KBuffer, India, is offering Online Diploma in Technical Writing through their virtual classroom. This is a Job-oriented course and we give you 100% Job Assistance.

We also offer training and certification on individual software tools such as Adobe FrameMaker, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Captivate, Adobe RoboHelp, and other such tools.

For further details mail to sundaram@kbuffer.in or gms@kbufferonline.com

As you likely noticed, TECHWR-L was unexpectedly offline
for a large chunk of yesterday and last night, as well
as a time last week as well. These outages were a result
of broader data problems in the metro area (and a temporary
lack of redundancy from our server host location). I believe
the issues have been resolved, and everything is back to
normal.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact me directly.

admin@techwr-l.com

Join us in welcoming WritersUA as a continuing TECHWR-L Gold-level Annual Sponsor:
http://www.writersua.com/

WritersUA (WinWriters) specializes in providing quality training and publications for the community of user assistance professionals. The world of user assistance comprises a variety of techniques and technologies to make working with software a better experience. This includes online Help, wizards, eLearning, information portals, printed documentation, and improvements to the application user interface. WritersUA customers represent a diverse group of technical writers, software developers, contractors, and consultants.

WritersUA is the premier source for world-class, world-wide user assistance conferences and seminars. The annual WritersUA Conference for Software User Assistance has attracted over eight thousand participants in the past sixteen years. The next event takes place March 29-April 1 in Seattle, Washington. http://www.writersua.com/ohc/

Welcome--and thanks to--WritersUA as a TECHWR-L Annual Sponsor! Annual sponsors provide key support for the variety of TECHWR-L services and features. For more information about sponsorships, please visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/abouttechwhirl/sponsorships.html

We're looking for the best blog/article/story posted to the TECHWR-L Web site (http://www.techwr-l.com/) about the value that TECHWR-L provides to you. Your postings don't need to be long, but should highlight the value that TECHWR-L (either the site or the mailing list) provides, and how you are more productive, less frustrated, happier, or otherwise better off because of TECHWR-L.

Someone will be selected from the contributors to receive a free pass to attend DocTrain East 2008, including pre- and post-conference workshops, free.

The theme of the 10th Annual Documentation & Training East Conference is Producing Quality Content. The event includes a special focus on both software documentation project best practices and translation and localization issues. Companies that practice what they preach will be showcased. Registration includes access to 2 days of hands-on software training workshopschoose from Adobe Technical Communication Suite, MadCap Software, Author-it, and XMetaL at no additional cost!

Find more information about the conference at: http://www.doctrain.com/east

If you want to be in the running to win a free pass to DocTrain East 2008, submit your blurb now. Additionally tell your friends, and they'll get a chance too, assuming they have their own TECHWR-L stories, of course.

Start at http://www.techwr-l.com/, log in, then to go My TECHWR-L, Post New Content, and have fun!

The TECHWR-L Daily Announcements provide subscribers with current updates from the TECHWR-L Site, including recent stories, blogs, and polls posted, upcoming events from the calendar, and current classified ads. This daily posting, in HTML format, reaches nearly 1000 direct subscribers.

You can see a sample of the current posting at:
http://www.techwr-l.com/daily/

To subscribe, visit:
http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/listinfo/techwr-l-daily-announce

MadCap Software, a renewing Gold-level TECHWR-L Sponsor, provides an integrated suite of tools for content authoring, single-sourcing, and multi-channel publishing. As a Gold sponsor, MadCap Software is instrumental in providing you with TECHWR-L.

MadCap Software, headquartered in San Diego, CA, and including the former developers of RoboHelp, is just a new name for a group of familiar faces that have been leading the technical writing community for over a decade.

The MadCap team leverages years of experience in the content
authoring and publishing industries to focus on providing a full
work-flow solution - not just a collection of tools. From the reuse of your legacy content in various formats, to the creation of new content, to the use of modern media assets, to a powerful publishing system, MadCap Software provides end-to-end content development, delivery and management tools to support those needs.

MadCap Software has developed the only documentation architecture that treats all documentation processes-authoring and publishing of text and multimedia, collaboration, analysis, and translation and localization-as a single workflow. It is the only documentation suite that is based on a native XML architecture. As a result, the reusability and integration associated with leading-edge software development has been translated
into first-of-its-kind reusability and integration in documentation. It is this architecture that allows MadCap's software to support the single-source, multi-channel content publishing needs of today's documentation professionals, who must communicate across the Internet, private intranets, CDs, and print and more-in readers' languages of choice.

Already thousands of companies are customers of MadCap's native XML software.

Sponsors like Madcap Software provide the support that keeps TECHWR-L going, and we greatly appreciate them! Please support them in any way that you can.

by Eric J. Ray

Webmaster note, April 2008: We've republished this 1996 article on request from a researcher (and long time TECHWR-L member) to offer some history and perspective about the TECHWR-L list.

It's fascinating how many things haven't changed.

Feel free to add comments to this article that offer more recent TECHWR-L perspectives. And, feel free to comment onlist about what's stayed the same and what's changed over the years. Again, Happy Birthday #15, TECHWR-L!

Until Spring 1993, technical communicators had few Internet resources of their own. They could find common ground in forums oriented toward specific word processing programs and other tools of the trade, but they had no place to discuss profession-specific, rather than tool-specific, issues.

TECHWR-L was founded that spring, and the growth, development, and response to the list has been remarkable. Most significant, however, is the effect that TECHWR-L has had on individual technical communicators worldwide. Looking ahead, the Internet can and should be used to provide more focused and comprehensive resources to technical communicators in the future.

Information Mapping, Inc. (www.infomap.com) is returning as a Gold-level TECHWR-L Sponsor. Based on a field-proven method, Information Mapping helps individuals and leading organizations create clear, well-organized business and technical communications through public and private classroom and online workshops, e-workshops, and consulting services.

A tool recently developed by Information Mapping, Content Mapper™ for DITA, makes it simple for anyone to create DITA content in Microsoft® Word without using XML tags. Content Mapper for DITA can be purchased as a stand-alone application or installed as an integrated, server-based solution with support for the most popular CMS repositories.

Sponsors like Information Mapping, Inc. provide the support that keeps TECHWR-L going, and we greatly appreciate them! Please support Information Mapping in any way that you can.

www.infomap.com

Join us in welcoming Malaspina University-College as a returning TECHWR-L Silver-level Sponsor. Find Malaspina University-College at http://www.pr.mala.ca/techcomm.htm.

Malaspina University-College, with its main campus in beautiful Nanaimo, British Columbia runs a two-year part-time certificate program in Technical Communication conducted completely online.

This online program is geared toward working professionals looking to transition into technical writing. It also offers opportunities for individuals to take individual online courses as professional development. Learn how to use specific software commonly-used by technical communicators, such as: Adobe FrameMaker, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe InDesign, Adobe RoboHelp, Adobe Photoshop, or delve into Software User Assistance, Help Authoring Tools, or XML/HTML Basics.

Writing courses in the program include: Writing Manuals, Copywriting Essentials, and Writing Reports and Proposals.

“…I’m just finishing the Technical Communication program and it has been a wonderful experience. The instructors are “out there” in the real world working as technical communicators. It is plain to see that they have worked hard on the lecture materials to make the topics easy to digest but still current. And the caring attitude that they bring to the discussion forums makes it easy for even the shyest people to ask questions or state opinions.” Technical Communication Certificate Program Graduate Dr. Robert R.W. Hodgins

Welcome – and thanks to – Malaspina University-college as a returning TECHWR-L Silver Sponsor!

With the 15th Anniversary of TECHWR-L rapidly closing in on us, it seems like a great time to look back and see where we've been. It'd be great to see TECHWR-L postings or blog entries about the most valuable lessons you've learned from TECHWR-L over the years. Any takers?

Assuming you're logged into the site, post your stories directly at
http://www.techwr-l.com/createcontent