Make a vital contribution to STC and our Ohio STC chapter! You can help the chapter continue to achieve its award-winning service to its membership and community. In addition, there are many benefits to being a chapter volunteer, such as: Develop new skills Receive mentoring from STC leaders Advance your career: Add assets, experience, and … Continue reading…
As I sit down to write my last President’s column, I can hardly believe how quickly time has flown by. It seems like only yesterday that I was first elected to lead our chapter, and yet here we are at the end of another successful year. One of the highlights of this past year was … Continue reading…
Paulette was recently promoted to Lead Information Developer, which translates to information developer, level 5 at Rockwell Automation. Paulette is the only Lead ID in the department and the first for Rockwell’s business (Software and Controls) in the company’s history.
Practical Tips to Successfully Prepare for the Online CPTC Exam. As you probably surmised from the title, I’ve taken the CPTC Practitioner exam more than once before finally passing. I tend to live by the proverb, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. However, I learned a few tips along the way that … Continue reading…
Introduction Will AI eliminate your job as a tech writer? From the research I’m doing and courses I’m taking, the answer seems an obvious ‘No’. Currently, AI is a hot topic with discussions ranging from ‘it is just another search engine to ‘it’s alive and plans to kill all humans and take over the world’! … Continue reading…
The February 28, 2023 brown bag (Zoom) meeting hosted by the STC Rochester chapter included about 60 participants. How familiar were participants with ChatGPT? Only about two percent use ChatGPT all day every day. Most people just had some familiarity with the concept of ChatGPT and AI. Someone noted concern about ChatGPT replacing technical writers. … Continue reading…
Fragile Futures: The Uncertain Economics of Disasters, Pandemics, and Climate Change. Vito Tanzi. 2022. Cambridge University Press. ISBN-10 1009100122. ISBN-13 978-1009100120. 246 pages. US$24.99 (hardcover). How can governments prepare for unpredictable events such as a pandemic or climate change? That is one of the questions raised by economics professor Vito Tanzi as he also addresses … Continue reading…
On April 20, 2023, Char James-Tanny, a well-known accessibility advocate for more than 20 years, taught us about “Folding Accessibility into the Documentation Process”. The talk centered on the importance of accessibility, and how it is essential to respect people’s dignity, equality, autonomy, and usability in product documentation. Accessibility is a fundamental issue that affects … Continue reading…
As a Technical Communicator, it seems as though I’m always searching for information and then searching for better ways to communicate that information to readers. I suppose that it’s just the basics of our profession. But this search extends to our personal lives as well. Who hasn’t looked for guidance on how to complete a … Continue reading…
Congratulate Lisa Adair as she recently achieved the honorary rank of STC Associate Fellow. As explained at https://www.stc.org/notebook/2023/02/03/presenting-the-2023-stc-class-of-associate-fellows/, this is the second highest rank that the Society can confer upon a member, Fellow being the highest. “This honor recognizes members for their outstanding achievements in and contributions to the arts and science of technical communication, … Continue reading…
Congratulate Tricia as she recently achieved the rank of STC Fellow. Enjoy reading her citation. Tricia Spayer Citation: For continuing service to STC through chapter and Society leadership roles, and for advocating technical communication principles in all aspects of your career and volunteer roles. See the 2023 class of STC Fellows following. Presenting the 2023 class … Continue reading…
If you will, come along with me on a journey in our minds. Let’s go back in time for a little while. Imagine yourself in grade school again. You’re in art class and you’re using crayons to color at a table along with some other classmates. Someone says, “Please hand me the skin color crayon.” … Continue reading…
When we held our last drawing for the winner of a $20 gift card for a contributor to Lines & Letters, Paulette Tiggs was the lucky winner. If you submit an article for our newsletter, you are eligible to be in our drawing. Submit articles to newsletter@neostc.org. A big thank you also is in … Continue reading…
Is the way we are working today not working? That is a question that Charlotte Chang (pictured at right) tackled on Jan. 26, 2023 during an impressive Women in Agile Cleveland meeting. “Creating Systems of Compassion with Charlotte Chang” provided great food for thought from a charismatic presenter. “Look…the way we’re working isn’t working. At … Continue reading…
Happy New Year! As we begin 2023, I’m hopeful that we’ll all have a healthy and prosperous year. One of my resolutions is to practice gratitude and take note of all the things that I’m thankful for. I’m thankful for being a part of the STC community and especially for our Ohio chapter members. In … Continue reading…
As we start a new year, please consider clicking on The Literacy Site to give a donation of a book. The click and donation are free. The site is at – https://therainforestsite.greatergood.com/clicktogive/lit/home?gg_source=ctgtabs&gg_medium=sitenav&gg_campaign=ARS When you click, the sponsors fund donations of books and supplies for children. The web site is part of the GreaterGood … Continue reading…
“I help companies develop high-value products and high-performing teams. My emphasis is on improving culture and employee engagement through collaboration, transparency, employee empowerment, continuous improvement, and trust.” So says agile coach Nicole Derr who goes on to say: “I specialize in leadership coaching, product strategy and innovation, and team development. I work primarily with leaders, … Continue reading…
OWL Purdue provides the following about proper use of a comma. Maybe we can all use a reminder. Extended Rules for Using Commas 1. Use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet. 2. Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) … Continue reading…
The STC Policies and Procedures SIG held a lively Zoom meeting on October 27, 2022. The topic concerned – Planning, Organizing, and Managing Content. Part of the discussion centered on important basics such as: . Get a champion – director or executive . Understand the basic need . Gather a list of KPIs Concerning an … Continue reading…
Academic Writing Now: A Brief Guide for Busy Students – Second Edition David Starkey. 2021. Emerald Publishing. ISBN 978-1-80043-663-3. 200 pages. US$23.99 (softback). Comprehensive and authoritative while being friendly were my thoughts when I was reading Academic Writing Now. Especially useful is that Academic Writing Now covers the most recent versions of both American Psychological Association (APA) … Continue reading…
The Collins Dictionary revealed its 2022 word of the year as “permacrisis” with the definition of an “extended period of instability and insecurity, (especially) one resulting from a series of catastrophic events.” This is according to https://www.cnet.comulture/dont-stress-but-permacrisis-is-the-2022-word-of-the-year/ Some of the catastrophic events that came to my mind are the COVID pandemic, extreme weather, and Russia’s … Continue reading…
