august 2008 vol. 47, no. 7 this issue ... · orange county stc newsletter august 2008 vol. 47, no....
TRANSCRIPT
Orange County STC Newsletter
www.stc.org August 2008 Vol. 47, No. 7
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This Issue:
Phlashback to Philly 1
President’s Message 2
Next Meeting 3
Editor’s Desk 4
EduNotes 6
June Meeting Review 7
July Meeting Review 8
Society Pages 10
OCSTC Employment Information 10
Orange Juice— Membership News 11
Orange Slice— Calendar of Events 12
August Meeting Topic 12
Phlashback to PhillyBy Suzanne Madison, OCSTC Senior Member
As one of sev-eral OCSTC
members who had the opportunity in June to attend the STC Summit in Philadelphia, I would like to share with you all that I learned during those 3½ days. I’m afraid, however, that to do this would fill a volume. In-stead, I’ll try to give you a taste of the confer-ence by sharing some highlights of the opening session. A panel of distinguished presenters, including our own Barbara Giammona and Jack Molisani, along with Andrea Ames of the Silicon Valley Chapter, Paula Berger of the Boston Chapter, and Bogo Vatovec of the TransAlpine Chapter, discussed some trends in the field of technical communication.
The panel suggested that, along with thinking about the content of our writing, we also think about why we are writing. What big problems do our documents solve? Regulatory compliance? Fewer help desk calls? Customer satisfaction? Our writing should add value to our company and/or its prod-uct and make it more competitive.
The panel also touched on the trend toward minimalism in technical com-munication. Not only does making our documents as concise as possible make them easier to read, it also reduces the cost of publishing/printing and of translation when that is required.
If you are downsized in your job or just looking for a change, it may not be necessary to change your career—just the way you look at what you do. Technical writing is a commodity (that can easily be outsourced or off-shored). Technical communication, on the other hand, covers a much broader range of skills and is perceived as having more value. Look into other types of work where you can leverage your technical communication skills, such as project management or instructional design.
Outgoing STC President , Linda Oestreich (left), pres-ents the Best of Show/Distinguished newsletter competition award to the TechniScribe proofreaders, Jennifer Gardelle, Suzanne Madison, and Sima Staav.
2 • August 2008
President’s MessageBy Betsy Malone, OCSTC Chapter President
Chapter Contacts
OCSTC P.O. Box 28751 Santa Ana, CA 92799-8751
Chapter Fax: 949.830.7585
Web site: http://www.ocstc.org
Administrative CouncilPresident, Betsy Malone, [email protected]
Past President, Bruce Giddens, [email protected]
1st Vice Presidents, Programs, Suzanne Madison and Sima Staav, [email protected]
2nd Vice Presidents, Membership, Jane Baker, Pat Olsen [email protected]
Treasurer, Linda Phillips, [email protected]
Secretary, Jim Marchant, [email protected]
AppointeesTechniScribe Managing Editor, Michael Opsteegh, [email protected]
Public Relations, Open
Education, Bill Darnall, [email protected]
Education, Brian McCaleb, [email protected]
Webmaster, Jeff Randolph, [email protected]
Employment Manager, Betsy Malone, [email protected]
Committees Nominating Committee :
Bill Darnall, [email protected]
Adrienne Escoe, [email protected]
Larry Lockie, [email protected]
Valerie Mitchell, [email protected]
It’s an exciting time in Or-ange County—the weather
is beautiful, the beaches are filled, and the OCSTC Coun-cil is brimming with energy, enthusiasm, and grand ideas!
At our July council meet-ing, we spent a lot of time discussing new strategies for meetings, speakers, loca-tions, scholarship programs, web site upgrades and mem-
bership. Here are some of the brainstorming ideas that were presented:
Redesign the OCSTC web site and include • new items such as a chapter knowledge base for technical topics like tools, writing skills, web design, graphics, and so on.
Get the new education site up and running • and deliver online classes.
Increase scholarship awareness through visits • to surrounding campuses.
Provide new members with both online or • in-person demonstrations of the STC and OCSTC web sites to explain how to make the most of their membership.
Initiate monthly meeting questionnaires to • obtain feedback and get an idea of what top-ics the membership would like to see covered.
Offer classes and workshops.•
Host a meeting in south Orange County. •
Work toward obtaining a chapter achievement • award.
Nominate senior members who meet the • criteria for STC Fellowship awards.
Offer networking events outside the meeting. •
Provide more interactive and hands-on meet-• ings.
Research alternative hotel options for dinner • meetings that may reduce the meeting cost.
Promote corporate sponsorship for the schol-• arship fund, newsletter advertising, and other events. Get local technical companies edu-cated and involved with OCSTC!
These are just some of the ideas presented. Of course, the brainstorming part is easy—bringing ideas to frui-tion will take planning and time. If you see any topics that interest you, we would love to hear from you,
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August 2008 • 3
Next MeetingTopic: Testosterone Technology
Speaker: Saul Carliner
When: Tuesday, August 19, 6-9 p.m.
Where: DoubleTree Club Hotel 7 Hutton Centre Drive Santa Ana, CA 92702 714.751.2400
Cost: Members, no dinner, with reservations . $10
Members with reservations . . . . . . . . . . . $24
Students with reservations . . . . . . . . . . . . $18
Nonmembers with reservations . . . . . . . $29
Walk-ins, or those registering after the deadline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $33
No-shows billed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24
Reservations:
Due by midnight, Friday, August 15
Registration:
Online at http://www.ocstc.org/dinres.asp
Directions to the DoubleTree Club HotelMap of the I-405 and SR-55 area. The star below in-dicates the hotel location. Parking is FREE. Overflow parking is available at 201 Sandpointe Avenue
If you would like to receive e-mail notifications about upcoming OCSTC meetings, visit http://www.ocstc.org/list_redirect.asp.
Click Join. This list broadcasts only meeting notices and STC announcements
DoubleTree Club Hotel7 Hutton Centre DriveSanta Ana, California92707-5794714.751.2400
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4 • August 2008
Publication PoliciesTechniScribe is published 11 times a year as a benefit to the members of the Orange County Chapter of the Society for Technical Communi-cation. The goal of the publication is to reflect the interests, needs, and objectives of OCSTC members. TechniScribe strives to be an advocate for, and an inspiration to, technical communicators by keeping them connected to each other and to opportunities for professional growth.
Articles published in this newsletter may be re-printed in other STC publications if permission is obtained from the author, credit is properly given, and one copy of the reprint is sent to the TechniScribe managing editor.
Submission InformationThe editorial team retains and exercises the right to edit submitted and requested material for clar-ity, length, and appropriateness.
When submitting material, please remember to:
Include a 25-word biography about yourself.•
Send articles in Word (doc, docx), Rich-Text • Format (RTF), ASCII (txt), or in the body of an e-mail message.
Send material to the managing editor • (techni [email protected]) five weeks before the date it will be published.
Editorial StaffManaging Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Opsteegh Copyeditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Teresita del Sol Copyeditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anne Stratford Copyeditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barbara Young Proofreader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jennifer Gardelle Proofreader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Suzanne Madison Proofreader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sima Staav Web Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Randolph
Monthly Advertising Rates1/4 page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $40 1/3 page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $45 1/2 page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $60 Full page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $80
Subscriptions$10 a year to members of other STC chapters.
PrinterPrintWorks, Irvine, CA
Editor’s DeskBy Michael Opsteegh, TechniScribe Managing Editor
Who Doesn’t Enjoy a Challenge?
Jeff Randolph sent me an e-mail from the STC Sum-
mit in Philadelphia to tell me that the weather was great, the people are friendly, and, “oh, by the way, the New York Metro chapter is gun-ning for us.” Apparently, Jeff cut in front of John Posada,
the president of the New York Metro chapter, who was waiting in line to check into the Summit. Angered by this affront, John Posada gave Jeff evil stares across the general assembly, sat behind Jeff and kicked the back of his chair during breakout sessions, and vio-lently bumped Jeff’s shoulder every time they passed each other in the exhibit hall. Fed up, Jeff finally challenged John Posada to an arm wrestling match, but John, clearly daunted and intimidated by Jeff, declined. John did, however, issue a counterchallenge to Jeff: his chapter newsletter, NY Metro News, would overtake Techni Scribe in the STC newsletter competi-tion and win the Best of Show award.
Of course, none of this story is true except for John Posada’s challenge.
So, for the next year, our chapter will be in a head-to-head competition with the New York Metro chapter to determine which chapter has the best, most informa-tive, and most engaging newsletter.
Of course, I’m confident that our Techni Scribe is in no danger of relinquishing its crown anytime soon, but a challenge must be answered. Competition is a healthy way to keep a regular newsletter exciting and interesting.
TechniScribe Needs You!I extend John Posada’s challenge to you. The Techni Scribe staff needs articles from you to fill these pages. TechniScribe is de-livered to you each month, and we are constantly looking for interesting, relevant articles. You can help us by contributing to
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August 2008 • 5
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Looking for a position? Looking to fill a position? Call us—we can help!
(866) 302-5774 x201ProspringStaffing.com
6 • August 2008
EduNotesBill Darnall, Cochair Education
The Query Letter
Editors expect to receive query letters. Do not disap-point them. Always use a formal query letter to
contact an editor. Formulate your query carefully to say what the editor wants to see and hear. Never treat a query letter like an informal e-mail.
The following checklist may help you to produce an effective query letter. Feel free to improvise. How-ever, do not eliminate an element simply because you believe it is not important. Be aware these elements predate computers and mechanical typewriters. This protocol has remained relatively constant for nearly two hundred years.
Checklist for Your Query Letter and At-tachments
Use professional letterhead•
Address the editor by name•
Write in a professional style•
Explain your idea for an article•
Refer to the publication’s editorial schedule•
Refer to a recent issue of the publication•
Refer to the author’s guidelines•
Summarize your credentials•
Include your contact information•
End with a respectful closing•
Include your clips•
Carefully study and then implement each of these ele-ments. You might think of your query letter as a cross between a job interview and your best elevator pitch. Oh, I almost forgot. You should keep your query letter to one page. However, you may include selected at-tachments.
Query StructureYou never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Plan to mail your query letter. How-ever, the guidelines may suggest e-mail. Always use professional-looking letterhead.
Be 100% sure you have spelled the editor’s name cor-rectly! Use information from the masthead. If there is any doubt about the spelling, spend a few cents and call the publication’s main office for assurance.
Write everything in a professional, error-free style. Find someone who is qualified to proofread your let-ter. Consider writing your query letter using the style called for in the author’s guidelines. Use a cleanly structured format. You want a clean professional look.
This is another reason for mailing your query letter printed on quality letterhead.
Query ContentClearly explain your idea for an article. Demonstrate your knowledge of the publication’s editorial sched-ule. Try to refer to an article in a recent issue. Empha-size your intention to follow the author’s guidelines. Explain that you understand your idea may not be a perfect match. Express your willingness to prepare an article that meets the editor’s exact requirements.
Present your credentials. Summarize your writing experience. Explain why you have the expertise neces-sary to prepare a creditable article. If included, men-tion your attached clips.
Ask for the assignment. Provide your detailed contact information, even if it is already included as part of your letterhead. Include your telephone number. Re-cord a professional-sounding greeting for your voice mail. Grandparents are the only people who appreci-ate hearing young children answering the telephone.
End your letter with a respectful and professional closing. You want to leave the editor with a good im-pression. Please understand, it is all about the proto-col. Demonstrate that you understand how to play the game.
AttachmentsIf available, include copies of your very best recent ar-ticles, called “clips.” Clips prove you are demonstra-bly serious about writing. For consumer magazines, you will possibly include a finished article.
ConclusionYou have spent a considerable amount of your time researching publications. You have spent additional time developing an outline or creating an article. Do not waste those efforts. Craft a professional query letter. Send your query to the right editor. Spell the editor’s name correctly. Ask for an assignment. If suc-cessful, follow the editor’s instructions. If you receive a rejection, try again. Keep trying until you are suc-cessful. Good luck!
New Speaker-Only Meeting Option!Starting in August, members will have the option to make a reservation for a speaker-only/no din-ner meeting for $10. A reservation is required for the speakeronly option. When registering for this option, you will be prompted for your STC member number and password. As always, the dinner/speaker option will continue to be available for $24 with reservation or $35 for walk-ins. The speaker-only option is being offered as a trial.
August 2008 • 7
June Meeting ReviewBy Barbara Giammona, OCSTC Associate Fellow
At the June 17 meeting, Jack Molisani made his annual appearance at OCSTC to tell us about
“Alternative Career Paths for Technical Communica-tors.” Jack, who is the president of ProSpring Staffing, a company specializing in the placement of technical communicators, and the founder and president of the LavaCon documentation and project management conference, conducted a survey in December 2007 to look more closely at a trend that he was seeing in the industry—the movement of technical writers out of their core discipline into other related areas that are “perceived” to be of greater corporate value, and therefore likely to be careers where members can earn more money.
The premise for the survey sprang from Jack's July 2006 presentation on how to make a six-figure sal-ary. In that presentation (http://www.prospring.net/Resource/MakingSixFigureIncome.pdf), he proposed that there were indeed alternate career paths—many related closely to technical writing—that use the same skill sets and likely pay greater salaries. And, he proposed, it appeared that we were moving into those disciplines to realize that money-making dream. He hoped from the results of the survey to see if this was really true.
Jack began the evening by recounting a fact most of us know to be true—that the career of most technical writers progresses to the point of becoming a “senior technical writer,” and then rests there forever, unless you are promoted into a Documentation Manager's role or, by some motivating factor (such as a layoff), you are propelled into becoming a contractor and eventually, perhaps, starting your own technical writ-ing business. The third, more recent, path that Jack had observed is a trend toward movement into related fields.
What are those fields? They include such familiar turf as business analyst, quality assurance analyst, marketing writer, proposal writer, web developer, content management, usability expert, training leader, and other positions that use our core skills, such as writing, interviewing, planning, project management, critical thinking, and attention to detail.
His premise was that these roles have greater per-ceived value by corporations and, therefore, are likely pay more to the individuals who perform them. They are roles that are thought to contribute to revenue, or to the reduction of costs, and hence have greater value to the company than a technical writer, who is gener-ally an overhead cost in most companies.
Jack assembled a survey which he publicized across STC that asked key questions about whether people had made such a leap in their careers or not, and what
their earning power looked like today. He had 351 self-selected responses, so it is a sampling of data, but not necessarily a scientific one. Nevertheless, the results were interesting.
Here's what Jack found:
79% of the respondents had transitioned out • of Technical Writing.
The largest numbers of those had moved into • fields such as instructional design, business analysis, documentation management, project management, training, usability, or web site development.
The largest majority, 59%, were still staff • employees, with the rest either consulting or owning their own business.
35% of these people made this jump nine or • more years ago, but 31% had transitioned in the last three years.
So, yes, as Jack predicted, movement to new roles is taking place—not just in the last couple of years, but apparently for nearly the last 10 years! But what about Jack's key premise—that by making the move, one can actually make more money? Here was the great-est surprise of all: the survey respondents, though they may have made a move to related field, were not all making more money. Now, while Jack's sampling is admittedly small, and the data may be somewhat skewed, it was clear that a change in job title or func-tion did not necessarily mean that one would make more money. Some areas clearly were making more—usability, project management, product manage-ment, instructional design, compliance, and change management. Business analysts also appear to make more than the average senior technical writer. But many previously “prestigious” professions were also making less, including graphic design, marketing, training, and quality assurance. In some cases, these professions are becoming commodities that are being taken offshore.
So what is the best way to make more money as a technical writer? Jack believes it is by making yourself into a “hyphenated” professional: technical writer-usability specialist, technical writer-project manager, and so on.
His data went on to show that those people who worked for themselves clearly made the most money. Since a direct leap from staff employee to self-em-ployed can be risky, Jack suggests that you start to take on side work on a contract basis until you reach the point at which you are losing money by continu-ing to hold down your day job. Build up a list of
Continued on Page 9 >
8 • August 2008
July Meeting ReviewBy Jeff Randolph, OCSTC Senior Member
July 15 was education night at the OCSTC chapter meeting, featuring a keynote address by California
State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell, who made his first-ever presenta-tion to STC. In the first part of the meeting, we acknowledged Michael Opsteegh and Jennifer Gardelle for their recent gradua-tions from Cal State Long Beach. Suzanne Madison presented Michael Opsteegh with the Best in Show plaque from the STC Newsletter Competition. Mi-chael was also presented with a friendly challenge from the New York Metro Chapter, who, based on our printed newsletter, decided to resurrect their news-letter. We saw six visitors, five of whom were teachers, to hear Jack O'Connell.
Jack O’Connell engaged us in a presentation that left us all think-ing about the future of education in California. Some of the trends and challenges coincided with the challenges we have been going through as a profession. During the course of the next 40 minutes—including Q&A—Jack took us on an exciting and passionate ride citing many studies, personal stories with other edu-cators, provided an opening monologue reminiscent of Johnny Carson, and dropped a few names along the way.
Jack took us on a vision of the future with a handheld device that we would document or design an inter-
face for. That particular handheld device would also function as a GPS that would direct us to the easiest
way to an event. We could make our ticket order and pay for our parking.
One major problem facing Cali-fornia is a shortage of qualified people. Jack related discussions with business leaders in Silicon Valley that high-tech companies are using all of the available H-1 visas, and the employers need about 2½ times the number currently allowed. California cannot produce enough qualified talent, and the problem is getting worse. This has also led to jobs being exported, either to other states or overseas. As a result our state economy, the world’s fifth largest in 2002, is currently eighth and dropping.
Since 1990, we have had a 25% increase in the student popu-lation, and a corresponding demographic shift with a large increase in Hispanic enrollment, which accounted for 47% of enrollment in 2006, with projec-
tions of over 50% in the coming year. Coupled with that are an 88% increase in special education needs and a 381% increase in “English learner needs.” Cali-fornia leads the nation with over 50% of students from households who are not fluent speaker.
While there has been across-the-board proficiency improvement over the last five years, the gap between whites and African-American and Hispanic students has not closed. This exacerbates the “needs gap,” particularly in English and math-science-engineering. Additional breakdown of proficiency levels by family income level reveal issues that need addressing and further complicate efforts to close the achievement gap.
Finally, the funding of California education is well below the national average, currently ranking 46th among the states in per-pupil spending. We need to recommit to the smaller class sizes.
Jack concluded with an extended, lively Q&A, explor-ing many issues including the recently adopted “8th grade algebra requirement,” ability of students to be competent in the most basic math skills, and possible cultural issues behind the achievement gap.
Jack O’Connell, California Superintendent of Instruction, delivers a dynamic presenta-tion at the July OCSTC meeting.
Jack O’Connell poses for a group photo with OCSTC members and a public teacher. From left to right: Jeff Randolph, Robin Rubinstein, Jack O’Connell, and Sima Staav. Continued on Page 9 >
August 2008 • 9
The panel suggested some technical communications skills worth developing, including:
Improving your public speaking (try Toast-• masters)
Becoming an industry-specific subject matter • expert (SME) (healthcare, biotech, banking)
Getting your Project Management Certifica-• tion or an MBA
Learning software development/program-• ming
Learning more about information architecture • or a new program such as DITA
Improving your negotiating and communica-• tion skills
The opening session of the Summit served as a pro-vocative prelude to what was to come over the next few days—educational sessions, networking, and discussions of topics and activities to stimulate minds and enhance careers. It’s hard to describe the atmo-sphere of sharing, learning, and just plain fun at the STC Summit. I recommend that you begin creating a business case to justify to your employer the budget to send you to the 2009 Summit in Atlanta. If you are self-employed, start your own fund now to pay your way. If you have questions or need suggestions, feel free to talk to any OCSTC member who attended this or any previous Summit.
Start planning now to attend the Atlanta Summit. This time next year, you’ll be glad you did.
clients who look to you for their technical writing or related needs; then, when that list is solid enough, go to work for yourself.
You can also take deliberate steps to establish yourself as a specialized expert in technical writing or a related discipline. Make yourself visible, speak at STC events, write articles for this newsletter or STC society-level publications such as Intercom. Get your name out there! He also encouraged networking at the profes-sional societies of related professions and at those professions that your new business can effectively support (for example, go to a Java programmers meet-ing to sell your wares).
Jack’s presentation can be found at http://www.pros-pringstaffing.com/Resource/Alternate_Career_Paths.pdf
Many people personally expressed their positive feed-back to Jack after the presentation, ranging from “I was pleasantly surprised” to “when will he be back to speak again?” and relating his vision to their experi-ences as teachers.
Jack O’Connell’s presentation is available from the OCSTC web site at http://www.ocstc.org/meet-ing_archive.asp and there are additional links to his “Closing the Achievement Gap” initiative and to the California Department of Education web site.
your newsletter. You can write an article on any of the wide variety of topics that relate to technical com-munication. Don’t be intimidated about writing to an audience of professional writers; our copyeditors and proofreaders are here to support you by editing your content, dotting your i’s, and crossing your t’s.
Here are a few of the old standby article topics to get you thinking:
Book review•
Software review (e.g., InfoPath, Windows • Vista, Word 2007, Acrobat 9, RoboHelp 7, Dreamweaver CS3, Doc-To-Help, AuthorIT)
How I did it…•
Document design tips•
How to become a freelance/contract writer•
Help us send a resounding shot across New York Metro chapter’s bow!
Submit your newsletter inquiries, articles, and ideas to Michael at [email protected].
Phlashback to Philly< Continued from Page 1
July Meeting Review< Continued from Page 8
June Meeting Review< Continued from Page 7
Editor’s Desk< Continued from Page 4
whether just to hear your ideas or to have you join the supporting committee. Remember this is the year that “It’s all about you!”
Enjoy the summer and the warm, sunny weather, and don’t forget that we’d love to see you at the next OCSTC meeting.
If you have any questions or suggestions for Betsy, e-mail her at [email protected].
President’s Message< Continued from Page 2
OCSTC Employment InformationOur job listing is entirely online at the OCSTC web site. Pages are updated as jobs are submitted.
Staff Jobshttp://www.ocstc.org/employme.asp
Contract Jobshttp://www.ocstc.org/contractme.asp
Free Job Postinghttp://www.ocstc.org/jobsubmit.asp
InquiriesIf you have an inquiry, e-mail our employment manager, Betsy Malone, at [email protected]. A limited number of printed copies of the OCSTC web site listings are available at monthly chapter meetings.
Society-Level Job ListingsSTC maintains job listings on the Internet. You can download the listings from the STC web site at http://www.stc.org/jobsdatabase.asp.
10 • August 2008
Society Pages
STC Mission StatementSTC advances the theory and practice of technical communication across all user abilities and all media.
Positioning StatementSTC helps you design effective communication for a technical world through information sharing and industry leadership.
The Society for Technical Communication (STC) is the world’s largest organization for technical com-municators.
Its more than 14,000 members include writers, edi-tors, illustrators, printers, publishers, photographers, educators, and students.
Dues are $60–175 per year. Membership is open to anyone engaged in some phase of technical communi-cation, interested in the arts and sciences of technical communication, and in allied arts and sciences.
Society for Technical Communication 901 N. Stuart Street, Suite 904 Arlington, VA 22203-1822
703.522.4114 (voice); http://www.stc.org
TechniScribe Copyright and Trademark StatementOCSTC invites writers to submit articles that they wish to be considered for publication. Authors retain copyright to their work and implicitly grant a license to this newsletter to publish the work once in print and to publish it once online for an indefinite period of time. In your cover letter, please let the editor know if this article has appeared elsewhere, and if it has been submitted for consideration to other publications.
The design and layout of this newsletter are copy-righted as © STC, 2008.
Some articles might refer to companies or products whose names are covered by a trademark or regis-tered trademark. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Reference to a specific product does not constitute an endorsement of the product by OCSTC or by STC.
ColophonTechniScribe is written using Microsoft Word, and laid out using Adobe InDesign CS3 for Macintosh. Gill Sans and Palatino Linotype are used for heading and text fonts. PDFs are produced using Adobe Acrobat Professional 8.
TechniScribe relies on the following editorial refer-ences for style: American Heritage Dictionary, Chicago Manual of Style, and Words into Type.
August 2008 • 11
Orange Juice: Membership NewsBy Jane Baker, OCSTC 2nd Vice President, Membership
It’s been quite some time since we’ve been able to announce new members in this column. Some of
them have already introduced themselves at the chapter meetings. Please join me in welcoming the latest members who have joined over the last several months:
Advanced Technical Communications
CSUDH Online 9/15/08–12/14/08
Critical Reasoning and Writing for Science and Technology
OCC MW 12:45p–2:50p 8/25/08–12/14/08
Desktop Publishing with InDesign
GWC M 6p–10:15p 8/25/08–12/14/08
English Grammar
CSULB MW 10a–11:50a 9/1/08–12/14/08
CSULB MW 2p–3:50p 9/1/08–12/14/08
CSULB TTh 2p–3:50p 9/1/08–12/14/08
CSULB TTh 5p–6:50p 9/1/08–12/14/08
Fundamentals of Technical Communication
CSUDH Online 9/15/08–12/14/08
Fundamentals of Technical Writing and Editing
CSUF T 7p–10p 9/1/08–11/9/08
Information Design
CSUDH Online 9/15/08–12/14/08
Introduction to Web Page Design
GWC T 6p–10:15p 8/25/08–12/14/08
GWC Th 8:30a–12:45p 8/25/08–12/14/08
Manual Writing
CSULB M 6p–8:45p 9/1/08–12/14/08
Report Writing
CSUF Th 7p–10p 10/6/08–12/21/08
Technical Communication
CSULB MW 11a–12:15a 9/1/08–12/14/08
CSULB MW 12:30p–1:45p 9/1/08–12/14/08
CSULB T 6:30p–9:15p 9/1/08–12/14/08
CSULB Th 6:30p–9:15p 9/1/08–12/14/08
Writing for Science, Social Science, and Technology
CSULB M 6p–8:45p 9/1/08–12/14/08
College and University InformationCSUF: California State University, Fullerton Extension
2600 Nutwood Ave., Fullerton, CA 92834-6870 714.278.2611 http://www.csufextension.org/
CSULB: California State University, Long Beach 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840-2403 562.985.4223 http://www.csulb.edu/
CSUDH: California State University, Dominguez Hills 1000 E. Victoria St., Carson, CA 90747 310.243.3730 http://www.csudh/extended/
GWC: Golden West College 15744 Golden West St., Huntington Beach, CA 92647 714.892.7711 http://www.goldenwestcollege.edu/
OCC: Orange Coast College 2701 Fairview Rd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626-5563 714.432.0202 http://www.orangecoastcollege.edu/
Thinking about joining OCSTC? Contact Jane Baker or Pat Olsen at [email protected] for membership informa-tion.
Stephanie Allyn•
Daniel Barrrozo•
Dennis Burcal•
Alexandria Berks•
Erin Erice•
Gilson Esteves•
David Evans•
Jackie Hense•
Neal Lange•
Scott Lindstrom•
Michael Lunde•
James Miller•
Marilyn Peterson•
Len Poche•
Carl Pulley•
Mark Russell•
Kate Spitzer•
Typically, at this time of the year, we just want a break. A time out. A time to recharge our batteries.
However, it is a good time to look ahead, perhaps. Maybe it’s time to think about perusing skill enhance-ments. Or, even in this terrible job market, a new professional challenge is in the offing. The job market cycles, like much of life—and we all know the bad can’t last forever! (It just seems that way at times.) Are you where you want to be? Do you want to consider the possibilities?
Maybe this is the time to think about inviting a col-league to an STC meeting. In September, OCSTC is going to offer opportunities to our community of technical communicators to polish résumés and hone our interview skills. The first will be a résumé work-shop at our regular September meeting—Tuesday, September 16, with an opportunity to hear from and meet with some recruiting professionals—followed by a Saturday Back to School/Back to Work Job Search Tune-up—date and time TBD. Watch for e-mail an-nouncements and more information in the September TechniScribe. If you or one of our colleagues would like to take advantage of this opportunity, mark your calendar and extend that invitation. It's your member-ship—make the most of it!
In addition to dusting off your résumé and brushing up your interviewing skills, you may consider taking a class or two to make yourself more marketable. The following list is just a taste of what's being offered in and around Orange County.
August Meeting TopicTestosterone TechnologyReflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly of technology. Yes, information technol-ogy has benefited humankind through improved communications, enhancements to science, and increased productivity. But it’s also given us techno-babble, the dot com bust, and a lot of technology failures. Most significantly, it’s led to a situation where people sometime over-estimate their own technical capabilities, and under-estimate those of others.
Based on research of successful and unsuccessful technology projects, Saul Car-liner will explore ten lessons for business.
About the PresenterSaul Carliner is an internationally known expert on e-learning, information design, and technical communication with extensive industry experience.
As a consultant, he advises managers on strategic issues in online learning and com-munication, evaluation metrics, and general management issues. He also designs learning programs and communication materials. He is probably best known for his popular seminars on e-learning, and instructional and information design, as well as the management of training and communication groups.
Saul holds a Ph.D. in instructional technology from Georgia State University, a mas-ter’s degree in technical communication from the University of Minnesota, and a bachelor’s degree in economics, professional writing, and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University.
Orange Slice: Calendar of EventsDate Event Location TimeAugust 5 OCSTC Council Meeting Airport Executive Suites, Irvine 6 p.m.-7 p.m.August 19 OCSTC Chapter Meeting DoubleTree Club Hotel, 7 Hutton Centre Dr.,
Santa Ana, CA, 92707, 714.751.24006:30 p.m.-9 p.m.
New speaker-only meeting option—see page 6 for more information.