Jean Hollis Weber
Too many technical editors focus on the details and don’t pay enough attention to the bigger picture when reviewing documents.
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Wonderful and Woeful Warnings
Lawrence Don-Elysyn
One of the true delights I’ve had as an editor is the checking of Warnings, Cautions, and Notes. It thrilled me to think that something I edited, if neglected, would lead to a fellow human being being fried to a crisp or to the destruction of a multimillion-dollar piece of equipment.
Evaluating the Information Mapping Method
Julia Byrd
Technical writers have long searched for a writing method that’s easy to implement and use and that results in formatted documentation that pleases management, developers, and users alike. While some writers may still be searching for a one-size-fits-all method, many have adopted the Information Mapping method of organizing and formatting documentation and other printed materials.
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Password Psychotic
Lawrence Don Elysyn
We live, it seems, in perilous times. We are reminded constantly that crime is increasing, basic values are breaking down, people shoot at one another on the highway, and men are sneaking onto airplanes with weird and dangerous plans in mind.
Benchmarks for Estimating Editing Speed
David W. McClintock
Speed-reading experts estimate that the average reader can absorb about 250 words per minute. They promote techniques that allegedly boost that rate to nearly 1,000 words per minute. Unfortunately, some folks may expect similar speeds for technical editing. After all, isn’t editing like reading? If so, a 20-page white paper should be edited in 20 minutes – or less.