It is ebay or eBay or Ebay? How Technical Writers use capitalization in user guides creates many problems for editors, reviewers, and users. Part of the problem is a lack of guidelines and style guides. What you think looks fine break some style guide rule you were unaware of. The Capitalization of Microsoft A good […]
User Guide vs User Manual – which one is Right?
Let’s say you’re setting up a new Tech Docs Dept. You need to create new guidelines, style guides and naming conventions. Should you call the user ‘documents’ User Guides or User Manuals? Which one is Right? I was asked this question by a colleague in India who is setting up a Technical Publishing Dept in […]
How to Study Technical Writing Online
The University of Limerick, Ireland offers an excellent online course for those who want to study technical writing at home. This university has a pretty amazing campus, specializes in the Arts and provides a conveyor belt of freshly-minted technical writers to Microsoft, Google and IBM in Ireland. It’s one of the few universities in Europe […]
5 Alternative Careers for Technical Writers
Many IT professionals, technical writers included, have seen their salaries frozen or reduced over the past 18 months. Contractors are suffering the same fate as short-term projects dry up. However, several of my colleagues have managed to move out of technical writing and into other, better paid lines of work. Here’s a roundup. How to […]