STCAustin Happenings

Will you be among the first to certify?

2011-09-19T22:37:00.000-05:00

Establishing yourself as a leader in your profession and saving money are two good reasons to be among the first to embark on STC's new certification program, said STC President Dr. Hillary Hart at STC Austin's fall kick-off meeting last week. Dr. Hart also expressed appreciation for the large turnout, so thanks to all who made it a successful event. The Certified Professional in Technical

Win One for Austin: STC-Houston Seeks Entries for Competition

2011-09-19T21:38:00.000-05:00

Do you have a document you'd like to show off? STC Houston invites Austin technical communicators to participate in their 2011 "Gearing Up for Value" competition. The chapter is currently accepting entries in four categories: training materials, promotional materials, informational materials, and user support materials. Deadline is October 17th. For more information, check out the STC

Not Cool for School: Forgetting the Obvious

2011-09-08T12:41:00.001-05:00

Lin Pernille Photography creative commons My son left his science notebook in his locker. Since he needed it for homework, I frantically searched the school's website to see if we had time to run back before the building closed. 20 minutes after scanning webpages and a PDF of the school's handbook, I still could not find the Hours of Operation. I did find info on: "excusing a student

Stay Relevant with Up-To-Date Certifications: STC International President Hillary Hart Explains New Program, Sept 14th at Tech Ranch

2011-09-08T11:56:00.001-05:00

Austin's very own Hillary Hart, President of STC International, will discuss the new STC professional certification program that was announced at the May 2011 Summit in Sacramento, CA. Click for Eventbrite registration. STC announced the inauguration of a professional certification program. Technical Communicators (not only STC members) may apply for evaluation of their work products and

Tech Writers and Their Role in Social Media

2011-03-23T17:59:00.004-05:00

Being a tech writer used to be as methodical as 1-2-3 … or however many steps the procedure was that your role required you to document. However, the steps are not quite so clear and technical communicators are now tasked with anything ranging from writing white papers or product briefs , implementing content management tools that reach far beyond the docs department, developing training

Understanding the User: Listening to Build Value

2011-03-06T18:51:00.000-06:00

This is from our guest blogger Emmelyn Wang. Thanks, Emmelyn!Understanding the User: Listening to Build Value

Wikis and What to Watch For

2011-01-24T19:56:00.000-06:00

“Yeah, we need to do a Wiki,” says the boss.Sound familiar? Those who have been in the biz a while can remember instances where similar phrases were uttered, except instead of “Wiki” it was “website,” or “social media,” or “Sharepoint.” And way back when, you probably responded internally with the same question: “What does that really mean?”Janet Swisher was on hand to address those very

STC Austin Holiday Party Tomorrow Night

2010-12-15T15:18:00.002-06:00

The annual STC Austin Holiday Party is tomorrow night. Attendance, food, and friendship is all yours for the low, low price of ... FREE.Date: Thursday, Dec 16th, from 7 - 9 p.m.Location: North by Northwest in their enclosed and heated pavilion. There will be a small band playing, spreading holiday cheer.Enjoy the community of your fellow technical communicators. Bring yourspouses, significant

Networking: Tips, tricks, and stuff all of us should know

2010-11-14T16:48:00.002-06:00

“Oh boy! Networking!”Unless you’re one of those folks who never got over their stint as rush chairperson for their sorority or fraternity during college, chances are that these words have never come out of your mouth ... or at least not without a strong hint of sarcasm. In the eyes of technical communicators -- typically an introverted lot -- networking seems daunting: going into a room full of

New Year Kicks off New STC Programs

2010-10-19T21:01:00.004-05:00