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Devil Mountain Views
Newsletter of the East Bay Chapter of STC
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EBSTC
Supporting technical communication in the
San Francisco Bay Area since 1962
November / December 2010
Election 2011. Have you ever wanted to play a more active
role in the chapter? Perhaps, even hold a leadership position?
Now is your chance. Soon the chapter will be electing
candidates for the next term. Positions for next year are:
President
President-Elect
Treasurer
VP of Programs
VP of Arrangements
Secretary
See Election Notice for description of each position and
statements from candidates who have announced.
President's Message
Editor's Message
Your EBSTC Officers
Meeting Information
Networking
New and Senior
Members
Award of Merit
2008— 2009
STC
International
Newsletter
Competition
Anyone who is interested in running should contact Richard
Mateosian at [email protected].
STC Conference in Sacramento: For more information about
the Summit in May, 2011, read Adrienne and Melody's article,
Go West, Young Man or Woman.
Membership Update: Currently we have 49 members -- no
new members since September. We urge you to join us, the
friendly chapter.
Just added: Join or renew your STC membership by January
20 with us and get a chance to win free entrance to the STC
Summit in May 2011. Find details soon on the EBSTC Web
site.
Technical Writers in an Agile Environment
Lori Cooke, an East Bay STC member, writes about how technical
communicators can be involved in Agile methodology.
Write on Time: How to Network at a Conference
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Devil Mountain Views
EBSTC Senior Member Melody Brumis and co-owner of Write on Time
Solutions gives tips and pointers on how to make those important
connections at a conference.
Grammar School: Participles
Meredy Amyx, recently retired from Cisco Systems, continues her series
of grammatical articles started in the May / June issue of Devil Mountain
Views, this time discussing dangling participles.
What Every Business Can Learn from a Haynes Manual
Ellis Pratt, director of sales and marketing of a company in England,
draws lessons from the focus and clarity of a popular automobile repair
manual that can apply to any business that wants effective communication.
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Technical Writers in an Agile Environment
November / December 2010 | DMV Home
Technical Writers in an Agile
Environment
by Lori Cooke
STC Member
Lori Cooke has been a technical writer and is an active East Bay STC
member. She has created technical documents, marketing materials, and
articles for the Associated Press and several newspapers. Currently, she
is seeking employment as a technical writer. In the meantime, she’s
writing articles for the Devil Mountain Views and acting as Hospitality
Manager for the East Bay STC.
In the ongoing effort to move software products out the door on time,
without missing market windows, going over budget, and losing time and
manpower on product changes, more and more companies are turning to
the Agile methodology.
What Is the Agile Methodology?
Agile includes a number of features, many of them in use for some years
in software development. Agile development methods include SCRUM,
Crystal, Extreme Programming, Dynamic System Development Method,
and Feature Driven Development.
Projects and Releases
In Agile projects, companies break large projects into smaller projects,
delivering code to users frequently. Project teams work together from the
beginning, and all departments that contribute to the final product are
involved throughout the delivery cycle.
The team works together on features that are delivered in the order of
business value. The team’s focus is to stay aligned with evolving market
needs. Software is developed and delivered in short, frequent releases.
Release time may average 10 or 12 weeks, and a release comprises
several sprints.
Sprints
A sprint is a period of software development focused on a given list of
goals. Each sprint is typically a 2- to 4-week period, during which the
team creates a potentially shippable product (for example, working and
tested software). The set of features that go into a sprint comes from the
product “backlog,” a prioritized set of requirements of work to be done.
During the sprint planning meeting, the project team determines which
backlog items go into the sprint, and the product owner tells the team
which items in the product backlog should be completed. The team then
decides how much they can complete during the sprint.
No one is allowed to change the sprint backlog, which means that the
requirements are frozen for that sprint. The sprint must end on time. If
requirements are not completed for any reason, they are left out of the
release and returned to the product backlog. The focus is an endless
feedback cycle, where the development team can react to customer
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Technical Writers in an Agile Environment
needs and market changes, releasing frequent software updates in
response to, and in time for, market needs.
How Are Technical Writers Technical writers are part of the development team, and are involved
from the beginning of product planning.
Involved in the Agile
Methodology? They make sure that the documentation development
timeline is factored into the product release.
Technical writers are included in the sprint planning meeting, where team
members commit to the deliverables. During product development, all
members of the product team sit and work together, developing code,
writing documentation and online help, testing, providing support,
interacting with customers, and providing quality assurance.
As part of this early involvement, writers can make sure that the
documentation is considered part of the product, and that the
documentation development timeline is factored into the product release.
They work with Development and Support to solve
problems.
Technical writers attend stand-up meetings, which are short, daily
meetings, ideally held standing up to keep attendees focused on the
meeting agenda and hold meeting time to a minimum. The writers’
involvement means that they receive advanced notice of new features,
patch releases, and changing deadlines. And it’s a way to let the rest of
the development team know what the writers are working on.
Often, development and documentation are working on the same
problems at the same time. In an Agile environment, development,
support, and documentation work together to solve problems.
They test new features and provide feedback to
developers from the end-user’s perspective.
Technical writers act as testers. They are often the first end users to try
a new feature. They play with the products and report programming
quirks to the developers. This feedback benefits both developers and
writers as code is changed and the change is documented.
When documenting a new feature, writers need to evaluate the enduser’s experience while describing how to use the software. Does it
actually work the way it is supposed to? The writers’ feedback as a user
is valuable. Often, writers are the first end users to use the software, and
so they frequently have more of a big-picture and procedure-oriented
view than the developers who wrote the code.
They respond to customer comments.
Customers are part of the Agile process. They often put very useful
comments on the documentation pages, which technical writers can
incorporate into the page. Writers respond to comments and requests
from customers, developers, support staff, and anyone else. Comments
may come through email, phone, or comments on the documentation
pages. If the comment is about the documents, writers deal with it. If
not, they pass it on to the support team.
They write the documentation, have it reviewed, and
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Technical Writers in an Agile Environment
publish it as quickly as possible.
When developers change the code, they make sure that the
documentation is also updated. They monitor changes made by other
people, making sure that relevant changes are cycled into the
documentation. They must apply the principle of iterative development to
the documentation, just as developers apply it to the software. They
contribute to the QA and testing process, and update the documents to
reflect resulting code changes.
How Does Agile Work in Practice?
Teresa Oliver-Merrill, Information Architect at Juniper Networks, has been
working with Agile for almost a year. She says that it is important to set
realistic expectations from the beginning of the development project,
“otherwise you end up working in circles.” She says technical writers
must set the expectations for the documentation, which involves setting
guidelines, defining the topics to include in the documentation, and
building the help roster.
Developers are receptive to feedback from the writers, she says, and
even ask for feedback. And customers participate in the process as it
goes along, since they are willing to work with a development team to
get a feature that they want.
Writers do work with the code, she says, and react when the interface
changes. And the development team sits together, and everyone attends
daily stand-up meetings.
One adjustment to Agile she mentioned is that developers do not have
traditional specs at the beginning of the project. Agile methods are
sometimes referred to as “lightweight” software development, and
developers have “light” specs at the beginning of development.
But she, and other technical writers who are shifting to the Agile
methodology, find it an improvement over previous waterfall methods of
developing software, and look forward to using it as it evolves.
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Write on Time: How to Network at a Conference
November / December 2010 | DMV Home
Write on Time: How to Network at a
Conference
by Melody Brumis
EBSTC Senior Member
Melody Brumis has been a contract writer and active East Bay STC
member. Recently, she embarked on the adventure of starting a small
business with her friend, Adrienne Tange. Write on Time Solutions, LLC
is a technical writing company that creates clear, concise, and accurate
technical documentation or Web content — always on time and on
budget.
This week Adrienne Tange, my business partner, and I attended the
GovLink Conference in Sacramento. This conference is great for learning
all about government contracts. While there, I learned tips for networking
at a conference that I’d like to share with you.
Before the Conference 1. Set goals for what you want from the conference. In my case, I
wanted to walk out with six hot prospects. (A prospect is someone who
needs what you do and needs it now.)
2. Prepare your collateral (business cards, a one-pager about your
business, and Web site to show your wares). Adrienne had created a
one-pager that emphasized the training we had completed for PG&E’s
SmartMeter™ project. It was a good sales piece, since it demonstrated
our design abilities and marketing writing.
3. Dress for success. While this may be obvious, you need to make sure
your business attire is clean, pressed, and ready to go.
4. Research the companies and government agencies that you want to
target. For this conference, we wanted to talk with Sacramento Municipal
Utility District (SMUD) because we know they are deploying a high-tech
meter similar to PG&E’s SmartMeter™. We met with a SMUD
representative, who said we had to register first as a SMUD vendor.
While training is not required now, he said that a request could come in
at any time.
During the Conference After the Conference 5. Work the room. Everyone has their own way of working a room. At
this conference, I noticed that attendees helped one another by making
introductions. I also found this article personally helpful: 8 Great
Strategies for Working Any Room.
6. Review your goals and celebrate your accomplishments. I landed
exactly six hot prospects. Adrienne may have more. In the future, we’ll
share our goals before and after the conference.
7. Follow up with your prospects. A simple e-mail, reminding them who
you are and what you do, can make a world of difference. As one
GovLink panelist said, “Relationships are everything,” and this is your
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Write on Time: How to Network at a Conference
chance to start one.
In conclusion, follow these tips for networking success at your next
conference. The timing is right because the STC National Conference is
coming to Sacramento in May. You’ll be hearing more about Technical
Communication Summit ’11 in future issues of Devil Mountain Views,
Intercom, and the Conference Blog. I know because Adrienne and I are
heading up the publicity effort. We look forward to networking with you
there.
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Grammar School: Participles
Grammar School: Participles
November / December 2010 | DMV Home
by Meredy Amyx
Meredy is a recent retiree from a thirty-year career as an editor, the last
decade of it in technical documentation at Cisco Systems. She currently
freelances (http://meredyamyx.com) part time and is still in love with
grammar.
Introduction
Let’s talk about participles. What are they and why do they dangle, and
what’s so terrible if they do?
One reason for talking about them is that “dangling participle” seems to
be one of the few grammatical errors that most people can name, maybe
because it sounds slightly comical. Even if they can’t tell you what it is,
they’ve heard of it.
A better reason is that dangling participles are one of the most common
errors people make in writing. Amateurs and pros alike trip over those
tangling dangling participles. So if we can learn to spot them and dodge
the traps, we can make a significant improvement in our writing.
Participles We get two participles with every verb: present and past.
The present participle is nothing but the root (that is, the infinitive, with
necessary adjustments for -e endings and double letters) plus ing:
working; thinking; writing; compelling; going. As a verb form this is used
to express the continuing present.
The past participle is the form we use with “have” or “had”: the -ed form
in regular verbs (worked, compelled) and the always interesting irregular
ones that we just have to learn one by one (thought, written, gone).
Besides forming certain tenses of verbs, the participles are handy for
making nouns and adjectives out of verbs. Participles have so many
marvelous uses and subtle, complex features that it is a wonder they
don’t have songs of praise written about them. But because they’re
inclined to be tricky, they can trip us up.
Verbs as Adjectives When can we use a verb as an adjective? When we’ve changed its form
so that it can describe or modify something. The form that does that is
the participle:
PRESENT PARTICIPLE: a working model, a compelling
argument, an operating system
PAST PARTICIPLE: an ordered list, a written outline, a
dropped connection
Nothing dangling here yet. Each participle is safely bound by proximity to
the noun it modifies.
Danglers When we get into trouble with the participles is when something
separates them from the noun they’re supposed to modify so that they
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Grammar School: Participles
get attached to the wrong noun because it’s closer—or worse, when the
noun isn’t there at all. This is most likely to happen when the participle
occurs at the beginning of a sentence, introducing a phrase that
precedes the main clause (the part of the sentence that can stand on its
own). The classic dangling participle occurs in a sentence with this
syntax:
<participial phrase>
, <main-clause subject> <main-clause verb>.
The problem that crops up here is a problem of relationship, just as we
discussed in the introductory article. There is nothing wrong with this
syntax; these examples are all incorrect because of the relationship of
the participial phrase to the noun that is the subject of the main clause:
1. Waiting in the queue, the processor routes each
message according to its priority.
2. Switching to standby mode, the power indicator turns
amber.
3. Left to fend for himself after school, the mother worried
about her young son.
4. Swollen from the bee stings, the doctor prescribed
antihistamine.
In every case, the closest noun eligible for modifying is the first thing that
follows the comma—the first noun in the main clause. So what we have
here is
1. a processor that is waiting in the queue, instead of a
message
2. a power indicator that is switching to standby mode,
instead of whatever is supposed to do the switching (a
system?)
3. a mother who is left to fend for himself after school,
instead of a child—and note that the reflexive pronoun
“himself” is also the wrong gender for “mother”
4. a doctor who is swollen from bee stings, instead of
whoever is being treated (a patient?)
Sometimes the dangling participle produces a sentence that just sounds
absurd, even if we can puzzle out what the writer really meant. And
sometimes there is no way to figure out the meaning from the
information given. Either way, the sentence fails to communicate clearly.
Detection and Correction The way to spot the most common dangling participles is to pause
whenever you see this construction—a sentence that begins with a
present or past participle in a phrase followed by the main clause—and
ask: does this phrase modify the nearest noun—the subject of the
sentence? Look for the noun right after the comma, or the place where
the comma should be.
If it doesn’t, the result is somewhere between unintelligible and
ridiculous. And that’s what is wrong with it. The sentence hasn’t done its
job properly, and doing its job is its whole reason for existence.
The solution for a dangling participle is always going to be to reword.
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Grammar School: Participles
Sometimes we just have to rearrange the pieces. Sometimes we have to
go and fetch an element or a piece of information that isn’t there at all.
Sometimes we have to rebuild without using a participle or a participial
phrase. Retest the sentence: do we know what every participle modifies,
and is it the right thing? If so, no more dangling.
Copyright © 2010 Meredy Amyx.
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What Every Business Can Learn from a Haynes Manual
November / December 2010 | DMV Home
What Every Business Can Learn from
a Haynes Manual
by Ellis Pratt
Sales and Marketing Director for Cherryleaf near London,
United Kingdom
Ellis Pratt's company writes straightforward user information
and also has specialist recruitment and training divisions.
“I've realized that I enjoy explaining things to people,” says
Pratt. “It’s the part of sales and marketing that I love the
most. Having said that, I'm not a technical writer, and I'm
usually kept away from the delivery side of the business.”
The closing keynote presentation of Technical Communication UK 2010
was delivered by J. Haynes, chairman of the Haynes Publishing Group,
which publishes automotive manuals. Haynes’ presentation contained
advice that is useful not only to the writers who create manuals but also
to organizations that want to communicate information. Haynes went
through the 50-year history of his company, and explained the reason
for the company’s successes and failures.
“Whatever the subject, all Haynes manuals are ‘hands on’ and are based
on the founding principle on which the first manual was created: We do
the work, we take the photographs, we create the notes, and we tell the
truth about how hard or easy a task is. It is the clarity and honesty of
this simple methodology, created to help anyone interested in
undertaking a practical challenge, that has made Haynes an iconic brand
trusted by millions.”
He also explained why many professional mechanics choose a Haynes
manual over the manufacturers’ guides:
They are consistent in their structure. Because all manuals are
structured the same way, people know where to look for a
particular piece of information.
They are consistent in the use of symbols and diagrams. A wiring
diagram for a Ford uses the same symbols as the wiring diagram
for a Volkswagen.
Because there are no common publishing standards for manufacturers’
service manuals, it is difficult for mechanics to move from one type of car
to the next unless they use a Haynes manual.
This recipe for success—clarity, honesty, search ability, and consistency
—is surely not only true for car manuals, but also for any business
looking to communicate effectively.
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What Every Business Can Learn from a Haynes Manual
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President's Message
President's Message
November / December 2010 | DMV Home
by Adrienne Tange
EBSTC president and
co-owner of Write on Time Solutions, LLC .
Hello , everyone,
Four Ways a Technical
Writing Project Can Be
Like a Haunted House
October is my favorite month. I don't know if I enjoy it because I have a
birthday in October (actually, almost my entire family celebrates birthdays
this month) or because I enjoy scary things, like haunted houses and
ghosts. Whatever the case, this month never seems to last long enough
for me. So to get you in the right mood this month, I have provided you
with a little "treat."
The Dark and Spooky
Some contracts make you feel like you are working in the dark or at least
by very dim candlelight. Subject-matter experts do not cooperate or your
client is never available to explain project developments. You just get this
feeling you are so low down in the leadership hierarchy that you are the
last to hear important information. Scary!
Skeletons in the Closet
You start the project with high hopes and enthusiasm, but little by little
you start hearing little bits of information from coworkers that make you
uneasy. Information like the project is way over budget or you are the
sixth writer on the team because the others quit. These "skeletons in the
closet" can make the hair on the back of your neck rise in warning that
you are now part of the Project from Hell.
A Frankenstein Monster in the Basement
Have you ever documented something that you soon realize was created
like Frankenstein, slapped together quickly and haphazardly? As technical
communicators, we are often the ones who find out the deepest, darkest
secrets of the products that we document: software crawling with bugs or
loaded with windows and screens that go nowhere. Because we are brave
souls (or we need the money), we trudge forward and try to paint a picture
of Frank that makes him look as good as possible.
Ghosts in the Attic
Some projects are haunted by ghosts. In my case, a client had been
burned by a writer in the past and no longer trusted contractors. To put
this ghost to rest, I had to assure my client through my actions and output
that I was a trustworthy and experienced contractor.
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President's Message
Chapter News Chapter Elections
Have you ever wanted to play a more active role in the chapter? Perhaps,
even hold a leadership position? Now is your chance. Soon the chapter
will be electing candidates for the next term. Officer positions are
President, President-Elect, Treasurer, VP of Programs, VP of
Arrangements, and Secretary. While some have announced their
candicacy, we welcome your participation. For officer description and
candidate statements, see Election Notice.
We will email out ballots December 1. Please fill out and email them back
to me at [email protected] by December 31, or bring in a paper
ballot at the January 6 meeting.
Anyone who is interested in running should contact Richard Mateosian at
[email protected].
STC Conference
For those of you who have always wanted to attend an STC Conference,
but could not afford the airline ticket, hotel, and conference expenses, I
have good news for you. Next year's STC conference will be held at the
Sacramento Convention Center May 15-18.
Registration starts on December 1, 2010. The first 100 registrants receive
the Really Early Bird rate of $745. After those 100 registrations (or 31
December, whichever comes first) the price increases.
For more information, go to http://summit.stc.org/. Also, read the article
(http://ebstc.org/events/STC_Summit_2011/GoWestSummitArticle_AT.doc)
Melody and I wrote about the Summit. This is the perfect opportunity for
all of us who live in Northern California to attend a great conference at a
reduced price.
As always, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, I'd love
to hear from you. Email me at [email protected].
I hope I will see you at our October meeting.
Regards,
Adrienne Tange
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Editor's Message
Editor's Message
November / December 2010 | DMV Home
by Alliene Turner
Alliene is an EBSTC Senior Member and long-time East
Bay resident. She also runs an online bookstore,
http://turnerbookstore.com.
Fall: The season that starts the fast, downhill slide to the New Year. Here
is this edition's lineup of articles.
Lori Cooke, STC member, writes about the Agile
methodology and what technical writers can expect and
contribute when working in Agile environments.
Melody Brumis, co-owner of Write on Time with Adrienne
Tange, writes a regular DMV column about tips that she and
Adrienne have learned as new business owners. In this
edition, Melody shares tips on networking at conferences.
Meredy Amyx, an editor and guest contributor, submits the
third in a series of articles about grammar. Her contribution
for this edition covers dangling participles.
Ellis Pratt, a previous guest contributor, offers an article
about Haynes manuals, considered by some to be the
epitome of car repair manuals.
Thanks to Joe Humbert, who published these contributions in our awardwinning newsletter format, and to Susan Moxley for her deft editing of the
articles.
Next DMV deadline for the Jan/Feb 2011 issue is December 2, 2010. Send
your articles or ideas for articles to me at [email protected].
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Chapter Meeting Information
Chapter Meeting Information
November / December 2010 | DMV
Home
Upcoming Meetings
Attending meetings is a great way to learn new things and connect with
technical writers around the East Bay.
East Bay programs are usually held at Crow Canyon Country Club in San
Ramon. For details on meeting location and reservations, see the
meetings page on the chapter Web site.
November 4 , 2010
"A Workshop: Re-inventing Yourself for the
New Economy"
With the present California economy, there is now fierce
competition for jobs. Job-seekers must present a crisp
resume, an outstanding portfolio, and demonstrate they are
the right candidate for the job or contract. Where can you get
a “makeover” to help you outshine the competition?
At our November meeting, we will provide resume and
portfolio counseling and a panel discussion from four
agencies*. Representatives will not only talk about current
jobs but also discuss:
what employers are looking for in successful
candidates
what skills or experiences are most in demand
the perceived trend in the job market
Representatives will be available before and after the
dinner/panel discussion to talk one-on-one with you.
Have a job already? How secure is it? Come to our
workshop and prepare yourself for the future.
* These agencies have confirmed that they will attend:
Tech Prose
Oak Hill (Andrew Davis)
COMSYS (a Manpower Company)
Sterling Consulting
December 2 , 2010
"Holiday Party"
Get a jump on the holiday season and join the fun at East
Bay STC's holiday party. There will be games. There will be
prizes. There will be a book exchange. There will be gaiety.
There will be camaraderie. Five good reason to come. But
wait. There's more.
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Chapter Meeting Information
This year, we invite you to bring a short piece of fiction to
read aloud — a chance to show your creative side to your
colleagues. We did this many years ago with raving
success.
Fiction-sharing: Please email Gwaltney Mountford
([email protected]) if you plan to read one of your
short (5 - 10 minutes) pieces of fiction. It will help her
determine the amount of time available for games.
Book Exchange (optional): Wrap up and bring a favorite
“gently used” or new hardbound or quality paperback book,
fiction or non-fiction. The exchange happens as part of a
game — which created a great deal of hilarity last year.
So bring your book or bring your fiction (or both or neither),
and bring a friend (or not), but definitely bring yourself!
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Networking
Networking
November / December 2010 | DMV
Home
Northern California STC Chapters
East Bay STC Network (Yahoo! Groups)
East Bay STC Linkedin Group
East Bay STC Facebook
Professional Development SIG
Northern California
STC Chapters
There are six active Northern California STC chapters. Each
chapter meets on a different Wednesday or Thursday so you can
attend all the meetings. Contact the respective presidents for more
information or visit the chapter Web site.
Wednesdays
Chapter
President
Week 2
Berkeley
Richard Mateosian
Week 3
San Francisco
Gilbert Gonzalez
Thursdays
Chapter
President
Week 1
East Bay
Adrienne Tange
Week 2
Sacramento
Prescott Williams
Week 3
North Bay
Chris Muntzer / Michael Meyer
Week 4
Silicon Valley
DJ Cline
Connect with your fellow East Bay members by joining
this Yahoo! Groups network.
East Bay STC Network
Voice your opinions and your ideas for making this
Chapter more responsive to your needs. The more
members who sign up the greater our network will be,
the better our Chapter will be.
For more information and to join, click East Bay STC
Network.
East Bay STC Linkedin
Connect with your fellow East Bay members by joining this Linkedin group.
News and announcements can be posted and shared here. Find the group
at
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1996708
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Networking
Connect with your fellow East Bay members on Facebook.
East Bay STC
Facebook Page
Connect with this page and join:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?
gid=121062021259929
Professional
Development SIG
The EBSTC Professional Development SIG supports and encourages our
personal evolutions as we transform ourselves to remain marketable.
Monthly Meetings
Generally, we meet two weeks after our chapter meeting.
What
EBSTC Professional Development SIG meeting
When
Third Thursday of the month at 11:45 A.M.
Where
Willow Tree Restaurant, 6513 Regional Street, Dublin,
925-838-9111
DMV Home | EBSTC Home | STC | Contact Us
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New and Senior Members
November / December 2010 | DMV Home
Congratulations to Our New
and Senior Members
Welcome to our new, transfer, and reinstated members! We hope to see
you at our next chapter meeting.
No new members since September
We honor those members who have become Senior Members this year.
Senior Members have been STC members for five years.
None so far this year.
Currently we have 49 members.
DMV Home | EBSTC Home | STC | Contact Us
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About Devil Mountain Views
November / December 2010 | DMV Home
STC Information
About Devil Mountain Views
Creating and supporting a forum for communities of practice in the
profession of technical communication.
For information about STC, go to the Society's Web page.
9401 Lee Highway Suite 300
Fairfax, VA 22031
703-522-4114
[email protected]
DMV Basics
The East Bay Chapter newsletter is named after a local landmark, Mount
Diablo, in Northern California. With a few exceptions, all distances in
California are measured from that point, called the Mount Diablo Meridian.
The East Bay Chapter serves the cities along the 680 corridor and the
east/west part of 580. City-wise it's Vallejo to Pleasanton, Tracy to
Oakland and Fremont. We have members from each of those places.
PUBLICATION POLICY
We are always interested in sharing technical communication trends and
information with our readers. For details, contact the Managing Editor.
PUBLICATION SCHEDULE
Devil Mountain Views is published bimonthly, five times a year (January,
March, May, September, November) with occasional e-news.
ARTICLE SUBMISSION DEADLINES
Jan/Feb 2010 issue — December 2, 2009
Mar/Apr 2010 issue — February 2, 2010
May/Jun 2010 issue — April 2, 2010
No July/August issue
Sept/Oct 2010 issue — August 2, 2010
Nov/Dec 2010 issue — October 2, 2010
WRITER'S TEMPLATE
If you are submitting an article, please download our template to use as a
guideline for writing your article.
REPRINT POLICY
Articles may be reprinted provided credit is given to Devil Mountain Views
and the author, and a link to the article is sent to the Managing Editor. If
the newsletter is printed, please send two copies to the mailing address
listed below.
MAILING ADDRESS
Joe Humbert, 7001 Sunkist Drive, Oakland CA 94605
Advertising Policy
These companies have generously sponsored this newsletter.
*YOUR AD HERE*
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About Devil Mountain Views
Devil Mountain Views is seeking advertisers for this issue or future
issues!
Product Types: Only advertisements for products or services related to
technical communication can be placed on the EBSTC Web site and Devil
Mountain Views.
Format: Ads must be in either GIF or JPG format.
Dimensions & Rates: The following rates are valid for one month on the
EBSTC Web site or one issue of the newsletter.
336
468
160
120
X
X
X
X
280 = $150
60 = $120
155 = $80
60 = $50
Ad Location: The EBSTC webmaster and the managing editor determine
the appropriate ad placement. Ads may be placed on any page in the Web
site or newsletter or on a sponsors page. Ads will be included in the
"Printer Friendly" version of the newsletter.
Payment: Payment must be received by the East Bay Chapter treasurer
before the ad is run. Payment can be made by check.
Inquiries: If you have questions or want to start your ad, please contact
the Managing Editor.
Copyright Statement
This newsletter invites writers to submit articles that they wish to be
considered for publication. Note: By submitting an article, you implicitly
grant a license to this newsletter to run the article and for other STC
publications to reprint it without permission. Copyright is held by the writer.
When you submit an article, please let the editor know if this article has
run elsewhere, and if it has been submitted for consideration to other
publications.
Devil Mountain Views also reserves the right to edit articles to fit its stylistic
standards and space constraints. Articles are edited, copyedited, and
proofread before publication. The newsletter also reserves the right to not
print articles deemed unfit for publication.
Unless otherwise noted, copyrights for all newsletter articles belong to the
authors. The design and layout of this newsletter are copyright STC, 20072010.
DMV Staff
MANAGING EDITOR
Alliene Turner
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Joseph Humbert
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Susan Moxley
Chapter Officers
For a complete list of officers, see the EBSTC Web site's Leadership page.
PRESIDENT
Adrienne Tange
PRESIDENT-ELECT
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About Devil Mountain Views
open
TREASURER
Joseph Humbert
V.P. PROGRAMS
Gwaltney Mountford
V.P. ARRANGEMENTS
Jeanie Egbert
SECRETARY
Helen Cheung
DMV History
Note: We will update this section as our chapter archives are updated.
Awards given in one year reflect the work of the editors from the
previous year.
In 2009, the chapter changed their fiscal year to coincide with the
calendar year.
If you were a managing editor during a time frame that is missing
from the history, please let us know.
Year
Notes
2010
Managing editor: Alliene Turner
2009
Managing editor: Alliene Turner
Award of Merit in the STC International Newsletter
Competition
2007–2008
Managing editors: David Eicher (Sept 2008), Joseph
Humbert (January 2008), Alliene Turner (May 2008)
Award of Excellence in the STC International
Newsletter Competition.
2006–2007
Managing editor: David Eicher
Award of Merit in the STC International Newsletter
Competition.
2004–2005
Managing editor: Becky Rude
Award of Excellence in the STC International
Newsletter Competition.
2003–2004
Managing editor: Becky Rude
Guest managing editor: Gwaltney Mountford
Award of Excellence in the STC International
Newsletter Competition.
2002–2003
Managing editor: Ashwini Tharval
Best of Show, Most Improved, Distinguished
Technical Communication awards in the STC
International Newsletter Competition.
2001–2002
Managing editors: Ashwini Tharval and Becky Rude.
The newsletter is launched online in Web format.
Award of Merit in the STC International Newsletter
Competition.
1999–2001
Managing editor: Teresa Washburn
Award of Excellence in the STC International
Newsletter Competition.
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About Devil Mountain Views
1997–1999
Managing editor: Kelly Walker
Award of Excellence in the STC International
Newsletter Competition.
1996–1997
Managing editor: Melody Brumis
Newsletter name changed to Devil Mountain Views.
Susan Moxley won the contest held to rename the
newsletter.
In July 1996, a spoof issue called East Bay Flame is
published.
1995–1996
Managing editor: Bruce Robinson
An offshoot, the Twig, is published by President
Gwaltney Mountford to supplement the East Bay Log.
1994
Newsletter name changed to East Bay Log.
1962
The Pacifica News was published in the fall in the
year the Pacifica chapter was founded. (The chapter
was renamed to East Bay in 1982 under President
T.R. Girill.)
DMV Home | EBSTC Home | STC | Contact Us
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Archives - Devil Mountain Views
Archives
November / December 2010 | DMV Home
The top table lists a quick index.
The main table lists the issue date, the author(s) for the featured article(s), and the article name.
Jan 2009 - current
Sept 2007 - Dec 2008
Sept 2006 - June 2007
Sept 2004 - June 2005
Sept 2003 - June 2004
Sept 2002 - June 2003
Sept 2001 - June 2002
2000
1999
d>
Date
Author
Article Name
Current Issue:
November / December 2010
Lori Cooke
Melody Brumis
Meredy Amyx
Ellis Pratt
Technical Writers in an Agile Environment
Write on Time: How to Network at a Conference
Grammar School: Pariticples
What Every Business Can Learn from a Haynes
Manual
September / October 2010
Tom Johnson
Together or Apart: Collaboration Models for
Technical Writing
Write on Time: Is Business Development More
Than Just Finding the Next Job?
Grammar School: Agreement
EBSTC Literacy Outreach Expands to Support
Science Notes
Melody Brumis
Meredy Amyx
T.R. Girill
May/June 2010
Craig Haiss
Adrienne Tange
Meredy Amyx
Alliene Turner with
Bruce Robinson
March/April 2010
Michelle Corbin and
Yoel Strimling
Melody Brumis
Linda Pophal
T.R. Girill
January/February 2010
Michelle Corbin and
Yoel Strimling
Melody Brumis
Ellis Pratt
November/December 2009
Gordon McLean
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What Your Users Aren't Telling You ...
Write on Time: Ten Tips to Keep You Upbeat
While You Look for Work
Grammar School
Robinson's 'Legends of the Strait' a Compelling
Read
Editing Modular Documentation: Some Best
Practices (Part 2)
Write on Time: Hiring Small Businesses
Tweet Ethics: Trust and Transparency in a Web
2.0 World
EBSTC Literacy Outreach Resources on the
Web: A Usage Analysis
Editing Modular Documentation: Some Best
Practices
Write on Time: What Do Technical
Communicators Do?
Six Reasons Why Your Wiki Isn't Working
The Black Art of Estimation
Archives - Devil Mountain Views
September/October 2009
Melody Brumis
Karen Reiser
Rogers George
Write on Time: Should You Hire a Friend?
Progressive Versus Simple Tense Verbs
Writing Good Instructions is Sometimes a Matter
of Life or Death
Tom Johnson
Adrienne Tange
Is This Meeting Really Necessary?
Write on Time: Differentiating Your Company by
Certifying Your Business
EBSTC Technical Literacy Project Through the
Eyes of History of Science
Book Review: How to Read a Book
T.R. Girill
Alliene Turner
May/June 2009
Prof. Sissi Closs
Adrienne Tange
T.R. Girill
Karen Reiser
East Bay STC members
March/April 2009
January/February 2009
Rebecca Metschke
Melody Brumis
Andrea Wenger
Paul Mueller
Adrienne Tange
Liz Miller
Sri Kumari
November/December 2008
Karen Reiser
Louellen S. Coker
Melody Brumis
Bruce A. Walat
September/October 2008
Karen Reiser
Steven Oppenheimer
Adrienne Tange
T.R. Girill
Gwaltney Mountford
Patrick Lufkin
Patrick Lufkin
May/June 2008
Laura Dahlinger
T.R. Girill
Meryl Natchez
Steven Oppenheimer
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Important Questions about DITA
Write on Time: Strategies for Today's Uncertain
Economy
Promoting Science Literacy through a Regional
Science Fair
Comma Splices
Six-Word Memoirs
Eight Job Search Myths — Busted
Write on Time: Keep Those Kudos Koming
Obsessed With Possessives
The Yellow Brick Road to Technical
Communication
Write on Time: Tips to Get Over Sales Rejection
Fast
Why Did You Spam Me?
Book Review: Indlish — The Book for Every
English Speaking Indian
That or Who? Knowing When 'Who' is More
Appropriate
Creating a Professional Portfolio
Write on Time: Marketing Your Business
Now, More Than Ever, STC is Important to Your
Career
That or Which? Don't Misuse These Relative
Pronouns
Patent Careers for Technical Writers, Engineers,
Scientists, and Medical Professionals - Part 2
Write on Time: Tips for Small Business Success
Introducing Science Teacher-Interns to
Technical Writing
Get in the Running 2008
Call for Entries: 2008-09 Northern California
Technil Communication Competition
Call for Judges: 2008-09 Northern California
Technical Communication Competition
The Lone Writer as Project Manager
Literacy Outreach by E-Mail
TechProse Still a Resource for Bay Area
Consultants and Companies
Patent Careers for Technical Writers, Engineers,
Archives - Devil Mountain Views
Danett Weinshelbaum
Scientists, and Medical Professionals - Part 1
Garden Solace
March/April 2008
Laura Dahlinger
and Josette Schaber
Linda Cunningham
Jane Olivera
Andrew Davis
Transitioning from Technical Communicator to
Project Manager
Gems from the Writing Boot Camp
Windows on a Macintosh Computer
Technical Communications Internships - What,
Why, Where, and How?
January/February 2008
Joseph M. Humbert
Podcasting Speaker Programs for STC
Communities
How Suite It Is: Adobe Showcases Its New
Technical Communication Suite
Literacy Project Resource Sharing
Popular Misperceptions About Contracting
2007 Holiday Party
Patrick Lufkin
T.R. Girill
Andrew Davis
Joseph M. Humbert
(with Gwaltney Mountford
& Helen Cheung)
September/October 2007
Patrick Lufkin
Andrew Davis
Patrick Lufkin
Patrick Lufkin
Richard Mateosian
May/June 2007
Jeanie Egbert
Patrick Lufkin
Andrew Davis
T. R. Girill
Andrew Davis
March/April 2007
January/February 2007
Patrick Lufkin
Andrew Davis
Kathryn Munn
Gwaltney Mountford
T. R. Girill
Helen Cheung
Guy Ball
November/December 2006
T. R. Girill
Dara Golden
Patrick Lufkin
Patrick Lufkin
September/October 2006
Helen Cheung
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STC Board of Directors Visits Bay Area
Creating Structured Documentation — Will You
Lead or Follow?
2007 Gordon Scholarship Winners
Call for Entries: 2007-08 Northern California
Technical Communication Competition
Call for Judges: 2007-08 Northern California
Technical Communication Competition
EBSTC Wins STC Awards!
STC Board to Honor Bay Area with Important
Visit
Volunteers Needed for the 2007 Bay Area
Networking Guide (BANG)
Technical Writing Returns to Oakland's Media
Academy
Interview Tips — DOs and DON'Ts
MadCap Flare and the RoboHelp Saga
Synergistech’s 2007 Job Market Perspective
Documenting APIs: Your First Week on the Job
Get in the Running
Building Science-Relevant Literacy With
Technical Writing in High School
West Meets East
Creating Video / Web Seminars
Literacy Outreach to Science Students Through
Their Teachers
Conducting Interviews
Is Podcasting in Your Future?
EBSTC Career Connection Reaches Out to
Students
My Experience as Vice President of Programs
Archives - Devil Mountain Views
Dara Golden
Melody Brumis
May/June 2005
Patrick Lufkin
Gwaltney Mountford
Elaine Parrish
T. R. Girill
Beyond the Resume
Member Spotlight on Linda Cunningham
Leadership for the Emerging Future
College Liaison Committee: The New Kid on the
Block
Sentence's Little Helpers
How Technical Writing Supports High School
Science
March/April 2005
Joy Montgomery
Dara Golden
Elaine Parrish
Sue Phelan
Surviving Resume Screening, a Brutal Process!
Volunteer Editing and Writing
The Truth About Ampersands
EBSTC Needs You!
January/February 2005
Joy Montgomery
Dara Golden
T. R. Girill
Accentuate the Postive; Eliminate the Negative
Volunteer Editing and Writing
Tech Writing Outreach Meets CAHSEE in
Oakland
New Year’s Resolutions for Writers
Director's Report
Annual Member Survey
Elaine Parrish
Beau Cain
Becky Rude
November/December 2004
September/October 2004
May/June 2004
March/April 2004
January/February 2004
Laura Phillips
Joy Montgomery
Elaine Parrish
Charleen Earley
Elaine Parrish
Suzanna Laurent
Dara Golden
T. R. Girill
Judy Herr
Melody Brumis
Elaine Parrish
June Schaefer
Dara Golden
T. R. Girill
Gwaltney Mountford
Elaine Parrish
Jon Rude
David Dick & Kathy Bine
Vesa Purho
Dara Golden
Elaine Parrish
Sarmistha Purkayastha
Suzanna Laurent
Adrienne Tange
Dara Golden
Elaine Parrish
T. R.Girill
Marsha Howard
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Transition, Change, A Rose by Any Other
Name...
Psst—Wanna Know a Secret?
On Becoming a "Senior"
Member Spotlight: Liz Miller
Confounding Compounds
TRAF Technique Saves Time
Top Ten Things I Wish I’d Known Sooner
Sharing Outreach More Effectively
Confessions of an STC Conference Groupie
Member Spotlight: Sherry Smith
Infinit(iv)e Possibilities
Keeping Our Archive Updated
Marketing Your Non-Writing Skills
An Outreach Theme with Five Variations
STC Transformation Project
Quick and Dirty Copyediting
Helping Make Projects Work
Documentation Management for Dummies
Well Planned Is Half Done
First Impressions: Resume Tips
Ask Elaine: Double Trouble
How I Became a Technical Writer
Strategies for Making Change Work
Seasonal Poem
Style Guides: Basic Considerations
Ask Elaine: The Little Things
Autumn Literacy Outreach Update
Member Spotlight: Joe Humbert
Archives - Devil Mountain Views
November/December 2003
September/October 2003
May/June 2003
March/April 2003
Dara Golden
Suzanna Laurent
Adrienne Tange
Melody Brumis
Elaine Parrish
Susan Harlan
T. R. Girill
Susan Harlan
Adrienne Tange
Elaine Parrish
Becky Rude
November/December 2002
An Online Project Info Solution (Part 2)
Single-Sourcing, XML, Alphabet Soup
Dare to Be Dumb
Acting Locally, Thinking Globally in Literacy
Outreach Project
Elaine Parrish
Don Huntington
Scott Wallace
Linda Shaltz
Copyediting—Who Needs It?
An Online Project Information Solution
Style Guides to the Rescue
What Does Video Capture Have to Do With
Writing?
Alternative Jobs or Alternative Job Search
Methods?
Gwaltney Mountford
Melody Brumis
Don Huntington
Scott Wallace
Don Huntington
Adrienne Tange
Don Huntington
September/October 2002
May/June 2002
March/April 2002
Notes on the 2003 Annual STC Conference
How Literacy Outreach Spent Summer Vacation
STC as a Volunteer Organization
Short Story: Lethal Pen
Ask Elaine: Reining in Apostrophilia
Spotlight on Elaine Parrish
Don Huntington
Kristine Hahn
Rusty Jorgensen
T. R. Girill
Susan Harlan
January/February 2003
What's in a Mark?
What do I Get for Belonging to STC?
Short Story: Half-Full
Spotlight on Hillary Russak
Ask Elaine: A Matter of Style
Gwaltney Mountford
Susan Harlan
Scott Wallace
Don Huntington
John Gallagher
Ashwini Tharval &
Dipali Godbole
Scott Wallace
Becky Rude
Faraz Hoodbhoy
Roz Rogoff
Dan Day
Ashwini Tharval
Scott Wallace
Adrienne Tange
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Contracting: Is It for You?
You Have a Contract—Now What?
A Plan for Creating Internal Newsletters
Taming the Tech-Neologism
Responding to the Changing Face of the Tech
Writer's Role
Terminal Contract
Staying Busy in a Slumping Economy
Nashville Nuggets
Trends in Technical Writing
The Great "Web" vs. "web" Debate
It Takes a Sexually Stimulated Man...
Cross-Cultural Interactions
Home Away from Home
Writing Effective Online Copy
Spotlight on Wallace Clements
3G for Everyone
Accessibility = Usability
Characterizing Materials on the Nanoscale
Technology Unraveled
Web Usability
Spotlight on Coralyn K. McGregor
Archives - Devil Mountain Views
January/February 2002
November/December 2001
September/October 2001
(1.3 MB PDF)
T. R. Girill
Gwaltney Mountford
Diana Wilcoxson
Bill Ardis
Scott Wallace
Adrienne Tange
Linda Shaltz
Angelina Nachimuthu
Terri Winters
Liz Miller
Bill Ardis
Adrienne Tange
Don Huntington
Ashwini Tharval
Patrick Lufkin
Patricia Smith
Rosalind Rogoff
Richard Lederer
Looking Back: Technical Writing in the Bay Area
Morphing Through the Decades
We've Come a Long Way
DOS Revisited: 20 Years of C-Prompts
Editorial Content on the Web
Spotlight on June Schaefer
Fight or Flight?
Online Job Search: Some Tips and Techniques
Resumes That Shine
Punch Up Your Portfolio
Diary of a Consultant
Spotlight on Sue Phelan
Grasping the Essentials in Writing for an Online
Audience
An Introduction to XML
Touchstone 2001 Seeks Entries, Volunteers
Joys and Pitfalls of Contracting and Consulting
Reinventing the Wheel
Devouring Words
January/February 2000
(1.5 MB PDF)
Lenore Weiss
Rosalind Rogoff
Andrea Ames
Stranger in Paradigm
Is It Live or Is It Memorex?
Director-Sponsor Report:
1999 Region 8 Conference
November/December 1999
(1.9 MB PDF)
Lenore Weiss &
Judith Herr
Dana Chisnell
Judith Herr
Lenore Weiss
Judith Herr
Judy Skinner
Technical Literacy Program at Fremont High
School
STC Outreach -- Where You Come In
Art of Leading of an STC Chapter
Lenore Visits a Class at Fremont High
What Do You Want to be When You Grow UP?
Eating Tomato Soup With a Fork
September/October 1999
(3.1 MB PDF)
Jane C. Frazier
Employees and Business Process: The Power of
the Shared View
Pictures of Verbs... Graphic Novels
Book Review: Dynamics in Document Design
Time to Volunteer
Patricia Smith
T.R. Girill
Lenore Weiss
July/August 1999
(583 KB PDF)
Lu Rehling
Lenore Weiss
Alice Gallagher
Rosalind Rogoff
Anahita Wager Smith
It's Our Future, So Let's Make the Most of It
Creating Partner Documentation
Today's Technical Communications Job Market - Answers to Some Frequently Asked Questions
Technical Training: Help Authoring Tools
Using Knowledge Management to Organize and
Deliver Information
DMV Home | EBSTC Home | STC | Contact Us
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