STC Tech Valley Chapter
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Professional communicators in 19 New York counties:
Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Dutchess, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Orange, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Ulster, Warren, and Washington.
Technical Communications Pitfalls
Assumptions
Never assume. Always question; always fact find especially in the routine. Identify all the roles and responsibilities at an early stage of each project. Be sure you know:
- Who the subject matter experts (SMEs) are - and if they have been notified about your project.
- The audience.
- Deadlines - a project chart would be helpful.
- Is the document in print or online?
- Is there a style guide for document layout and consistent terminology?
- Who are the editors and reviewers? How many rounds of editing is allowable within the time limit?
- Are images involved? How are they supplied?
- Is there a budget that needs to be considered?
Starting at the Beginning
Don't always be linear in creating communications. Some documentation may need to be started in the middle.
Save introductions about the product till you understand it. SMEs will tell you only what the product should do and may not be aware of benefits outside their area of expertise. You will discover what the user experiences as you progress and so can convey the purpose and advantages of a product from the targeted audience.
Don't concentrate on chronological modules or chapters. This is working in isolation. Experience how each part of the product works together. This gives you a better understanding of how Chapter (or module) one relates to the following chapters.
Communication Skills for Engineers
The American Society for Engineering Education conducted a survey to determine which academic skills are most needed for engineering careers in industry. The results show that communication skills rank above any other type of skill, capturing five of the most-needed skills, out of thirty-eight skills analyzed.
These five communication skills are:
- Technical writing (2nd place)
- Public speaking (4th place)
- Working with individuals (6th place)
- Working with groups (7th place) and
- Talking with people (9th place)
Installing a Content Management System (CMS)
General Guidelines
Every CMS application has its own unique installation procedures. This general guideline presents an overview of the process.
After selecting a CMS there are some requirements before installation. If you are using CMS in business, these requirements should already be in place, but check to make certain.
- Whetherthe CMS is free or commercial, download it only from the developer's homepage - this will ensure you get the latest version with the latest features, updates and security patches.
- Content Management Systems are dynamic web applications and require a server-side language (PHP), a database (MySQL), FTP access and high monthly bandwidth limits. Find out if your web host offers these features. Take a look at their hosting plan description page
- Of course you need a domain name (such as stc-techvalley.org or your company's web name). A .com domain name can be purchased for $8.95 from www.GoDaddy.com or through your web host (although a web host will likely overcharge you for a domain name).
The Process
All CMS should include a readme file to help you throughout the installation process - read this file before getting started.
Upload all of the CMS files to your web hosting - use FTP to do this - such as Filezilla. Once you have an FTP program installed, create a new website connection within the program then transfer the CMS files. If you have trouble setting up an FTP website connection, read the FAQ on your web host's website.
Now that the files are uploaded you should navigate to your domain, you should get either an installation wizard or an error message telling you to configure a specific file. The wizard and the file both require the same information - general website information such as a title, a username and password for the owner, your database location and the database username and password. The installation process should be generally self explanatory except for the database information - you will need to collect this information from your web host.
As always, read all text files and instructions and keep the help line number handy.
