and Avoid the Qualifier "Very" as a Technical Writer
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writing needs to be objective. When different people read a technical description, they should be able to perform identical tasks and obtain identical results. And for that to happen, the words you use must not be open to wide-raging interpretations. One of the ways to accomplish that is to eliminate the qualifier "very" from your vocabulary for once and all since the exact meaning of "very" differs greatly from one person to another. Read this article to learn through examples how to write a more objective technical documentation.


  • Technical Writing - How to Avoid Exaggeration and "Fine Writing" As a Technical Writer
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writing fails when it tries to become "fine writing" or "creative writing." Why? Because one of the main tools of "fine writing" is attributing human-like qualities to non-human actors and agents. That's a definite taboo in technical documentation. For example you commit that error every time you write a sentence like "When the system becomes aware of a user selection, it switches channels."


  • Technical Communication - 7 Low-Tech Technical Writing Jobs That Pay Well
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] You do not need to be a computer engineer or a scientist with Ph.D. to become a top-notch technical writer. There are many low-tech writing niches that you can prosper in even if you are not too comfortable with hi-tech subject matters. Here are seven such opportunities available to all technical writers:


  • Technical Communication - How to Find a Technical Writing Job in an Economic Recession
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] We're going through some rough times as these lines are written. A younger technical writer friend of mine asked me what he should do to find a job. And this is the summary of what I recommended him to do. I hope it will help you in your job search as well. Read this article for my specific recommendations... Don't give up and circulate your good name around until something comes around. There are usually a lot more technical and business writing assignments out there than meets the eye.


  • 7 Productivity Tips to Use Webinar Successfully As a Tool in Your Technical Writing Job
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writers should use every productivity tool available to them to gather and present information, and facilitate the review process. A webinar, the two-way live video and audio "Web Seminar" broadcast, is one such tool.


  • Technical Communication - How to Use Webcasts and Webinars in Your Technical Writing Job?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Webcasts and webinars are among the tools that a technical writer can use to collect information, interview Subject Matter Experts, make a presentation to the stake-holders in a project, give and take feedback on document reviews. A webcast is a one way live video broadcast over the Internet. When there is a two-way interaction, it is called a webinar. Webcasts and webinars differ greatly in terms of the things they allow a technical writer to accomplish, depending on the company that hosts the event, its interface, and the membership plan.


  • Technical Communication - Make $62,780 a Year in Your Technical Writing Job
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] I did not make up the annual income figure in the headline. That is the Average Annual Wage earned by technical writers across the United States in 2007 according to the "2007 Technical Communicator Salary Survey" conducted by Society for Technical Communication. For example, in California, technical writers made as low as $43,490 (the bottom 10th percentile) in 2007 and as high as $110,220 (the top 10th percentile). For the United States as a whole annual wages for technical writers ranged between a low of $36,490 and a high of $94,550. Just because you like writing does not mean you need to live a life of want and destitute.


  • Why Technical Writing Jobs Are Among the Best Writing Options in an Economic Depression
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] I think technical writing is one of the best writing niches in an economic depression. The reason is simple. Think of all the things people quit doing in an economic depression.


  • 9-Point Checklist to Determine If a Technical Writing Job is the Correct Career Choice For You
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] If you are just starting out on your professional career or thinking to make a career change, you might want to use the below check list to see if technical writing would be a correct choice for you. Here are two items from this checklist: 8) Do you enjoy a steady good income generated either by steady full-time employment or a steady volume of freelance jobs? Then technical writing might indeed be the right field for you.


  • Technical Writing - 3 Easy Ways to Capture Screen Shots For Your Technical Documents
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Screen shots are a must if you are a technical writer authoring a software manual of any kind. Here are three easy methods to capture and use a screen shot that would increase your productivity and help your readers follow the procedural directions more easily.


  • 3 Levels and 3 Profiles of Technical Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] If you are wondering what levels one can expect to reach in a technical writing career, here are 3 profiles just to give you a rough idea. Please don't forget that this is just an approximate picture and does not mean that you have to go through each level in exactly the same manner. You may perhaps start off from the Intermediate level if you are bringing with you a strong background in software skills and job experience.


  • Technical Writing - Regulatory Writing - A Lucrative Writing Niche For Medical Writers
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Medical writing is a special subset of technical writing that requires familiarity with medical and pharmaceutical terminology. It is the perfect writing niche for writers with a medical, chemistry and/or pharmacology background. Regulatory writers produce the documents to secure the approval of the government's regulatory agencies before a new drug can be marketed for general public use. In every country the respective regulatory agency differs but in the United States it is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). And within the medical writing subset, regulatory writing is another specialty that pays very well since your employers are usually pharmaceutical companies that rarely have any cash problems.


  • Technical Writing - How to Set Page Layout Options For a Microsoft Word Document Template (4)
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Microsoft Word, in terms of the number of writers using it, is the most popular text and page layout editing software used by the technical writers. In the fourth article of this series, we will explain how you can set the page layout options for a technical document template. Just follow these steps...


  • Technical Writing - Pros and Cons of Online Job-Bidding Sites For Technical Writers
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Recently I had the opportunity to study some of the Online Job-Bidding Sites catering to copy and technical writers. Some of these sites are very well known. And some others are not. But there are a bunch of them out there and they are all similar in the way they work: the employers post their writing projects and the writers compete for them. The assignment usually goes to the lowest bidder.


  • Technical Writing - Downside of Some Online Job-Bidding Sites For Technical Writers
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There are some Online Job-Bidding Sites out there that offer "writing opportunities" for budgets mostly as low as $35 or $50 dollars, and going up to $250 for some gigs: The kind of respectable and professional writing careers that I recommend to my readers will be difficult to build with those kind of writing assignments that I see posted every day on such job-bidding sites. You have to ask yourself this: "Do I want to work for a whole year, bidding for one $50 gig after another, and end up making perhaps $10,000 total, if lucky? Or, do I want to build up a serious portfolio and go for a job that would pay anywhere from 3 to 10 times as much, with benefits?" In other words: what is the monetary value of your one hour, one month, and one year?


  • Technical Writing - Why You Should Not Outsource Your Hi-Tech Technical Documentation Project
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A hi-tech software and hardware company would be well advised not to outsource its technical documentation project to an independent vendor on the other side of the world for the following reasons: Confidentiality. Most hi-tech IT corporations have trade secrets to protect. Although a number of outsourcing vendors are reputable companies with a good track record, there is no way to know that for sure in advance for all outsourcing vendors. Documentation exactly describes how a product works, how it is installed and configured, and thus reveals all the features and benefits of a market. If such information falls into wrong hands, especially for a product that is brand new to the market, it can create a severe disadvantage for the marketing division of the company, if not for the developers.


  • Technical Writing - When Does it Make Sense to Outsource Your Technical Documentation Project?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Outsourcing has been one of the inevitable results of globalization. When communication costs fell off sharply thanks to the Internet, having a service performed at the other end of the world at a fraction of what you'd pay at home became too hard to resist for a number of businesses.


  • Movies - Are You Worried That Hollywood Will Steal Your "Great Film Idea"?
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] You cannot copyright an idea. But if you write a 20-page treatment and then register it with Writers Guild of America you can perhaps claim credit for it. The registration is good for 5 years. The best is to write a full screenplay. Then the idea becomes a PRODUCT and you can copyright it to make it your INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.


  • Movies - Lessons of WALL-E For All Screenwriters
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Yesterday I watched WALL-E -- as slick and astonishing an animation as they come! How will PIXAR top this one off, from a technical point of view, I don't know. (Are we still going to need any movie actors 100 years from today?) But when I looked at it as a screenwriter, boy, there's really nothing new under the sun. It's all repackaging, re-purposing of old ideas and rearranging the furniture -- which is not to say that any such combination of old ideas will automatically be interesting. But if you're a writer suffocating with "writer's block" you might want to do what the creators of WALL-E did.


  • Movies - Importance of "Dilemmas" in Movie Stories and Screenplays
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A dilemma is an important conflict engine in a screenplay. Find a good dilemma for your main character, and you practically have a good movie right there. A dilemma is a situation in which you have two options and both are WORSE than the other. It's the ultimate mental torture for anyone. A second condition for a good dilemma is that we should also CARE FOR it. A dilemma can be a dilemma TECHNICALLY. But when it comes down to it, it might be downright silly.


  • Movies - What the "Save the Cat" Screenwriting Method is All About?
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] The book SAVE THE CAT and it's sequel (STC Goes to Movies) made quite a wave within the last few years and for a good reason -- both are great books for all screenwriters, written by the industry veteran Blake Snyder. When a professional Hollywood screenwriter makes millions of dollars by selling dozens of screenplays, we'd better listen.


  • Technical Writing - How to Select a Single-Sourcing Documentation Software?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] "Single sourcing" (also known as "structured authoring" or "XML-based structured documentation") is the technical documentation methodology through which multiple documents are created from a single set of source files. By "multiple documents" we mean the following TARGET CATEGORIES: 1) Multiple OUTPUT FORMATS: Printed book; on-line help file; help file built into the application; web page; cell phone content; etc. 2) Multiple AUDIENCES: managers; field technicians, general public; installers; call center engineers; marketing and sales staff, etc. 3) Multiple USER PERFORMANCE GOALS: Installation guide; user guide; troubleshooting guide; in-house training course; on-line training tutorial; system admin guide; etc.


  • Technical Writing - How to Design a Twitter Background to Market Yourself As a Technical Writer
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] I hope as a technical writer you're on Twitter already. It's a great social networking service through which you can market your technical writing and documentation services with great efficiency. You can increase the effectiveness of your Twitter account by custom designing a new background instead of the default background that your Twitter account comes with. A great majority of professional marketers use their own custom-designed backgrounds for higher impact and more referred traffic to their business sites. Here are the steps to design a new background for your Twitter page...


  • Technical Writing - How to Set Your Printing Options For a Microsoft Word Document Template? (3)
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] As a technical writer you should know how to set up a document template in Microsoft Word -- arguably the world's most frequently used text and page layout editor. In the third of this article series on how to set up a technical document template by using Microsoft Word we'll explain the various printing options you can choose from to print your MS Word technical document.


  • Technical Writing - How to Set Your Page Options For a Microsoft Word Document Template? (2)
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] As a technical writer you should be very familiar with how to design a document template in Microsoft Word -- the world's most popular text and layout editing software. We are continuing with our article series on how to set up a technical document template by using Microsoft Word, the world's most frequently used word processor and page layout editor.


  • Technical Writing - How to Design Your Page Margins in a Microsoft Word Document Template (1)?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Microsoft Word is the world's most frequently used word processor with pretty good page layout functions. It's installed on a great majority of home and business computers in every country. So it makes sense for you as a freelance technical writer to learn how to design a document template in Word. Read this article to learn how to design your page margins in a Microsoft Word template.


  • Technical Writing - How to Make Sure the Information in Your Technical Document Fits the Audience
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] As a technical writer you have to serve your audience well by asking these two important questions before writing anything: 1) Why do my end users need this information? What are they hoping to achieve with it? 2) How can I write my technical document so that it will help my end users achieve the goal that THEY (and not me) have in mind? If you are writing a hardware "User Manual," for example, tell them how to turn on the system, operate it, and turn it off.


  • Technical Writing - How to Use Twitter to Market Yourself As a Technical Writer?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] If you're to make a single change in the way you market your services as a freelance technical writer, it should be to get on the Twitter - in case you still haven't. For example, let's say you are a freelancing technical writer and you're looking for a job with a software company. 1) You can search with key words "software company" and then follow the search results by simply clicking on the "Follow" button underneath the names and icons. 2) Once they accept your invitation and also start to follow you, you can send a message to your list expressing your desire to find a job as a tech writer.


  • Technical Writing - How to Isolate and Identify the Core Idea of a Sentence by "Elimination Method"?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] In technical writing sometimes we get lost in long-winded and complicated sentences. Here is a guaranteed way to isolate and identify the core idea of your sentence through what I call the "Elimination Method." When you eliminate all the 1) dependent clauses, 2) prepositional phrases, 3) conjunctions, and 4) adverbs or adverbial phrases in a sentence, what you are left with is usually the SUBJECT and the VERB (or the PREDICATE) of the sentence. And that is the CORE IDEA of a sentence.


  • Technical Writing - How Not to Violate the English Grammar While Trying to Be Gender-Sensitive
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] This is a grammar error that I see committed by some writers these days: mixing singular subjects with plural verbs and pronouns. As a technical writer you would normally never say "He enter their password." But increasingly, in order not to commit a gender bias, I see documents that contain sentences like "the user should enter their password before gaining access to their account." I'm fully aware why the English grammar is bent in that manner and I, a man who considers himself a sincere feminist, totally agree with the motivation behind such trespassing.


  • Technical Writing - Why Should You Pay Attention to Wikis?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] In case you are not too familiar with it, Wiki is a web site that can be built by many authors together. That's its most basic definition. The word "wiki" comes from Hawaiian "quick." Wikipedia is the world's best known wiki but, as important as it is, it barely scratches the surface of the wiki applications on and off the Internet. The reason why you should pay attention to wikis and learn more about them is because high-tech companies have started to shift their documentation load to wikis where not only technical writers but engineers, field technicians, quality control engineers, managers, and even clients and end-users can also participate in knowledge creation. The online help software creator Quadralay is one such company that opened up its knowledge base to its end-users through corporate wiki. In such a new environment, technical communicators shoulder the editing and facilitation roles as well. Be the first one in your company to learn as much as you can about wikis. Develop your own writing guidelines and be in front of this important technological wave. The future belongs to the "quick" and the "wiki."


  • Technical Writing - What is DocBook and Why Should You Learn It?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] DocBook is a set of tools for implementing XML (Extended Markup Language)-based structured documentation. It is developed back in 1991 and is widely used today by those technical writers who generate single-sourced documentation. It is especially well suited for software, hardware and networking documentation. A DocBook set includes the DocBook DTD (Document Type Definition) to determine all the relationships between all document elements, a collection of pre-defined XML tags to mark up the content with, DocBook XSL stylesheet, and processing tools to apply the XSL stylesheet to the DocBook markup file. If you'd like to get ahead in your career as a technical writer who keeps up with the advances in technology and who is ready for the future, familiarize yourself with XML publishing in general and DocBook in particular. The chances are, one these days, during an interview for one of those high-paying technical writing jobs, the recruiter or the HR manager will ask you whether you know anything about DocBook or not. That's why you should start learning it now. Get ready for that day.


  • Technical Writing - How Wikis Will Transform Technical Writers Into Information Coordinators?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Here is a typical situation that is repeated on a daily basis in many hi-tech companies around the world: You are a technical writer who authored all kinds of user documentation for this product or service. Let's call it "ABC" for short. The ABC is such a product that it is installed and configured in a number of different ways by the end users. Let's say your company sells security gadgets, just to give an example. The end users constantly find out new features, and perhaps even bugs, let's say, while regularly demanding new features be made available in the next model. But there is an inevitable time delay and content loss in this step-by-step process as the information is passed from one level up to another, depending on priorities, time and resources. In such cases a wiki could be what the doctor ordered for. In such a hypothetical situation the customers can directly enter their suggestions, comments, issues etc. into a wiki site. The information can be channeled instantly to all those authorized to receive it. If you are on that list, you can immediately start working on the updates and generate your drafts much faster.


  • Technical Writing - How to Use a Wiki For Your Technical Documentation Project
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A wiki is a collaborative writing software with which you can set up a "wiki site" as well. With wiki's powerful database, editing and messaging capabilities you as a technical writer can accomplish much for your technical communication project.


  • Technical Writing - What Should a Good Documentation Wiki Site Look Like?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Let's say you decided to set up a technical writing wiki site to support your document projects. What should be the futures you should be looking for? Here are some of them... Ease of Installation. Some wikis are so complicated to install that you'd better find a computer engineer to do it for you. But others are much simpler to install. And some web hosting companies offer a one-click installation on their server. Select a wiki that is appropriate for your level of technical expertise.


  • Movies - Rendition (2007)
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Anwar Al-Ibrahimi, an Egyptian-American chemical engineer with a Green Card, is apprehended by the CIA on his return flight from a conference in South Africa. Why? Because his phone records showed that he received cell-phone calls from Rashid Salimi, a well-known terror mastermind.


  • Movies and TV - Ron Howard - A Tribute
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Double-Oscar winning actor/director Ron Howard is one of those rare child actors that made it very good indeed. Howard started acting when he was just a little boy with the active encouragement of his father who was a part of the New York TV scene. When the TV business started to sag, the family packed up their 1952 Plymouth and resettled in California. Howard's career turned a corner when he landed the role of the "son" in The Andy Griffith Show." He was just 6 years old.


  • Technical Writing - What's the Best Way to Learn Structured FrameMaker?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] FrameMaker (FM) is a great and popular technical writing tool with XML-based single-sourcing functionality. But its learning curve is rather steep. So how does a technical writer teach him- or herself structured FrameMaker? What's the best way? Here are my suggestions, based on my ten years of Fortune 500 experience... Learning structured FM is not easy but it'll be worth the effort if you are to survive and prosper in the new competitive world of technical communications.


  • Technical Writing - Separation of "Content" From "Format" With XML in Technical Communication
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Until very recently content of information was always a part of the format in which it was delivered. For over 500 years, for example, a book's content and the way a book looked were one and the same phenomenon. You could not think about a novel without remembering its cover, the fonts used on the page, whether it had pictures and photographs, etc.


  • Technical Writing - How to Write a Technical Document Consistently and Maximize User Trust?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A consistent technical document is one that instills confidence and trust in end-users. It all starts with a template. It doesn't matter whether you are creating a book, help file, or a web site. A template is a must.


  • Movies - "The Kingdom (2007)"
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] A fast moving Iraq-War-era military action thriller. An FBI team is sent to Saudi Arabia for a 5 day trip to investigate the head of a terrorist network who killed two FBI agents. Special Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) heads the team rounded off by a hand-picked team of professionals: Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper), Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner), and Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman). On the Saudi side, Colonel Faris Al Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom) who escorts the FBI team in Saudi completes the cast.


  • Technical Writing - A Checklist For a Software Document Writing Project
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Here is a general check list that you might find useful to make sure your software documentation project does not miss anything. If you take your measures and precautions ahead of time depending on the answers to these questions you'll have a more successful documentation performance.


  • Technical Writing - The Overlap Between Print and Online Documentation Formats
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writing has used the "book" metaphor for a very long time. Basically, we technical writers create "books" made up of individual "pages," whether they are ever printed or not. But that metaphor has come under a lot of fire with the rise of the Internet and prevalence of online information. Both technically and semantically it started to make less sense to talk about a "book." The new concept that serves the need of the age of globalization is the "topic" and not the "book."


  • How High School and College Students Should Prepare For a Career in Technical Writing?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Are you a high school or college student planning to become a technical writer? Then first of all pay attention to your science classes. Work as hard as you can on your math, physics, chemistry, computer, biology/life science classes since you need to have good foundation in those subjects. Secondly, learn your English and composition well. Writing in a clear language and the ability to express complex topics in a simple manner is a must for a technical writer.


  • Movies - "The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)" - A Top-Notch Action Thriller
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] "The Bourne Ultimatum" is not only non-stop spy action flick but also it's an excellent example of a thriller - a man is on the run for 3 years trying to find out who he is. He is a former CIA agent who volunteered for a top-secret program. Then things did not go as planned and Jason Bourne became a hunted man. I've never seen the kind of jumping from the roofs and driving off the roofs scenes in any other film.


  • Technical Writing - How to Use the PDF Format Correctly For Print and Online Publications?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] PDF in technical writing rose out of a need to read documents created by proprietary software on all kinds of different operating systems and browsers. All that difficulties ended with the PDF format. When a document or image is converted into PDF it becomes rock solid since its look does not change when transmitted from one machine to another. It also becomes 100% accessible since any machine that has the free Adobe Acrobat PDF Viewer can view it the way it was intended to be viewed by its author.


  • Technical Writing Programs - Oklahoma State University's Technical Writing Program
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Enrolling in a college-level certification program in Technical Writing might be time consuming and not that cheap either but it's an idea you might certainly consider. There are some excellent certificate programs offered by different universities in the United States if you are just starting out and considering Technical Writing as a career. Oklahoma State University (OSU)'s Technical Writing Program is one of the best available in the United States since its early beginnings back in 1977.


  • Technical Writing Programs - Sacramento State Technical Writing Certificate Program
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] You do not necessarily need a certificate to find a job as a technical writer. However such a certificate of course never hurts; it only helps, especially if you're new to the business. There are dozens of colleges across the United States that offer such certificate. Sacramento State College of Continuing Education in California is one of them. Did you know that "technical writing and communication is one of the ten fastest growing fields both in the Sacramento area and the nation," and that the "salary estimates for the Sacramento region range from entry-level positions at $40,000-$45,000 to $75,000+ for publication managers"? An up-close look at some of the courses tells me that this program indeed teaches skills that are immediately applicable in real-world technical communication situations. If you live close to Sacramento this is one qualified program you might want to inquire for more information.


  • Technical Writing Programs - University of Mass Lowell Technical Writing Certification Program
    [Reference-and-Education:College-University] A certificate in technical writing is not a must to enter this lucrative professional field. However, if you are considering a mid-career shift into technical writing or a young person just starting out, then a certificate from an established institution may indeed help in your job search and interviews. University of Massachussets at Lowell does have a certificate program that consists of 4 required and 2 elective courses. If you are enrolled in this program you become eligible for special internship opportunities and can also apply for the Society for Technical Communication (STC)'s scholarship programs. XML is the future of technical communications. If you are in your twenties today and seriously considering to have a career in technical communications, then you'd better learn it as fast as you can. With a firm knowledge of XML single-sourcing under your belt, you can command much higher salaries and better potions in the technical communication world. That's why my first impression of the UM Lowell program is positive. It comes across as a program with its sights firmly set on the future of our profession.


  • Technical Writing - Things That Technical Writers Do During a Typical Day at the Office
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Sometimes people who are considering technical writing as a career ask me what a typical day in the life of a technical writer looks like. "What kind of a writing does a technical writer exactly do?" they ask. I for example work for a software company and here is what I do in a typical year: I write user manuals, system administration guides, installation guides, quick reference guides, release notes, help files. Perhaps I should also mention that, while writing these products I also consult with various Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), sometimes through e-mail and other times on the phone or through teleconferences.


  • Technical Writing Programs - Rutgers University Technical Writing Certificate Program
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] You'd be wise to explore different certificate programs offered by different universities in the United States if you are just starting out and considering Technical Writing as a career. A certificate is not necessary but it does not hurt either, especially if you don't have a track record to lean on at job interviews.


  • Technical Writing Programs - Brooklyn College Technical Writing Program
    [Reference-and-Education:College-University] There are quite a few certificate programs offered in the United States by different universities for those just starting out and considering Technical Writing as a career. In my honest opinion, a certificate is not necessary to make it in the technical communication field but it does not hurt either, especially if your resume does not include a list of prior tech writing jobs. Brooklyn College is an educational institution that you can certainly consider if you'd like to earn a certificate in Technical Writing before you apply for a related job. Perhaps it's not one of the biggest schools around but they offer an dedicated program made up of continuing-education courses. Another thing I like about Brooklyn College's program is the way they present the portfolios of their former students.


  • Technical Writing - How to Write Your Technical Documents For an International Audience?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] These days an increasing number of technical documents are either read by an international audience or are translated for them. Thus, as a professional technical writer, you need to pay attention to your language to avoid any cross-cultural misunderstandings. Here are 4 things you should NOT use in your technical writing if you are addressing a universal audience about whom you do not know much about:


  • Technical Writing - What's the Difference Between Business Writing and Technical Writing?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There are a number of books, programs, and classes out there today offering to teach "technical writing." Some of these are excellent; prepared by industry veterans who know what they're doing. But some others are basically rehashing old "business writing" concepts and techniques under the guise of "technical writing." "So what?" you may ask, which is a fair question.


  • Technical Writing - What's a Copyright and How Long Does it Last in Technical Documentation?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There'll be many times when as a technical writer you'll be using text and images created by others. In order not to violate anybody's intellectual property rights, you need to know the different types of copyrights that exist (at least in the United States). The interesting thing about a copyright is that an original intellectual property, like this very article for example, has copyright protection the minute it is created.


  • Technical Writing - How Many Different Types of Copyright Exist For Technical Documentation?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] We have covered the general facts about the U.S. copyright law in another article. In this article we'll look at different types of copyright that exist. All the information quoted in this article was correct when the article was written in December 2008 but it may have changed by the time you're reading this. Please consult U.S. Copyright Office and your attorney before making a decision on all copyright matters.


  • Technical Writing - How to Hold a Brainstorming Session Alone Or With Your Documentation Team?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Brainstorming is the free association method that can really create wonders when you don't know where to start a technical writing project from. The method relies on suppressing your normal censorship mechanism and allowing yourself to express any word that relates to any given concept.


  • Movies - "I Am Legend (2007)" - "The Omega Man" Rip-Off Worth Seeing
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] "I Am Legend (2007)" is a rip-off of Charlton Heston's cult classic "The Omega Man (1971)" down to the zombies coming out at sundown. But it's an excellent rip-off thanks to Will Smith's good acting, and immense production values pumped into this expensive production which was sorely lacking in the original. In this dystopian nightmare of a post-apocalyptic and post-plague New York City, we are treated to the heartbreak of a world with a single survivor, Robert Neville (Will Smith) and his German shepherd (and boy, can that dog act!). Will Smith carries the movie all on his own for quite a while until we come across the first other human-zombie. That's quite a feat. An inspiring story of human courage, resilience and love in the face of EVERYTHING. If Dr. Neville and Anna could survive this, we all can survive whatever life keeps throwing at us in our daily lives. This is therapy in the form of a movie. This is hope, fine entertainment and art at its best.


  • Movies - Without a Doubt, "Doubt" is the Movie of the Year 2008
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] The movie "Doubt (2008)" is an experience you shouldn't miss. It's moral roller-coaster and ethical juggernaut of a story brought to life by two of the finest actors you can find in any country on any continent: Philip Seymour Hoffman (as Father Brendan Flynn) and Meryl Streep (as the sister with the impossible name: Aloysius Beauvier). The very last scene of this great film throws in a monkey wrench to big that you can never see it coming. And the film ends right there, leaving you stunned as though you're zapped by a taser gun, without any adequate cooling off period to come back to your senses. You'll go home fighting back your tears and looking deep into your own heart about the way you went through similar situations in your own past, sometimes in flying colors and sometimes in colors that faded fast into mediocrity and moral self-righteousness. You'll be touched.


  • How to Write a Movie Review to Capture the Authentic "Viewer Experience"
    [Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Movie-Reviews] I think there'll always be room in our world for Wikipedia-like completion and encyclopedic perfection for movie reviews. But I'd argue that we also need more authentic movie reviews, exactly reflecting what we felt like when we watched this work of art for the first time. If our experience includes a sense of getting lost and shifting perspectives and projecting our own interpretations on the perceived story line and characterization, let it be. That should only enrich the authentic viewer experience and not impoverish it. After all, when Picasso broke the human figure into a million pieces and put them together in a way that "did not make perfect sense" he enriched the way we perceived the world, didn't he? Why shouldn't we attempt to do and allow the same in movie reviews?


  • Technical Writing - How to Write a Technical Writing Resume If You're a Screenwriter?
    [Business:Resumes-Cover-Letters] Imagine you're a screenwriter trying to apply for a technical writing job. Why not? A writer is a writer is a writer. If you stress the relevant parts of your experience as a screenwriter there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to apply for an entrance-level technical writing position which, on the average, pays in the mid-30K to mid-40K range in the United States as these lines are written. Not bad, especially if you've made zilch the past year as a screenwriter.


  • Technical Writing - Components Of Windows User Interface In Software Documentation (2) - Window
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] User interface documentation, one of the important tasks in software documentation, requires clear and consistent definition of all interface components. In this second part of the series, we continue with our survey of the most important interface components that a technical writer should be familiar with.


  • Technical Writing - Components Of Windows User Interface In Software Documentation (1) - Desktop
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is an important sub-specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing and Communication. User interface documentation, together with procedural writing, is one of the important tasks in software documentation.


  • Movies - "Transformers (2007) - "Alien" Meets the Loud-Mouthed Smart Aleck With a Used Muscle Car
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] I love "Transformers" for all the many layers that it brings together. There's the US Army over in Qatar, fighting a desert war. That's one layer.


  • Technical Writing - Components of Windows User Interface in Software Documentation (5), DIALOGUE BOX
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is an important sub-specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing and Communication. User interface documentation, together with procedural writing, is one of the important tasks in software documentation. It's a task that needs to be performed very well, consistently, and with no ambiguity since procedural writing builds on a solid foundation of user interface information. A clear definition of every user interface component is the building block that a technical writer needs to put in place before attempting to do any procedural writing. Procedural manuals that contain using interface inconsistencies never work. We continue with Part 5 in our survey of the most important user interface components that a technical writer should be familiar with.


  • Technical Writing - Components of Windows User Interface in Software Documentation, STATUS BAR
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is an important sub-specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing and Communication. User interface documentation, together with procedural writing, is one of the important tasks in software documentation. It's a task that needs to be performed very well, consistently, and with no ambiguity since procedural writing builds on a solid foundation of user interface information. A clear definition of every user interface component is the building block that a technical writer needs to put in place before attempting to do any procedural writing. Procedural manuals that contain using interface inconsistencies never work. Read this article to learn more...


  • Technical Writing - Components of Windows User Interface in Software Documentation (3), WINDOW Parts
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is an important sub-specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing and Communication. User interface documentation, together with procedural writing, is one of the important tasks in software documentation. It's a task that needs to be performed very well, consistently, and with no ambiguity since procedural writing builds on a solid foundation of user interface information. A clear definition of every user interface component is the building block that a technical writer needs to put in place before attempting to do any procedural writing. Procedural manuals that contain using interface inconsistencies never work. We continue with Part 3 in our survey of the most important user interface components that a technical writer should be familiar with.


  • Technical Writing - How to Write a Resume When Looking For a Job As a Technical Writer?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A technical writer needs to emphasize a number of different things in his resume when looking for a job. Don't underestimate the importance of a great looking informative resume in finding a technical writing position. This article provides specific examples of how you can do that correctly and eliminate mistakes from your technical writing resume.


  • Technical Writing - How to Use Semicolons Correctly in Your Technical Documents?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A technical writer should use semicolons in a sentence to separate either closely related complete sentences or independent clauses that can actually be transformed into independent sentences. Semicolons are great to separate the elements in a list that include both names and titles. This article provides many examples of how you can do that correctly and eliminate mistakes from your technical documents.


  • Technical Writing - A Few Time-Tested Methods to Improve Your Email Communication Skills Right Away
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writers send and receive a lot of emails as a part of their daily work. This article explains some time-tested methods that might help you communicate better and more efficiently with your technical documentation team.


  • Technical Writing - Test Your Technical Documentation Skills Through a Tinkertoy Construction Set
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A Tinkertoy construction set can turn into a great lab to test your technical writing skills. The "Tinkertoy Test" not only will teach you how to write better technical manuals but perhaps also help you develop more compassion for that anonymous writer who penned that "terrible" installation and configuration booklet for your VCR.


  • Technical Writing - How to Keep a Document Status Log to Control Your Technical Document Process
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Imagine you're a technical writer working for a hi-tech company with different offices in different cities, and (who knows?) may be even on different continents. Let's say your job as a technical writer is complicated by the following factors: 1) You're working on more than one assignments at a time. 2) Your review and project team members are not located in the same office where you work.


  • Are You a Screenwriter? - How About a New Career in Technical Writing to Make Ends Meet?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Screenwriting is a passion. I'm well aware of it since I myself have written six feature scripts within the last ten years and a seventh one is brewing somewhere in the back of my head. But I also have a confession to make: I think my chances of ever selling a script and moving on to a professional level of screenwriting is just about zero. Or, more precisely, about 500,000 to 1, at best. This article explains how as a professional writer you can support your self and your family while continuing to write your screenplays in the evenings and weekends. That way your astronomically low chances of making it to Hollywood won't hurt as much because you'd still be taking care of yourself and your family.


  • Technical Writing - How to Use a Comma to Separate an Introductory Phrase in a Technical Document?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There are so many ways in which a comma is used in technical writing. A comma, for example, clarifies the meaning of a complex sentence in a technical document and helps us understand it better and quicker if the introductory phrase is separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma. This article provides many examples of how you can do that correctly and eliminate mistakes from your technical documents.


  • Technical Writing - 7 Rules of Using Commas Correctly in Your Technical Documents
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A comma is a wonderful thing when used properly. It helps us organize the content, absorb it easily, and retain it longer. Look at the way commas are used in the previous sentence, for example. Commas are great to separate the members of a list. But sometimes commas are used incorrectly. That's when they end up confusing the readers rather than helping them. Here are 7 rules of about using a comma correctly.


  • Technical Writing - How to Use Commas to Include Secondary Information in Your Technical Documents
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There are many different sorts of secondary information in technical writing that you can include easily by the artful placement of commas in your sentences. Such secondary information includes the open forms of acronyms, qualifying phrases, direct addressing of specific parties, transitional and parenthetical expressions, etc. This article provides many examples of how you can do that correctly and eliminate mistakes from your technical documents.


  • Are You a Journalist? - How About a New Career in Technical Writing to Make Ends Meet?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writers have a much easier time finding a job since documentation is a constant feature of globalization. Journalism is exciting but tough. I should know. I've been a journalist for 4 years in mid-90s. But to make a living as a traditional reporter and journalist is becoming harder and harder. Technical writers own their cars and homes; put food on the table every day; enjoy paid annual vacations, personal days, and sick days; have full medical (and usually dental and vision as well) coverage both for themselves and their loved ones; help their kids through college; enjoy all-expenses paid training opportunities; reap the benefits of a rewarding, challenging, professional career; feel the satisfaction of helping others live better and more organized lives; and retire with 401(k) plans, IRAs, and sometimes even Pension Plans (depending on the company). So perhaps it's time to ask yourself - why not try technical writing?


  • Technical Writing - When Should You Use the Passive Voice in a Technical Document?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Here is a rule pounded into every writer's head by all writing instructors: avoid the passive voice like the plague and use active voice whenever possible. That's good advice indeed but not the best within the context of technical writing.


  • Technical Writing - How to Comply With Moral and Ethical Standards in Technical Documentation
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writing has a number of moral and ethical standards that a professional technical writer needs to comply with. Violate them at your own peril, by risking the sudden demise of your career. Here are some of these issues.


  • Technical Writing - How to Format Your Technical Documents Consistently With a Template?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Consistency of a technical documentation is what creates that subliminal sense of trust and confidence in the end-users. Someone once quipped: "it ain't technical documentation if it ain't boring." It of course is not true since I always found technical documents very interesting indeed. However, this quip reflects the truth that a technical document must be "boringly consistent" in order to be taken seriously.


  • Technical Writing - What is a Retronym?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Would you believe if I told you that you use one "retronym" after another whole day long? You probably wouldn't because, as a life-time student of English, I also didn't know for years what a "retronym" was. Here are some retronym examples and my reason why we as technical writers should pay attention to grammatical facts such as this. They are followed by some easy assignments for you.


  • Technical Writing - Anatomy of a Technical Communication Job That Pays $82,961 to $107,854 a Year
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] It's important from time to time just to remind ourselves the kind of opportunities still exist out there for qualified technical writers and communicators despite the recent economic downturn. Here is one such full-time writing position, offered by a U.S. Federal Agency to U.S. citizen writers.


  • Technical Writing - Software Documentation Terms You Should Know As a Technical Communicator (5)
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is a distinct specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing. It's a world with its own rules and lingo.


  • Technical Writing - Software Documentation Terms You Should Know As a Technical Communicator (4)
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is a distinct specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing. It's a world with its own rules and lingo. Here is the fourth set of software industry terms you should be familiar with as a technical writer and communicator.


  • Technical Writing - Software Documentation Terms You Should Know As a Technical Communicator (3)
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is a distinct specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing. It's a world with its own rules, processes and lingo. We're continuing with our series on the software industry terms you should be familiar with as a technical writer.


  • Technical Writing - Software Documentation Terms You Should Know As a Technical Communicator (2)
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is a distinct specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing. It's a world with its own rules, processes and lingo. Here are some more software industry terms you should be familiar with as a technical writer.


  • Technical Writing - Software Documentation Terms You Should Know As a Technical Communicator (1)
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Software documentation is a distinct specialty within the larger discipline of Technical Writing. It's a world with its own rules, processes and lingo. Here are some of the terms you should be familiar with if you are thinking to start a new career as a software documentation writer.


  • Technical Writing - Which Word Processor to Use - Adobe FrameMaker Or MS Word?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writers have been asking this question to themselves for the good part of the last 15 years. Short answer is this - if you're writing a short memo, letter, or document, MS Word would be fine. No problem. But if you are writing a book, something over 50 pages and with figures, tables, footers, index, references, multi-level paragraph numbering, you'd better stick with FrameMaker.


  • Technical Writing - How to Generate Localization-Ready Technical Copy With Pre-Production Guidelines
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writers can help a localization project significantly by following a set of text and image guidelines in the pre-production phase of localization - that is, when the source files are generated at the "home location." Read to learn the important text processing steps and rules that can save you or your boss a fortune in your localization project. Localize to globalize; but do it the smart way as described in this article.


  • Technical Writing - Anatomy of a Technical Editing Process
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Here is the anatomy of a technical editing process. This ORIGINAL SENTENCE is from a software user's guide: "A prompt will occur prior to deletion that confirms the operator's wish to delete the selected item and once confirmation occurs the deletion is made final." Here is a BETTER version: "A warning message displays, prompting the operator to confirm the deletion of the selected item. Once the operator confirms, the deletion becomes final."


  • Running - Use a Measured Running Path to Gauge Your Progress
    [Recreation-and-Sports:Running] Around where I live, there is a certain path that measures exactly 3.2 miles, which translates to 5K, a standard race distance. One day I got into my car and drove around my neighborhood with my eye fixed on the odometer, and that's how I came up with a path that's exactly 3.2 miles.


  • Technical Writing - 7 Methods to Do Research For a Technical Document Before Starting to Write It
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Most technical documents require considerable research before you sit down to write them. Here are top 7 methods to conduct a comprehensive documentation research in the pre-production phase.


  • Technical Writing - What's the Difference Between Copy Writing and Technical Documentation?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Copy writing tries to sell products and services, as the advertisement-legend David Ogilvie always (and rightfully) maintained. Until and unless someone buys something, copywriting is not good for anything. Technical writing, on the other hand, is an answer to the basic question of HOW. But in order for technical writing to explain the "how" of anything, there has to be a clear definition of its "WHAT" and "WHY". Without that pre-requisite step, your technical writing can easily get lost in the woods, as I illustrate in this article.


  • Technical Writing - Top 3 Open Source Software You Can Use to Write and Design Technical Documents
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] I use Adobe FrameMaker and Microsoft Office on a daily basis, and Microsoft Visio, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrate on an almost-daily basis. These are the tools of the technical writing trade that I wouldn't do without.


  • Technical Writing - Cardinal Rule of Interviewing a Subject Matter Expert (SME) For a Document
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] A technical writer will periodically need to interview Subject Matter Experts (SME) to gather information about a technical documentation. More often that not, and especially within the context of software development, most SMEs are engineers and software developers. But they can also be mechanical, electrical and other types of engineers, field technicians, site foremen, call center engineers, field technicians, etc. One cardinal rule of interviewing an SME is to do your homework well, in advance.


  • Technical Writing - How to Handle Images When Writing a Technical Document For Localization?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] If as a technical writer you know in advance that the technical document you are generating will be translated into different languages, then there are important image and font considerations that you need to take into account for a problem-free and affordable localization process. Let's immediately open a small sidebar here and stress the importance of graphics knowledge and skills in technical writing since formatting information takes as much time of a typical technical writer as expressing it in a straight forward manner.


  • Technical Writing - What to Translate While Localizing a Software Documentation Set?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writers sometimes have to decide what to translate and what not to when they face the complex challenge of localizing a software product. Should one only translate the user and system administration manuals, for example? Or should one also include to that set the installation manuals, the quick reference and quick start guides, as well "Read Me" files and release notes? What are the monetary and market costs of including and excluding such documentation sets in the localization process?


  • Technical Writing - Why Qualified Translators Are a Must in Product Localization and Translation?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Money paid to qualified technical writers and translators in a localization project is money spent very well indeed. Why? Because the worst thing for a project is to have the customers or end users switch to another product since they either cannot understand the instructions and the interface, or the localized copy contains embarrassing mistakes which destroy the brand name. Here are some examples of what can go wrong in localization of technical and commercial copy.


  • Technical Writing - Issues in Localization of Software Products and Documentation
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Global economy brought with it the need to have the same set of technical writing products available for different target audiences speaking different languages. And not only the product labels, marketing collaterals and user documentation but whole web sites and web services now need to be "localized" as well. At its simplest, "localization" is understood as "document translation," which is true. Yes, translation of user guides from one language to another is certainly the core task of translation. But it does not stop there.


  • Technical Writing - Do You Just "Shutdown" Or "Shut Down" a System? "Sign In" Or "Sign-In"?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There are terminology errors that even some experienced technical writers commit from time to time. The words we use when describing how to turn a system on and off, or how to enter and leave a location, are ripe for such inadvertent errors. When written APART, these two-part words are all VERBS. When written together or with a dash, they are NOUNS.


  • Technical Writing - Wurman's LATCH Concept of Organizing Information For Technical Documentation
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Technical writing has its mechanical aspects that need to be mastered. A good technical writer must know how to use English effectively as well as various software products to produce acceptable technical documents.


  • Technical Writing - How to Structure FrameMaker Paragraphs While Using the Unstructured Interface?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Adobe FrameMaker (Version 7 and above) has two powerful interfaces: Structured and Unstructured. You can check out which interface you are using by selecting File > Preferences > General from the main menu and look at the Product Interface field. That's also how you can switch between these two interface modes. Most beginning technical writers use FrameMaker (FM) in the default unstructured mode. That is fine for most technical communication applications. Using the structured features require advanced training and you probably won't need them anyways unless you're doing any "single sourcing" (which is the topic of yet another article). However, there is an easy way to imitate structured documentation while you are still in the unstructured mode.


  • Technical Writing - How to Design a Cover For a Technical Document?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] If you are a technical writer working for a company as a payroll employee the chances are there are corporate design guidelines that you need to follow in designing the cover of your technical document. But what if you are a "lone writer," an independent contractor working out of your home office, or an employee who is asked to come up with a corporate design guideline? Here are some time-tested design suggestions culled from my 20 years of experience as a professional writer and information designer.


  • Technical Writing - How to Create a New Paragraph Style in a FrameMaker Document?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Adobe FrameMaker is the information design platform of choice for most professional technical writers and technical communicators across the globe. Like all powerful software applications, FrameMaker also has a lot of features and configuration possibilities. One of those features is the ability to create new paragraph styles.


  • Technical Writing - 6 Web Writing Tips For Technical Writers
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Web writing is one of those assignments that technical writers do well due to their organized approach to technical information. But web writing differs from regular user guide and procedural writing in some important respects. Web is a fast place. People usually don't have the time to go through long essays. Here are my top 6 time-tested recommendations for web writing...


  • Technical Writing - Advantage of Using Microsoft SourceSafe While Writing Your Technical Documents
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Here is the great thing for technical writers about Microsoft's Visual SourceSafe: once a file is checked into the SourceSafe, SourceSafe will not allow you to make changes to the LOCAL COPY of that same file and then save it. First you need to check out the SOURCE FILE that you have saved earlier into the SourceSafe (and that's why it is called the Source-Safe).


  • Technical Writing - How to Use Microsoft SourceSafe to Control Your Technical Documents
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Just like with most things in life, control is an important aspect of technical documentation. Control is even more important if you are working in an office as a part of a writing team. First, you need to make sure that your files are not lost. That's basic.


  • Technical Writing and Technical Communication As a Job and a Career - Is it For You?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] You might perhaps be considering whether to become a technical writer or not. You might be wondering: "What kind of a job technical writing is exactly?" I can tell you right away that, at its most fundamental level, it's comfortable office work.


  • Technical Writing and XML - Why the Future of Documentation Belongs to Extended Markup Language?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] XML, that is, Extended Markup Language, is the future of technical writing and technical communication. There are TWO very important reasons why that is so... XML is at the heart of "single sourcing" movement. The whole idea is to write something once and then "tag" it in such a way that it would be possible to publish in many formats and on many gadgets and platforms without making any further changes to it. XML makes that possible.


  • Technical Writing - When Should You Definitely Use Jargon in a Technical Document?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] You've heard it a thousand times and it's true: you should stay away from jargon and write as you speak. But is this rule true ALL the time, unconditionally? No, it's not.


  • Technical Writing - How to Edit a Technical Document?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Imagine you're looking over my shoulder as I'm editing a technical manual. This is how I do it: ORIGINAL: "Logging in involves the Operator typing in his User ID and Password." BETTER: "To log in, the Operator must enter a valid User ID and Password." Editing is cleaning. I love things that are clean and work well. Don't you?


  • Technical Writing - How to Use the Bulleted Lists Properly in Your Technical Document?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Bulleted lists are important in technical writing. They summarize information in a manner that is easy to read and absorb. Use them whenever you can to get your information across quickly.


  • Technical Writing - Three Sources of Employment For Technical Writers
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] There are three ways to get a job as a technical writer: 1) On your own, as an independent freelancer. 2) Through a job agency, as a contractor. 3) As a company employee. Each offers different benefits and advantages, depending on your skills as a technical writer, your background and your personality.


  • Technical Writing - How to Write an Excellent Index, the Most Important Part of Any Tech Document
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Always use lower case for your Index entries. "password" instead of "Passwords", or "boat" instead of "Boat". Lower-case letters are easier to read in an Index than the upper-case letters.


  • Technical Writing - What's the Difference Between the Index and the Table of Contents of a Document?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] First off, make sure you understand the important difference between a TOC (Table of Contents) and an Index. A TOC presents topics in the linear order in which the reader encounters them in the book. It's a summary (and a useful one at that) of "what comes after which topic."


  • Technical Writing - 4 Ideas to Organize Your Technical Document Images and Screen Shots
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Most technical documents would have at least a few images to illustrate a point, or screen shots that accompany the description of a certain step-by-step procedure, etc. Organizing such images can really become a problem, especially when you have dozens and hundreds of them.


  • Microsoft Word 2003 - How to Easily Find Differences Between Two MS Word Documents and Save Them
    [Computers-and-Technology:Software] Here is a task that most of us have been confronted with in the past: 1. You have two documents, with slight differences between them. This happens, for example, when some has edited a text but did not save any editing marks with the document. 2. You'd like to compare these two documents, find out the parts that have been changed without, however, altering any of the source documents. 3. Then you'd like to save only the changes in a separate third file. Can you do it? With Microsoft Word 2003, yes, you can.


  • Microsoft Word 2003 - How to Easily Compare Two MS Word Documents Side-by-Side
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Imagine you have a MS Word document that has been edited by someone without marking the changes. So you have no idea what has been or has not been changed in the new edition. And to see for yourself what has been done, you would like to make a side-by-side visual comparison of the two documents. You can do that easily in Microsoft Word 2003.


  • Microsoft Word 2003 - Create Great-Looking 3-D Objects in No Time
    [Computers-and-Technology:Software] Did you know that Microsoft Word has a great built-in utility to create fantastic-looking 3-D objects in a matter of minutes? Imagine a 3-D Callout Balloon, shaped like a fat suitcase, with different colors for its front surface and extending depth, plus, with a colorful text on it live with all kinds of text effects? You can do all that more thanks to the drawing tools hidden inside MS Word.


  • Microsoft Word 2003 - Create a Wonderful Relationship Chart in No Time
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Microsoft Word has a great built-in utility for you to draw a Relationship Chart quickly, without fuss. You can use such a chart to illustrate the following kinds of relationships: How the people in your office are related to you or your boss? How several side projects are related to one central dominant project? How several nations are related to one another around the same international organization? The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.


  • How to Write and Design a Slide Presentation With OpenOffice Or NeoOffice Presentation Wizard
    [Business:Presentation] If you think you need to have MS PowerPoint to prepare a great presentation, I have to disagree respectfully. Actually there is a free alternative that does just as well, if not better.


  • How to Write a Meeting Agenda With OpenOffice Or NeoOffice Agenda Wizard
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] OpenOffice (OO) and its Mac-version NeoOffice (NO) are two amazingly powerful and complete office suites and I dare say they are at least as good as the MS Office suite. They are FREE as well. Search for "OpenOffice" and "NeoOffice" on the Google to download them from their respective sites. Here is how to prepare Meeting Agenda document by using OO or NO Agenda Wizard.


  • How to Write a Fax Message With OpenOffice Or NeoOffice Fax Wizard
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] OpenOffice (OO) and its Mac-version NeoOffice (NO) are two amazingly powerful and complete office suites and I dare say they are at least as good as the MS Office suite. Also: they are both free! Search for "OpenOffice" and "NeoOffice" on the Google to download them from their respective sites. Here is how to prepare a fax message by using OO or NO Fax Wizard...


  • How to Write a Letter With OpenOffice Or NeoOffice Letter Wizard
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] In case you don't know, OpenOffice (and its Mac-counterpart NeoOffice) is an amazingly powerful office suite, at least as good as the MS Office suite. It's also free. This word processor will not write your letters for you automatically but it's got a built-in Letter Wizard to help you get the basic structural elements right. A perfect letter wizard from a fully-equipped office suite that costs you zilch, zero, nada.


  • Movie Review - High and Low (Tengoku to Jigoku) (1963)
    [Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Movie-Reviews] "High and Low" is a watchable crime movie by the legendary Akira Kurosawa featuring a lot of chain-smoking men making all the decisions in an obviously patriarchal Japan of the '60s. Unless you are a feminist, you might enjoy this film with great B&W cinematography.


  • MAD MEN is Easily the TV Drama of 2008
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Matthew Weiner, who also wrote for my other most-favorite show The Sopranos, is a bona fide genius who deserves all the accolades for this bold social drama that lays open the inner works of a curious era in American history. I hope the 2nd season (which started in July 2008) will be as captivating and fascinating as the first one.


  • Runners Live Longer According to 20-Year Medical Study
    [Recreation-and-Sports:Running] Slowly but surely I'm approaching the age of sixty as I write these lines. When I look back, starting to run at the age of 49 stands out as one of the best things I ever did in my life.


  • Writing - How to Create a New MS Word Document Automatically With a Specific Template
    [Computers-and-Technology:Software] MS word is a powerful word processor that you can use with a lot of different templates. If you do nothing and create a new document, Word will use its default Normal.dot template to create a 8.


  • Employment - New York Recruitment CEO's Top 3 Advice For Job Seekers
    [Business:Careers-Employment] Times are tough and good jobs are harder to come by. There is a lot of competition for available positions in this recessionary economy.


  • Employment - What to Ask (And NOT to Ask) During a Job Interview and What to Wear?
    [Business:Careers-Employment] What are the top 3 things professional recruiters look for in a resume? What not to wear to a job interview?


  • Employment - Worst 3 Mistakes For Job-Hunters, 3 Best and Worst Sectors
    [Business:Careers-Employment] Not using the downtime to open a business or learn new skills is a mistake that some job-seekers commit. You must get off the couch and do your best to have fun executing an idea that you always wanted to pursue. If business ownership is not for you, take a class, learn a new language or read.


  • MS Word - How To Import Text And Images From Another Document Or Web Site Without Copy And Paste?
    [Computers-and-Technology:Software] MS Word has a very powerful functionality hidden under its hood. You can import text and images from any other document or web site into your current document without copying and pasting anything. You can import external content into the body section of your document, as well as into your headers and footers.


  • Career Stuck In Neutral? Move Sideways To Find A Related But Different Job
    [Business:Careers-Employment] Sometimes things do not go as planned in life. People come and go, things change, and a career that has once sparkled may just start to sag in the middle and fray over the edges. So what do you do? Just sulk in your corner and play the blues? That's certainly one alternative and the easiest one. But not the best or the only alternative for sure.


  • Technical Writing - FrameMaker - Display Conditional Text in FM by Using a Single Text Block
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] You want to display different versions of the same text in a FrameMaker technical document. You'd like to toggle different versions on and off. There is one condition however: you do not want to use multiple copies of the same text block (with perhaps different paragraph tags assigned to them) for fear of messing up the formatting of your pages. How would you do it? It's simple, but you need to watch out for the simple tricks explained in this article.


  • MS Word - How To Remove Hidden Personal Information From Your Text Documents
    [Computers-and-Technology:Software] Did you know that MS Word records a lot of information about you, and even about your computer and the network you're working on, and then saves them with the text document you are creating? Some of the information you inadvertently provide can be not only just "unfortunate" or "undesirable" but it could have legal consequences as well if it's a Word document, let's say, provided to the opposing counsel in a court setting.


  • MS Word - How To Make Global Changes To Your Text Document Based On Paragraph Styles?
    [Computers-and-Technology:Software] Imagine you have a long MS Word document containing all kinds of paragraph styles. What are you going to do if you'd like to indent all section headers SIMULTANEOUSLY by one tab to the right and then change their color to red? Obviously the Find-and-Replace functionality is of no help here. Yes, you can search for the paragraphs by their style but you need to type in a search word or phrase. And after finding the headers with that specific style and search words, you cannot select them all simultaneously for a global edit. Tracking such headers from the TOC would also be very cumbersome and again impossible to select simultaneously. There is a very easy method to accomplish that in a hurry.


  • Advice For A Young Writer 5 - Have A Web Site Or A Blog, Or Both
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Perhaps it's best to have a regular web site with one page devoted to your blog. Many blogging software like Blogger and WordPress do allow you to do that. That way you can have the best of both world.


  • Advice for a Young Writer 6 - Connect with Others, Take Care of Your Body
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Take care of your health! I can't emphasize this strongly enough. Most people learn late in their careers that writing is actually an athletic event. You burn a lot of precious calories and brain cells when pounding out anything. When we write we use a lot: proteins, vitamins, amino acids, carbon and nitrogen, and God knows what else.


  • Advice for a Young Writer 4 - Know When to Hold and Fold Your Hand
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Be aware of the many alternatives waiting for you out there. If sports writing doesn't work, perhaps you should try catalog writing. If your newspaper job is going nowhere, perhaps you should try writing a novel or try direct marketing copy.


  • Advice for a Young Writer 3 - Develop a Niche, Guard Your Time
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] The more you write on your specialty, the easier it'll get and the richer your material will be. It'll smell roses from a mile. People will feel your authenticity and authority the minute they start reading the first sentence.


  • Advice for a Young Writer 2 - Know Your Heart, Learn Your Craft
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Enroll in a writing program, if necessary. Put aside some money for your professional training even if it's just enough to buy one educational book or training CD a month. Your knowledge is your power; your ONLY power. Feed your mind well to write well.


  • Advice for a Young Writer 1 - Be Proud and Keep Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] It's been a long haul, and fun. I always enjoyed sitting at my keyboard and click-clicking the keys. Remember that B.B. King classic, "The Thrill Is Gone"? I never had to sing that one, knock on wood.


  • 4 Simple Steps To A Perfect Press Release
    [Business:PR] You can write a perfect press release in 4 simple steps: 1. TITLE, 2. CONTACT INFO block, 3. BODY, and 4. "ABOUT" footer.


  • 3 Tips for Traveling With Your Pet on a Business Trip
    [Pets] There are many business executives and managers who love their cats and dogs so much that they can't stand to be separated from their loving animal friends, even on a business trip. If you are traveling with you pet, here are 3 golden tips for a comfortable travel experience...


  • Business Travelers - Beware of the "Free Wi-Fi" Scams at Airports
    [Computers-and-Technology:Personal-Tech] Waiting in between flights at the airports with nothing to do is boring. Thus it is very tempting to snap open your laptop and hook up with the "Free Wi-Fi" network you see advertised in many airports these days. But should you? How do you know the "free" wi-fi network you are connecting to is not a dangerous scam that can cost you a lot of pain and sleepless night? With such networks of unknown security status it's better not to take the chance.


  • Top 5 Travel Tip Sites for Business Travelers
    [Travel-and-Leisure] Here is a review of the top 5 web sites that provide great and timely tips for business travelers... 1) U.S. TSA (Transportation Security Administration) - A great site for U.S. citizens and foreigners alike. It has good material about the full experience of going through an American airport and the things to do to expedite that process.


  • 7 Benefits T&E Expense Management Software Must Deliver for Business Managers
    [Computers-and-Technology:Software] We are living on the cutting edge of Web 2.0 technologies. But we are also facing a number of economic uncertainties on a global scale. These two factors generate new demands on T&E expense management software because companies are struggling to do more with less. The margins are thin with no room for error or waste. The companies are therefore trying to cut down their business travel expenses without, however, sacrificing anything from the way they file, manage and report their data.


  • Electronic Records Management and T&E Expense Management Systems
    [Computers-and-Technology:Software] Travel and Entertainment (T&E) expense records is an important concern for most business organizations. According to Aberdeen Group research, 5 to 20 percent of all indirect spending today consists of T&E expenses. The companies studied by the Aberdeen Group processed at least 1,000 expense related reports each month. Thus the savings involved in automating that process through a scalable and reliable ERM system is clear.


  • 7 Tips for Air Travel Without Headaches
    [Travel-and-Leisure:Airline-Travel] Stick to a basic and simple diet. Avoid fresh fruits and greens abroad since they are the least disinfected of all food items and can trigger a diarrhea or dysentery attack. Bread, cheese and bottled commercial water is usually a good safe bet. Never drink water from open public fountains that's available in many foreign countries. Stay away from gourmet dishes and rich cakes at all costs. Carry anti-diarrhea and anti-constipation pills with you, just in case.


  • 7 Rules of Effective Newsletters
    [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Ezine-Publishing] Stick to a firm schedule. You can publish your newsletter on a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis. But whichever frequency you choose, publish and deliver your print or ezine newsletter regularly. Haphazard and sporadic newsletters create an image of amateurism.


  • 7 Ways to Build a Better Web Site
    [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] Select a single central image to provide a visual summary of your core subject at one look. For example, if you have a site to promote your screenplays, use the image of a writer working at her keyboard, or pages of a script flying over the famous HOLLYWOOD sign, etc.


  • Are You On MySpace?
    [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Social-Networking] You probably are since MySpace currently has 194 MILLION registered members. Did you know that there are only four countries in the world (China, India, United States, Indonesia) with more than 194 million citizens? That is, if MySpace was a country it would be the fifth largest in the world.


  • Movie Review - Tape (2001)
    [Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Movie-Reviews] "Tape" proves that, in this day and age of $50-to100 million dollar films, you do not really need bank-busting special effects and production values to turn out an engaging dramatic work. But then perhaps it’s also not easy to find a script with the kind of scathing high-voltage dialog that Stephen Belber came up with. Top notch writing blossoms into 4th of July fireworks in the hands of a good director and three solid gold actors.


  • Movie Review - Notes On A Scandal (2006)
    [Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Movie-Reviews] This is like watching Katherine Hepburn against Liz Taylor when they were both in their prime. Two superb Oscar-winner actors (Dench in 1999 for "Shakespeare in Love" and Blanchett in 2005 for "The Aviator") rush us through the rapids of a relationship that starts off as the normal and courteous daily lives of two high school teachers. Yet the personality fault lines underlying the relationship quickly split and open a dangerous crack through which both women are pulled down to the depths of darkness by their own demons.


  • Movie Review - Breaking and Entering (2006)
    [Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Movie-Reviews] A fascinating movie, written with great empathy around an intelligent concept, and acted like a dream. The Oscar-winner Anthony Minghella (The English Patient, 1996) again excels both as a director and a writer. A touching film with great authenticity brought to the script by Jude Law and Juliette Binoche. 8 out of 10 for Minghella's magic and his equally enchanting crew.


  • Movie Review - Amazing Plot Similarities Between "Seraphim Falls (2006)" and "Apocalypto (2006)"
    [Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Movie-Reviews] Since I watch a lot of movies, sometimes I see fascinating parallels and similarities between different films, both in terms of general themes and specific plot points. In some cases, they are different movies by the same director and the THEMATIC similarities are understandable. When, however, two totally unrelated films by different directors and writers share a good number of PLOT POINTS and devices, I can’t help but marvel at the power of collective sub-consciousness. How else one can explain the similarities?


  • Coping with Complexity - Refraining from "Over-Hedging" Our Bets
    [News-and-Society] A considerable portion of the complexity in our lives arises from the fact that not only we have a Plan A and a Plan B in case the first one fails, but we continue accumulating all kinds of backup plans, like an insurance junkie. The more we try to hang on to everything and cover for every possible outcome or eventuality, the more complex our machines and lives become, by definition.


  • "Complexity" -- The Chief Culprit Why People Do Not Get Involved But Stay Passive
    [News-and-Society] I agree with Bill Gates that most things in our lives are so complex that most of us end up throwing our hands in the air and letting things follow their own complicated and convoluted course.


  • Coping With Complexity -- Making Peace With "Less Than Omniscient" Knowledge of Complex Systems
    [News-and-Society] How can we cope with the complexity of our lives without losing hope for the future? I think this is one of the premiere burning questions of the twenty-first century. One strategy that I apply on a daily basis is to find a subset, a piece of the overall complexity that I can master well. Then I make my peace with my limited efficacy. As simple as that.


  • Movie Review - Jerry and Tom (1998)
    [Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Movie-Reviews] This movie, packed with linguistic pyrotechnics and directorial gunpowder, is at its core a vacuous exercise in "entertainment for entertainment's sake" because it lacks a human heart. 5 stars out of 10 for all the smart talk around corpses. But if you've seen "Pulp Fiction" or "Blood Simple" you've seen this one already with one exception – the director tried to make this a "sweeter" picture, if you can imagine that. You like your castor oil with one sugar or two?


  • Screenwriting - Start From the End, Not the Beginning
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Screenwriting] Start planning and visualizing your script from the end. First decide what the "ending" will be and then move backwards all the way to the beginning of your script.


  • Web Site Design Basics - The New Forrester Research Report
    [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] According to a new report released by the Forrester Research (and reported in Wall Street Journal on June 12, 2007), here are the biggest problems today in web site design...


  • Chrysler PT Cruiser - The Importance of Designing Simple Things Well
    [Automotive] Perhaps by taking such "design risks and challenges" the designers of PT Cruiser are trying to take a road less traveled and discover some new "aesthetic ground." Yet they should also remember what Jerry Seinfeld said about the matter - "Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason."


  • Management - Bill Gates' 4-Point Plan to Solve Complex Problems
    [Business:Change-Management] In his June 7, 2007 commencement speech delivered at Harvard, Microsoft's Bill Gates has singled out "complexity" as the chief culprit why not only many serious problems around the world don't get solved but also why people don't get involved. If only complex problems could be attacked with the proper methodology than we would have better success with solving global problems like illiteracy, epidemics, lack of clean drinking water, etc. Gates said.


  • Speech Writing - How Did Bill Gates Prepare His Harvard Commencement Speech?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Public-Speaking] Speechwriting is a hard-to-master art form. It requires a lot of background knowledge on the part of the writer that cannot be acquired overnight. But that's not enough. A good speech also requires a clear core message. The writer, the speaker and the audience should all be able to answer the following question right away - "what was this speech all about?" It is also important to adjust the speech to the audience and the setting, or the occasion. A high school commencement speech should not read like one delivered at a gridiron or political fund raiser event.


  • Writing - Good Copy Illuminates and Delivers (the Truth)
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Copywriting] Delivering the truth without aesthetics, without illumination, would be like that proverbial tree falling down in the forest and nobody noticing it. Does a tree really fall if there are no witnesses? We don't know. Sheer aesthetic fireworks, on the other hand, without any truth, is disservice to the world. It is betrayal of our short existence here on this earth. It's deception and the lowliest of the black-arts.


  • How to Tell a Fake Phishing E-Mail and Protect Yourself?
    [Computers-and-Technology] There is a very easy way to tell a fake phishing e-mail from a real one. One immediate clue is receiving it from a bank where you have no account. That one is obvious (you would think) but still you'd be amazed how many people take such mails seriously despite the fact that they know they don't have an account at the said institution. More importantly: Such e-mails ALWAYS include a web URL link that they want you to click and visit to "update your critical security information" etc...


  • Technical Writing - Two Different Types of Software User Manuals
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] In technical writing, there are two different but related types of software user manuals and I call them "Button Guides" and "Procedural Tutorials". An ideal software manual set includes BOTH types of manuals since they are complementary and equally necessary.


  • A New World of Marketing With Cell Phone Scanning and "Smartcodes"
    [Business:Marketing] Imagine a future where products, billboards, and pretty much everything that is printed and put up for public display in one form or another (including T-shirts and even underwear, perhaps?) carry one "smartcode" or another for delivering on-demand real-time information to your smart phone or "mobile gadget"...


  • Cell Phone and Mobile Marketing Coming Of Age Thanks to "QR Code" Technology
    [Business:Marketing] Marketing through cell phones, PDAs and other mobile gadgets with Internet connections is fast developing into an exciting new venue for businesses. The "QR Code" system that created a revolution in Japan has arrived in the United States with different variations. I've already seen different versions of QR (for "Quick Response") employed in the USA by delivery companies and direct marketing (magazine subscription) firms.


  • Books or Movies? Which is "More Useful" for Our Growth and Happiness?
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] I'm somewhere in between. Whatever feeds my compassion for others, keeps my heart open and my mind clear and deepens my contextual appreciation of this complicated world, that's what I'm going to imbibe.


  • Barcode, Move Aside - QR CODE is Here
    [Computers-and-Technology] Soon we will be pushing flash movies, coupons, MP3 files, good-old text and god knows what else to our cell phones by pointing their tiny built-in cameras to a QR Code, taking a snapshot, and then pressing the SEND button.


  • Movie Review - Deja Vu (2006)
    [Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Movie-Reviews] This is yet another fantastic Tony Scott juggernaut with a little catch - the plot does not make total sense. The penultimate scene puts Denzel in a place from where there should have been no coming back, with or without time travel. But, hey, that's Hollywood...


  • 7 Great Things To Do in Baltimore, Maryland
    [Travel-and-Leisure] Baltimore, Maryland is a grand old city that according to some has seen much better days in the past. True, some parts of the city like the "Druid Hill" neighborhood are not "perfect tourist attractions," shall we say. But there is still plenty to do and see in Baltimore for the whole family on most weekends.


  • Movie Review - The Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
    [Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Movie-Reviews] This is a dark, depressing and suffocating movie with no glory for the losers. If you watch it while reminding yourself of the Pearl Harbor, everything the Japanese Imperial Army did in the Pacific theater during WW2 and what would have happened if the United States did not beat Japan, your reaction to this film would understandably be more conditional, guarded and measured. But when watched as an independent artistic entity that has itself for sole reference and no other external facts, then you will not be able to hold your tears at the end of this film for a number of different reasons.


  • Operating Systems - Linux or Windows? Long Live UBUNTU!
    [Computers-and-Technology] So why do I still like my Ubuntu? Let me count the ways...


  • Goddard Institute Issues a Warning on Global Warming
    [News-and-Society:Eco-Innovations] Sometimes the fact of global warming gets a short shrift due to the more politically-charged discussion on whether it is caused naturally by, for example, an unusual cycle of sun flares, or human activity. I think the latter question will never be settled to the satisfaction of all parties involved because it has political undertones and repercussions for people who do not share the same political views.


  • Ethical Dilemmas in Daily Life - Rats in My Backyard, Part 1
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] Rats are killing me - not literally, thanks goodness, but ethically and philosophically.


  • Ethical Dilemmas in Daily Life - Rats in My Backyard, Part 3
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] If those are all true, if there are indeed "other processes" that make my concerns moot and irrelevant, is "ethics" of not killing certain animals just an illusion and a mental construct, as a way we flatter ourselves thinking that we somehow have the higher moral ground in this marvelously complex circle of creation? The same circle that can clamp down on any player with steel jaws the second the music stops?


  • Ethical Dilemmas in Daily Life - Rats in My Backyard, Part 2
    [Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] Then one day I saw one rat, a single big one, struggling to walk on my patio and clearly dying. Something was wrong with the animal. He had difficulty standing on his legs, shivering, with strange formations around its mouth. Ahhh... my heart sank! POISON... So there it was, the INTENDED result of my Home Depot campaign to clean up my backyard from this infestation. It really didn't feel right and I still find it hard to explain the feeling.


  • Copywriting - "Unparallel Construction" in a Pizza Commercial - Part 1
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Copywriting] "Unparallel Construction" is the bane of commercial copy. Sentences, and sometimes whole paragraphs of copy, lose their direction and fail to communicate their core message if they are composed with unparalleled components.


  • Copywriting - "Unparallel Construction" in a Pizza Commercial - Part 2
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Copywriting] Sometimes people think "parallel construction" involves only individual sentences. But sometimes whole set and group of sentences can violate the "parallel construction" principle as well.


  • 7 Great Things To Do in Arkansas
    [Travel-and-Leisure] Take a scenic drive on Arkansas' state highways to appreciate the beauty of the Ozarks and other famous natural attractions. Arkansas Scenic 7 will take you through the best vistas the Ozark and Ouachita mountains have to offer. Arkansas 309 climbs 2,753 feet to the state's highest summit. If you don't like the heights and prefer to keep as close to the "sea level" as possible, try Interstate 530 which winds its way through wetlands and Bayou Bartholomew.


  • 7 Great Things To Do in Arizona
    [Travel-and-Leisure] GRAND CANYON, of course! I cannot think of anything more important to do in Arizona than go see this amazing true wonder of our planet earth. This is a spectacle that you won't believe it until you see it, no matter how many photos or videos you've seen before. When you stand there at the edge of what seems to be "The Infinity," words and time stop. Please make a special effort to be there if you haven't seen it yet. You won't regret it.


  • 7 Great Things To Do in Alaska
    [Travel-and-Leisure] Take that old train down the White Pass and Yukon Route! Feel the adrenaline of the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush as you curve and climb your way around narrow mountain passages and breathtaking scenery. Go back home with stories to tell from your daring voyage along this International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.


  • 7 Great Things To Do in Alabama
    [Travel-and-Leisure] Anniston Museum of Natural History - Dinosaurs, African elephants and other wonders of the natural world all under one roof! Must stop in Anniston, AL for all kids young or old.


  • Global Warming - How Much a Ton of Carbon Dioxide will Cost?
    [News-and-Society:Eco-Innovations] The estimates still range anywhere between $20 and $100 per ton of CO2 released, leaving plenty room for policy makers and economists to come up with ever-changing alternate plans while providing plenty reasons for the perplexed consumers to scratch their heads. The way it looks right now in May 2007, not only the science and politics, but the economics of global warming also looks equally complex.


  • Web Marketing - Run Autoresponder "Split Tests" to Maximize Your Conversion Rates
    [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Internet-Marketing] Running a "split test" is a great functionality if you are using an autoresponder to manage your web forms and reward your visitors with instant downloads.


  • Web Marketing - "Link Popularity" versus "Search Engine Saturation" Index
    [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Internet-Marketing] Check the LP and SES numbers of your web site regularly since they change frequently. The best practice is to take regular measurements and then take their average for a reliable benchmark. If the numbers are good, try to understand what you did right and replicate it. If, on the other hand, the numbers are falling, analyze the reasons why and take appropriate measures to counter the trend.


  • How Long Online Marketing Copy Should Be?
    [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Internet-Marketing] The question comes up from time to time- "How long an online sales letter should be?" People new to direct marketing are a bit reluctant to send long letters for fear of "boring" their prospective customers. And that sounds like a valid point indeed in this day and age of soundbites, short YouTube clips and lightning-fast music video editing. A lot of consumers have very short attention spans.


  • Web Marketing - What a Good Microsite Should Look Like? Part 2 of 3
    [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Internet-Marketing] Always try to give something FREE to your readers as an immediate reward for taking action.


  • Web Marketing - What a Good Microsite Should Look Like? Part 1 of 3
    [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Internet-Marketing] A microsite is a single-page web site devoted to selling a single product or service. It is a direct marketing tool that is very suitable for network marketing (signing up new members for a Multi Level Marketing downstream) as well.


  • Web Marketing - What a Good Microsite Should Look Like? Part 3 of 3
    [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Internet-Marketing] Did you know that most people simply scroll down to the bottom of sites like this and read the Post Script FIRST? Do not hesitate to repeat your best offer and best benefits in the PS once again.


  • Movie Review - Intimate Strangers (2004) (Part 1)
    [Shopping-and-Product-Reviews:Movie-Reviews] I love French cinema for its fresh and non-formulaic approach to human reality. This film directed by Patrice Leconte and written by Jerome Tonnerre studies an unusual twist on an old theme – what happens when two strangers meet by accident and develop a relationship that none of them quite expected?


Displaying 1 - 250 of 638 [Prev] [Next]


© EzineArticles.com - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.