Re: Future Tech Writer with Software Questions

[Chris Morton <salt -dot- morton -at- gmail -dot- com>]

Oh, and as for a user manual, J River Media Center (jriver{*dot*}com)
really could use one. But I'm not going to write it for free.       > Chris

On Fri, Jun 26, 2015 at 2:11 PM, Chris Morton <salt -dot- morton -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:

> Each Adobe product has a corresponding *Classroom In a Book*, complete
> with a set of exercises on a disc. So... get the free 30-day trial of
> each product (one at a time, whatever) and use the corresponding CIB. The
> CIBs can be acquired at a discount because of your student status. See
> academicsuperstore{dot}com.
>
> First, become an expert in MS Word. Know everything there is to know about
> creating, using, and (most importantly) fixing styles. Learn all you can
> about Word's replaceable variables. The bulk of my work today
> is reworking user manuals that were incorrectly formatted from the get-go.
> Ping me and I'll tell you more. Related to that, know how to take a user
> manual from PDF to Word and back again, discovering all of
> the pitfalls along the way.
>
> You might also have a look at Safari Books Online. I forget what an annual
> subscription runs, but this may be a great source for you.
>
> As for HTML, check out w3c.org. It's chock full of free resources,
> including tutorials. Along with HTML, you'll want to have a basic
> understanding of cascading style sheets (CSS) and JavaScript.
> Just knowing where to find sample code you can borrow online, and how to
> use it, will serve you well.
>
> As I recall, Madcap Software also has a slew of free online tutorials;
> know what Flare (and ancillary products) are.
>
> Explore the free online tool, GIMP. Learn about SnagIt or a similar tool
> (I use the free Greenshot).
>
> Most of all, take a good, generic business communications course. Learn
> how to write succinctly, using common, easy-to-parse English, to a business
> audience. And know about all of style guides in use today
> (Chicago Manual of Style, Associated Press, Microsoft Manual of Style, et
> al.). Learn to view everything you're tasked to write from *the reader's
> perspective*. And learn how to take the original verbiage, often written
> by engineers (no offense, anyone) and rewrite it (see *common,
> easy-to-parse English*). Read grammar books, such as those by Steven
> Pinker.
>
> > Chris
>
> On Fri, Jun 26, 2015 at 10:11 AM, Laura Phillips <
> laurap -at- pluribusnetworks -dot- com> wrote:
>
>> My personal favorites for learning anything are the Head First books. The
>> one on HTML is very good, and I learned enough about PHP and MySQL to write
>> a successful application for my previous company.
>>
>> Also, check out EdX, online training from Harvard, MIT, etc. and itâs
>> mostly free!
>>
>> Laura
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 6/25/15, 4:20 PM, "Craig Lashley" <techwr-l-bounces+laurap=
>> pluribusnetworks -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com on behalf of
>> clashley -at- mail -dot- usf -dot- edu> wrote:
>>
>> >Hello,
>> >
>> >I am currently in school for Technical Communication and will be
>> graduating
>> >next Spring. I've been trying to determine what types of software would
>> be
>> >best to purchase while I can still get a student discount. I saw a post
>> >about Adobe Tech Comm Suite a few days ago. I also see Frame Maker and
>> Dita
>> >a lot white doing tech comm searches. Are these worth buying as an
>> >individual? I've been told several times to learn HTML. I have a basic
>> >understanding for coding such as Java and C++. Is there a legit way to
>> get
>> >certified HTML to show a future employer? I've done many walk through
>> >tutorials on Youtube, and have a basic concept and understanding of
>> HTML. I
>> >feel for a future job having some sort of tangible documentation proving
>> >that would benefit me. Are there other certifications outside of a
>> college
>> >degree I should look into? There appears to be a large amount of webpages
>> >saying they offer certificates, but which ones actually carry weight? I
>> am
>> >working on determining what I could be doing outside of going to class to
>> >help me really have an upper hand as far as employment in technical
>> >writing.
>> >
>> >Thanks,
>> >
>> >Craig
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>
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