Laid off technical writer? We want to hear from you.
May0
Our experience has been that technical writers in software and product development companies are sometimes looked at as the canary in the coal mine and can help indicate the general health of a company. When development life cycles slow down, the tech writer is one of the first on the team to be laid off. And then, of course, when things pick up again, they are the last to be hired.
If you have been laid off in this current economic crisis, we would like to hear your story. Tell us about the industry and product you were supporting. Tell us what you are doing now and whether you are looking for another tech writing position.
Tell us if you are looking for a full time position with a company that needs technical writers, or if you are looking for contract work through an agency, or if you are striking out on your own to create a new business.
If you are freelancing, are you finding anything through Elance or oDesk? Regarding the job search, what’s working for you and what’s not?
When you leave your comment below and tell us about your situation, don’t hesitate to provide a link to your site and your LinkedIn account.
Best of luck to you.
Your Writing Dept is a Sacramento-based writing firm that specializes in developing technical manuals and user guides. We’re the leaders in technical communications in Northern California. Email us for more information about our services at info@yourwritingdept.com.
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NSFW question: are you more inclined to open a site if labeled NSFW?
May0
Be honest, if a site is labeled NSFW, are you tempted to lean forward a little to block your monitor from prying eyes and click on the link? Do these four letters that serve as a warning that a site is not safe for work make you want to take a peek–no matter what risk you might run by going there?
Come on, be honest!
Your Writing Dept is a Sacramento-based writing firm that specializes in developing technical manuals and user guides. We’re the leaders in technical communications in Northern California. Email us for more information about our services at info@yourwritingdept.com.
Additional Posts from Your Writing Dept
- We’re on Twitter. Sure, us and everyone else, you say.
- InfoPorn: Presenting raw data with visually stimulating graphs
- How many spaces after a period? One or two?
- Newspapers are dying but there’s still a need for good journalism
- Tips for hiring an outsourced technical writing team to document your product or process
- Is there an error message for user manual failure?
- MS Office 2007 Hidden Treasure
.99 cents — less than a penny, or less than a dollar?
May0
While driving past a local gas station/food store, my daughter pointed out this sign. Always looking for a bargain, we wondered if this was 99 cents, as in one cent less than a dollar, or if these bottles were actually being sold for just a fraction less than a penny.
Oh, what a difference a decimal and a cent sign make when a couple of numbers are sandwiched between them.
Less than a penny for a 2-liter bottle of 7-up? Sounds like a bargain to me. I just wonder if I would actually get change back if I gave them a penny.
Your Writing Dept is a Sacramento-based writing firm that specializes in developing technical manuals and user guides. We’re the leaders in technical communications in Northern California. Email us for more information about our services at info@yourwritingdept.com.
Additional Posts from Your Writing Dept
- We’re on Twitter. Sure, us and everyone else, you say.
- InfoPorn: Presenting raw data with visually stimulating graphs
- How many spaces after a period? One or two?
- Newspapers are dying but there’s still a need for good journalism
- Tips for hiring an outsourced technical writing team to document your product or process
- Is there an error message for user manual failure?
- MS Office 2007 Hidden Treasure
We’re on Twitter. Sure, us and everyone else, you say.
May0
Your Writing Dept is finding Twitter to be a useful tool for posting information about our services as well as providing links to sites our followers might find helpful. Of course, everyone else seems to be on Twitter these days, so we are trying to find ways to actually have a meaningful social media presence. Please follow us and let us know what you want and what you don’t want from us. Follow us and we’ll follow you back. @YourWritingDept
Our current Twitter followers:
Your Writing Dept is a Sacramento-based writing firm that specializes in developing technical manuals and user guides. We’re the leaders in technical communications in Northern California. Email us for more information about our services at info@yourwritingdept.com.
Additional Posts from Your Writing Dept
- InfoPorn: Presenting raw data with visually stimulating graphs
- How many spaces after a period? One or two?
- Newspapers are dying but there’s still a need for good journalism
- Tips for hiring an outsourced technical writing team to document your product or process
- Is there an error message for user manual failure?
- MS Office 2007 Hidden Treasure
Dear British High Commission in Nigeria
May1
This just in:
========================
British High Commission
Dangote House
Aguyi Ironsi Street
Maitama District
Abuja
E-MAIL:fco.gov@presidency.com
Tel: +234 (7) 065 778 515
Fax: +234 (7) 032 950 067
Attention ,
The British High Commission in Nigeria, Benin Republic,Ghana and Burkina faso,South Africa,Togo,Senegal In collaboration with UK(London) Anti-Crime Squad received a report of scam against you and other British/US citizens and Malaysia,Etc.whom the country of Nigeria/Benin, Burkina faso, Ghana And UK(London)Anti-Crime Squad have recompensed you due to meeting held with Four countries Government and the world high commissions against fraud activities by the Four country Citizens.
Your name was among those scammed as listed by the Nigeria Financial Intelligent Unit (NFIU). A re compensation has been issued out in ATM DEBIT CARD to all the affected victims and has been already in distribution to all the bearers. Your ATM CARD was among those that was reported undelivered as at last Friday and we wish to advise you to see to the instructions of the Committee to make sure you receives your ATM CARD immediately for your usage.
NFIU further told us that the use of Nigeria Couriers and the Benin was abolished due to interception activities noticed in the above mentioned courier services in Benin,Nigeria and Ghana and thereby have made a concrete arrangement with the DHL Courier Company for a safe delivery to your door-step once the beneficiary meets up the demand of the conveyance.
We advise that you do the needful to make sure the NFIU dispatches your recompense on Friday. You are assured of the safety of your ATM CARD and availability and be advised that you should stop further contacts with all the fake lawyers and security companies who in collaboration scammed you.
Call me at: +234 (7) 065 778 515 ,immediately to check if the delivery date suits you.
You are advised to send also your direct mobile or telephone number for easier communication.
You are to contact directly the office of the Consular at:officefeedbackbhc@mail2uk.com
yours in Service,
Linda U Travis
Secretary to the Consular/Diplomat
BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONS ABUJA.
==================
We, of course, do not endorse the above email and have presented it here for entertainment purposes only.
Your Writing Dept is a Sacramento-based writing firm that specializes in developing technical manuals and user guides. We like to say that we can be your tech writing team, without the overhead. Email us for more information about our services at info@yourwritingdept.com.
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Pandemic, Epidemic or Outbreak? Use the correct word.
May0
News outlets should take some tips from good technical writing practices and tone down the sensational language used when reporting major news events. Whether distributing information in print, online or over the airwaves, the press should be mindful to use the right word to describe a news event. In the case of the recent spread of the swine flu, or H1N1 virus, many news agencies started applying the old newspaper adage, “If it bleeds, it leads,” to their coverage early in the news cycle.
Many news outlets started calling the spread of the swine flu a pandemic before it was classified as an actual pandemic by the World Health Organization. This was much like calling a stiff breeze a hurricane in order to grab the readers’ attention. Just as a stiff breeze must first go through several other classifications before becoming a class 5 hurricane. A spreading disease must first be classified as an outbreak, and then an epidemic before being classified as a pandemic.
Using the word pandemic in the early stages of the spread raises the emotional response beyond what it should be. The very word, “pandemic,” brings with it the hysteria of the Spanish Flu of 1918 that was responsible for millions of deaths world-wide.
I raised this word choice issue to a local news channel in Sacramento through their Twitter account @FOX40, but they took offense and called me a jerk for perhaps being over-zealous in raising this point with them. They went so far as to block my account. Oh well. I guess they would rather over-inflate a news event and use words that raise their viewers’ emotional level rather than accurately represent the event.
So, the takeaway from all of this is that using the wrong word just for the sake of attracting viewers or readers actually causes misinformation and does a disservice to the public.
Your Writing Dept is a Sacramento-based writing firm that specializes in developing technical manuals and user guides. We like to say that we can be your tech writing team, without the overhead. Email us for more information about our services at info@yourwritingdept.com.
Additional Posts from Your Writing Dept
Your Writing Dept Twitter
- YourWritingDept: Vandalism our Instructional Design writers may appreciate. Clap for Bacon was an add-on. http://fb.me/CvXRCqG2 September 1, 2010
- YourWritingDept: Our pet peeve...the apostrophe. Perhaps The Apostrophe Song can help explain when and when not to use it. http://fb.me/Gz9kaVKk September 1, 2010
- YourWritingDept: http://m.bnet.com/blog/ceo/the-7-habits-of-highly-innovative-people/5454 Now this seems more likely to motivate... http://fb.me/D23KxSCc August 29, 2010
- YourWritingDept: Too funny! This is the federal government's Plain Language site that discusses the use of humor in technical... http://fb.me/FbKLJnic August 23, 2010
- YourWritingDept: Cutting through corporate/political speak. This is a great site with definitions for the words and phrases we hear... http://fb.me/y7Ah4Jc7 August 21, 2010