Of Interest: You’re Wrong. My Documentation Is Brilliant!

On 30 January 2024 at 1200 PM ET (click here for your local time), join Jeff Klein for an interesting discussion about the complexities technical writers encounter when navigating negative feedback that is generic, vague, and utterly lacking in specificity. Uncover an effective approach to identify the underlying issues that feedback providers often struggle to articulate. Learn a practical methodology you can implement that will transform their non-actionable critique into a roadmap for enhancing the precision, clarity, and impact of your technical documentation.

For tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/youre-wrong-my-documentation-is-brilliant-tickets-788846088887.

Of Interest: Exploring Workplace Bias in Software Companies

Amanda Altamirano, a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Central Florida. is inviting technical communicators to participate in research that gathers their opinions and experiences working in the software industry.

The purpose of this research is:

  1. To find out about technical communicators’ perceptions and experiences specific to bias in the software workplace,
  2. To figure out if these perceptions and experiences impact their ability to author and manage technical software documentation.
  3. To determine whether a diagram can help reduce biases in technical documentation.

Survey participants will receive a $5 Amazon e-gift card.
Click the link below to participate:

https://ucf.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_br0Yehc69OQIaKq

Of Interest: Swimming Upstream to Train Today’s New TechComm Professionals

On 7 September 2023 at 1200 PM MT (click here for your local time), join Kari Chalker for an interesting discussion about how technical editing practitioners can help early-career TechComm professionals with on-the-job writing training and mentoring.

For tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/swimming-upstream-to-train-todays-new-techcomm-professionals-tickets-644794095497?aff=oddtdtcreator.

Of Interest: STC Education Online Course – Creating and Using a Department Style Guide

Wednesdays, 13 September to 1 November 2023  at 6:30 to 7:30 PM ET
(click here for your time zone)

Instructor: The TESIG’s own Kelly Schrank!

Registration closes 12 September 2023

Whether building a new department, working as a department of one, or joining a new or existing department, many technical communicators have found themselves working on documents without the benefit of a style guide.

In this course, as a group we will create a new style guide from scratch, incorporate common elements, and decide together what’s needed and what might be better relegated to other documents or resources. From grammar and punctuation to style and formatting, we’ll go through the process together. We’ll tackle this as the big project it is, by planning its scope and schedule, including tracking status, training others, and gathering feedback.

After the course, everyone will be emailed the finished document in Microsoft Word to use as is or as a template for their own style guide.

  • STC Members: $375
  • Gold Members: $300
  • Student Members: $295
  • Nonmembers: $595

To register, go to https://www.stc.org/course/creating-and-using-a-department-style-guide-september-2023/.

Of Interest: Style Guides: Love ‘Em, Hate ‘Em, Gotta Have ‘Em! (Workshop Pt. 2)

On 20 June 2023, at 12 PM ET (click here for your local time), join the TESIG’s own style guide “agony aunt”, Marcia Shannon, as she presents part 2 of her workshop on how to deal with all sorts of style-guide-related issues.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/style-guides-love-em-hate-em-gotta-have-em-workshop-pt-2-tickets-595873251937?aff=oddtdtcreator

If you missed part 1, no worries! You can get tickets for it here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/style-guides-love-em-hate-em-gotta-have-em-pt-1-recording-tickets-569029962937

This is a joint event between the TESIG and the STC Carolina chapter. It is open to both STC members and non-members. It is free for TESIG/STC Carolina members, and available at a small charge for non-members. It will be recorded, and the recordings, slides, and handouts will be available for a year afterwards.