TECHWR-L Digest - 14 Sep 1995 to 15 Sep 1995

[Carol Simon <simon -at- MINDSPRING -dot- COM>]

Ragged right text is much more inviting to read. It appears
airier (is that a word?) and less regimental. Plus, as someone
else pointed out, it helps prevent the rivers of white space
often associated with justified text.

(You know, I didn't plan it this way--honest--but I just noticed
that my first paragraph, which discusses justified text, came
out justified! And the next paragraph, which discusses ragged
right text, came out ragged right. Spooky, huh?)

   =*=   Beverly Parks -- bparks -at- huachuca-emh1 -dot- army -dot- mil   =*=
   =*=     Huachuca : That's pronounced "wah-CHEW-ka"     =*=
   =*= "Unless otherwise stated, all comments are my own. =*=
   =*=   I am not representing my employer in any way."   =*=

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 15 Sep 1995 09:43:09 -0500
From:    LaVonna Funkhouser <lffunkhouser -at- HALNET -dot- COM>
Subject: comma with TM

I'm full of odd questions today!

If you have a superscripted TM after a proper name and
you need it to be followed by a comma, can the TM and
comma be kerned such that the comma falls under the TM?

  At Company Name^TM, we do everything.

Thanks!

LaVonna
  LaVonna F. Funkhouser           Immediate Past President, OK Chapter
  lffunkhouser -at- halnet -dot- com         Program Manager, 1995 Region 5 Conf.
  COREStaff Communication Svcs.   Society for Technical Communication
      http://stc.org/region5/okc/conferences/region5conf.html

  My opinions do not officially represent anyone other than me.

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 15 Sep 1995 10:08:59 -0700
From:    Eric Ray <Eric_Ray -at- WILTEL -dot- COM>
Subject: TLC Coordinator Position in Tulsa, OK

Please do not respond to me--contact information is at the
end of this message.
Thanks!
Eric
Eric_Ray -at- Wiltel -dot- com

> TLC Coordinator

> Overview

> Responsible for coordinating various activities in the Technology
> Learning Center, including scheduling classes, conferences, and
> events pertinent to Information Services technology development
> areas for LDDS WorldCom. Also responsible for ensuring compliance to
> standards for presentations and technical writing projects, and
> contributing to the development of training and user documentation.

> Skills Required

> The TLC Coordinator must have exemplary organization and
> interpersonal skills to work with various levels of LDDS WorldCom
> personnel and external vendors. The position also requires good oral
> and written communication, knowledge of training and documentation
> development, the ability to successfully balance multiple tasks, and
> a finite attention to detail.

> Job Responsibilities

> The TLC Coordinator responsibilities include:

>    * Working with the TLC Administrator to develop a schedule of
>      classes for technical training including, OO Technology, and
>      the professional development of IS members.
>    * Scheduling members of LDDS WorldCom IS organizations for
>      appropriate technical training classes, ensuring all
>      prerequisite materials are distributed, and that the class
>      prerequisites have been met.
>    * Administer all Tulsa-based classes, including:
>         o obtaining class materials and ensuring enough copies are
>           produced for attendees.
>         o ensuring equipment (LCD panel, projector, white board,
>           flip chart, etc.) is scheduled, and that equipment and
>           materials (markers, name cards, any special class
>           materials) are set up for the instructor.
>         o notifying attendees and their supervisors of the class
>           date, time, and place, requesting confirmation, and
>           sending a reminder prior to class start date.
>         o placing orders and ensuring any special arrangements for
>           the class are made appropriately, including room
>           arrangements, obtaining special equipment, etc.
>    * Maintaining the course catalog and schedule using HTML under
>      the direction of the TLC Administrator.
>    * Coordinating classes at remote locations (e.g., Houston, TX or
>      Norman, OK) under the direction of the TLC Administrator.
>    * Coordinating the TLC self-paced training program and tracking
>      the courses completed by IS members.
>    * Maintaining a skill-set database of courses completed by all IS
>      employees.
>    * Coordinating schedules with education vendors for in-house
>      offerings as well as external classes attended by IS employees.
>    * Completing the necessary paperwork (purchase requisitions,
>      sign-in sheets, evaluation forms) for each class as necessary.
>    * Maintaining all TLC training equipment to ensure it is in good
>      condition.
>    * Providing backup support for the TLC library, including logging
>      purchases and maintaining inventory, updating the database,
>      arranging for use of the research online services.
>    * Editing proposals and training presentation materials for
>      grammar and compliance to standard formats.
>    * Writing/editing user documentation to support technical writers
>      on their projects.
>    * Performing quality checks for technical writers to ensure their
>      work meets LDDS WorldCom standards for print and online
>      documentation.

> Education and Experience

> Baccalaureate degree in Business Administration, Instructional
> Design, Technical Writing, English, or related field. Proficient in
> using Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access,
> Powerpoint). Familiarity with the WWW and HTML. Three+ years
> experience in Software Development or other scientific field.
> Telecommunication experience in a coordinating/writing position
> desirable.

> Direct all correspondence to:
> Bruce Bradley, AST Manager
> One Williams Center
> Tulsa, OK 74172
> Fax: 918-588-2372
> Email: Bruce_Bradley -at- Wiltel -dot- com
> No phone calls, please.

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 15 Sep 1995 12:06:00 -0500
From:    "Delaney, Misti" <ncr02!ncr02!mdelaney -at- UCS01 -dot- ATTMAIL -dot- COM>
Subject: Re: bogus resume stuff

From: Price, Becca
Subject: RE: bogus resume stuff
Date: Friday, September 15, 1995 10:45AM

well, I can guarantee they won't get one from me, no matter how enticing the
job sounds.

I did have one job (now that I think of it) that did require full
transcripts from college, SATs and GREs, plus a 4-hr battery of
psychological tests (not MMPI type - more based on the various personality
indices, as I recall.  My psych testing studies are a few decades old now,
and I forget the names...)  Because I had taken psych testing classes within
a few years of applying for that job, I was able to wiz through the tests
easily - and then warned them that my scores had no validity since I was
trained in how to give and interpret that test.  They too said that they
were just gathering datapoints, but did have a certain personality type they
were looking for, and that they had found to be most compatible with their
company.

btw, i was hired, and loved the job - would probably have stayed there,
except that I got a better offer (marriage) from out-of-state....

 -becca

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 15 Sep 1995 10:34:50 -0500
From:    Holli Kearns <holli -at- EDEN -dot- COM>
Subject: Hatch mark, pound sign, # revisited

My apologies immediately because I know this went around the list just a
few months ago. However, could someone tell me the name of the # symbol?
I'm not looking for the pound sign or hatch mark name. I'm looking for the
name that I believe begins with an "o". If you know where you found that
info out, I'd appreciate it as well.

Please just send me the info so we don't get in this debate again on the list.

Thanks,
Holli

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 15 Sep 1995 11:46:20 U
From:    "Kahn, Stacey" <skahn -at- WB -dot- COM>
Subject: Re: Justified vs. ragged right

Given a choice between fully-justified and ragged right, I'd choose left
justified.

But I'd also set up hyphenation so that the lines would be somewhat uniform in
length. Too-ragged-right looks sort of informal or unfinished to me. In a
DTP-ed document I'd prefer to see some balance.

FWIW.

Stacey Kahn
SKahn -at- wb -dot- com
speaking for myself and not for my employers

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 15 Sep 1995 12:07:21 -0400
From:    Kris Olberg <KJOlberg -at- AOL -dot- COM>
Subject: Re: Seeking synonyms for bulkiness

In a message dated 95-09-14 19:59:37 EDT, geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA (Geoff Hart)
writes:

> We need a term that expresses the increase in air
>     space, and started with "expansion factor", since
>     the volume expands.

One large grain trading company for which I did some contract work uses
"draft" or "draft factor" to describe the expansion resulting from air. For
grain, this is pertinent to calculating the amount of grain stored in an
elevator among other things.

Would this be useful in your situtation?

Regards...Kris

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 15 Sep 1995 09:19:33 -0700
From:    Rikki Nyman <c1043 -at- AZFMS -dot- COM>
Subject: Too informal?

Hi!

New question concerning table design -- heading labels to be precise.

The document:

I am working on a reference document.  In one section, each screen capture of
 the GUI is on the left page.  Each element is numbered.  On the facing page, I
 have placed a description of the screen and its purpose.  Underneath the
 description, there is a table.  The column headings are number, element name,
 description and "Does this..."  The number is the number on the facing page;
 the element name is button, menu bar, screen name, etc.; description is a
 generally the specific name; and the "Does this..." is a states exactly what
 the button does and where it goes.

The audience:

Ordinary, non-technical types.

The issue:

Is the "Does this..." too informal?

What do you think?

How informal or formal do we have to be?  What kind of guidelines do you use
 personally?

Thanks again for the benefit of your thousand years of experience!

Rikki Nyman

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 15 Sep 1995 11:12:02 -0500
From:    Tommy Trussell <twt -at- CEI -dot- NET>
Subject: Anonymous posting

If it is true that "THE PORTAL SYSTEM DOES NOT CONDONE OR APPROVE OF THE
CONTENTS OF THIS POSTING," then why does it ALLOW (and even FACILITATE) the
anonymous posting in the first place?

                  --Tommy Trussell
                    twt -at- cei -dot- net

>X-POP3-Rcpt: twt -at- major
>Date:         Thu, 14 Sep 1995 17:46:43 -0700
>Reply-To: anonymous-remailer -at- SHELL -dot- PORTAL -dot- COM
>Sender: "Technical Writers List; for all Technical Communication issues"
><TECHWR-L -at- VM1 -dot- ucc -dot- okstate -dot- edu>
>Comments:     This message is NOT from the person listed in the From line.  It
>              is from an automated software remailing service operating at that
>              address. THE PORTAL SYSTEM DOES NOT CONDONE OR APPROVE OF THE
>              CONTENTS OF THIS POSTING.   Please report problem mail to
>              <hfinney -at- shell -dot- portal -dot- com>.
>From: anonymous-remailer -at- SHELL -dot- PORTAL -dot- COM
>Comments: To: techwr-l -at- vm1 -dot- ucc -dot- okstate -dot- edu
>To: Multiple recipients of list TECHWR-L <TECHWR-L -at- VM1 -dot- ucc -dot- okstate -dot- edu>

>My fellow techies...

>The sky is blue and the Earth is green.
>Jobs are scarce and times are lean.

>What do we do with our time all day,
>but sit at the fu**ing computer and play.

>Spay and Tay

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 | - - - TW Technical Services  - - - - -      twt -at- cei -dot- net      - - - |
 | - - -   129 Oaklawn Drive    - - - - -            -          - - - |
 | - - - Conway, AR 72032-6701  - - - - -  (501) 336-0889 voice - - - |
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 15 Sep 1995 12:41:47 EST
From:    "<Pam Owen>" <powen -at- MAIL2 -dot- LMI -dot- ORG>
Subject: Re[2]: Re. WYSIWYG vs. tags

RoMay writes:

"At my last tech writing job, I took over an updating project started by
my predecessor. I was told "it doesn't seem to be printing right."  Well,
to make a long story short, the manual had been through at least 4
previous updates.  And still had all the codes from each in the file.
Each person who worked on it just added new ones on top of the old.  Once
I cleaned up the tags and set it up correctly, it printed just fine."

What I'd like to know is how long it took to "clean up" the tags. When I
work in WordImperfect, which I avoid like the plague, I spend a good
portion of my time "cleaning up" tags. As an editor, I'd rather edit,
which is what I do with MS Word. In Word, formatting rarely gets screwed
up, because it has no tags to accidently enter or delete. If something
doesn't look right (either on screen or in print), I just block it and
pick the format I want. Page formatting is embedded in the section
breaks, which I can reformat or delete. I almost never have problems
adjusting formatting with WYSIWIG programs and save a lot of time by not
looking endlessly for bogus tags.


Pam Owen
Nighthawk Communications
Reston, VA
Nighthawk1 -at- aol -dot- com, and powen -at- lmi -dot- org

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 15 Sep 1995 10:14:16 -0700
From:    "David S. Broudy" <broudy -at- BCF -dot- USC -dot- EDU>
Subject: Re: What size monitors do you have?

Beverly Parks:
>I think you are right on and justified for asking (demanding?)
>items A and C. Although I hope like hell you get your 21-inch
>monitors, I have to admit that they are probably still
>considered a "luxury." I know some pubs people who would kill
>for 17-inch monitors to replace their 14s.

14s are fine for just writing. We had to kick and scream and bring in
outside design business from other academic depts to raise the money to buy
two 20" Mirror screens (one of which died yesterday and is en route to
Minnesota). A big screen is *essential* for graphic design and page layout
and any boss who tells you otherwise is a cheap SOB.

You think the government is bad, try a university (it's all the more ironic
that USC held a $100,000+ black-tie bash last night to kick off a big
fundraising campaign, and distributed thousands of $3-each brochures
designed by an expensive outside agency that are the ugliest damn things.
Yet try to suggest upgrading our ca. 1991 Quadras to Powermacs, and all of
a sudden "there's no money"). Grrrr.

Incidentally, we got our monitors from DTP Direct for about $1100 each.
What a deal!

-------------
broudy -at- mizar -dot- usc -dot- edu  --  http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~broudy/
Warning: Severe Tire Damage   /=/ /=/ /=/ /=/ /=/ /=/ /=/

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 15 Sep 1995 10:21:02 -0700
From:    "David S. Broudy" <broudy -at- BCF -dot- USC -dot- EDU>
Subject: Re: Translation/Localization companies?

Sue MacIntosh:
>Has anyone worked with any large translation/localization companies that they
>would care to recommend (or not)?

>The only requirements are that they be in California, and that they can
>translate to German, French, and Japanese from English.

There is a company in (I believe) Torrance called Crestec, who does a *lot*
of translation for documents and who also operates a Xerox Docutech system
which is great for low-volume printing. I'm not sure if they do any sort of
software localization.

They gave me samples: anyone need an owner's manual in Russian for a
Panasonic  VCR?  :)

-------------
broudy -at- mizar -dot- usc -dot- edu  --  http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~broudy/
Warning: Severe Tire Damage   /=/ /=/ /=/ /=/ /=/ /=/ /=/

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 15 Sep 1995 13:13:10 EST
From:    ed_marsh -at- TCPGATE -dot- IBI -dot- COM
Subject: Illustrator to Frame4

K. Watkins asks:
> Does anyone know of a way to scale down screen shots for Windows >
>Help files, and still keep them legible?
You could also use Photoshop, though it may be a bit more than you
need.

Joanna writes:
> Strangely enough, .eps doesn't seem to be an option.  Nor does there
>appear to be a "convert text to curves" option, as in CorelDraw.  I
>have Corel 5 and could perhaps run the Illustrator files through that
>in order to get them into the proper shape for FrameMaker...

I just opened up Illustrator. I've also used Corel.

What you're asking for is a bit different than in Corel Draw. In order
to "Convert Text to Curves," select Create Outlines from the Type Menu
with the type selected, before you save the document.

Also, EPS is Illustrator's native format. When you open the Save
dialog box, the default extension is .AI. However, that places an EPS
file without a preview, so in an application such as Frame, you will
place the file and see a grey box (this is how it works in
QuarkXpress; I don't have Frame.) Simply select either Color or Black
and white from the Preview Drop-down, the file extension automatically
changes to EPS.

Hope this helps,
Ed Marsh 8)
Lurker Extraordinaire
ed_marsh -at- ibi -dot- com

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 15 Sep 1995 10:26:34 -0700
From:    "David S. Broudy" <broudy -at- BCF -dot- USC -dot- EDU>
Subject: Re: Salary Survey (not STC)

Price, Beccae:
>I'd be interested in knowing freelance rates from the web site if someone is
>willing to post a summary - or even send them directly to us.  My contact in
>Calif. says that freelancers there get "no less than $30 or 35" per hour
>with a given seminar on their resume - which implies that they get
>substantially less without it?

Not. I'm getting $30 and I have no seminars on my resume. I do have
experience, though. If this were not my first writing gig in 2+ years, I'd
be charging $40-45 an hour. My next job will be bid at $40.

-------------
broudy -at- mizar -dot- usc -dot- edu  --  http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~broudy/
Warning: Severe Tire Damage   /=/ /=/ /=/ /=/ /=/ /=/ /=/

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 15 Sep 1995 13:32:00 EST
From:    "<Pam Owen>" <powen -at- MAIL2 -dot- LMI -dot- ORG>
Subject: Re: Project Management Skills and Tech Writing.

Gwen Barnes had a good list of what you needed to know to manage projects rather
than crises:

>1. When it has to ship
>2. When the books have to be ready
>3. How long it takes to print the books
>4. Your drop-dead camera ready date
>5. Which printers you're going to bid it out to
>6. Who's going to sign off on the final manuscript
>7. How long it takes to prepare a good index
>8. How long it takes to make any necessary issues resulting from
    engineering review
>9. How long it takes for the engineers to review the final draft of the
    manuscript
>10. How long it takes to get the first draft ready for engineering
     review
>11. How long it takes to write the first draft
>12. When you get to see the product you're writing about for the first
     time.


I'd like to add number an item:

11. Make sure you know who is supposed to be in charge of the document
    and what your role is.


I've worked in extremely pressured production environments, particularly
proposals worth hundreds of millions of dollars (and, in one case $2.5
billion), and my biggest nightmare has been either cases in which the
person who was supposed to be in charge would not or could not manage
the project, or those in which I was given responsibility over the
document, but not the authority to get it done (that is, the authority
to make others do their jobs). I've dropped from my client list clients
who have put me in the situation more than once.

If I have no control over management of the document, I at least try to
make clear who is supposed to be in charge and just what my
responsibilities are. This saves a lot of grief in the middle of the
project and recriminations later. I always joke with my clients that I
know they're going to be yelling "the temp did it" the minute I walk out
the door and that's OK;  I'm convinced that's one of the reasons
organizations hire temporary help, especially for projects that they
know are unredeemable. However, I feel better when I know I've done my
best and my clients know it, too (whatever they may say to their bosses
to save their corporate butts).


Pam Owen
Nighthawk Communications
Reston, VA
Nighthawk1 -at- aol -dot- com, powen -at- lmi -dot- org

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 15 Sep 1995 13:45:25 EST
From:    "William B. MacLeod" <WBMACLE -at- TEL1 -dot- ACCUSORT -dot- COM>
Subject: The word 'THAT'

In Technical Writing, which of the following is better or correct:

   The system must be shut down properly so data is not lost
                                      -OR-
   The system must be shut down properly so THAT data is not lost

and why?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
William MacLeod                          wbmacle -at- accusort -dot- attmail -dot- com
Technical Publications Manager    +1 215.721.5093
Accu-Sort Systems

The opinions in this message are my own
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 15 Sep 1995 09:54:00 PDT
From:    John Gear <catalyst -at- PACIFIER -dot- COM>
Subject: Bogus Resume Requirements

Someone writes:

>GPA is another excellent predictor. It predicts that the applicant will find
>out what's required and strive to supply it.

Of course, none of the research on highly successful people bears this out
(in fact, most research on very high performers--as measured by awards,
sales, elections, promotions etc.--finds them to be above average on most
tests ... but few score at the extremes).  But then, it helps justify a