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God and the Technical Writer
And in the beginning there was nothing. And then one day a huge bang was heard that echoed round the universe and when the smoke had cleared, all that could be seen was a giant Product Manager and a petite Technical Writer
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The point of my existence
I had a marvelous encounter yesterday which simply begged to be written down and shared with other technical writers.
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Baby Steps
I’m not saying that I have it that badly coz I don’t. Nobody chains me to my desk and sticks hot skewers up my nose.
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Stream of Mumpyness
This article fuses the "Stream of Consciousness" literary technique with the world of technical writing. The end result is best viewed after taking mind-altering drugs.
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Things that Made me Laugh This Week
November 8 2006(edited 2 year, 11 month ago)
Tags:My boss stood over my shoulder while I was sitting down working on my computer. All of a sudden I realized that there was a buzzing sound coming from his trousers.
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Rosh Katan
I’m going to be a Rosh Katan from now on. For those of you who don’t speak Hebrew, a Rosh Katan is somebody who does the minimum that they can get away with and doesn’t make any extra effort.
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Do you know what makes me angry?
Do you know what makes me angry? I mean, do you know what makes me really, really, really angry?
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Ahhh Good Times
September 10 2006(edited 2 year, 11 month ago)
Tags:Have you noticed how they always say that on reality TV shows even though they haven’t gone anywhere? ... Is it my fault that I enjoy writing up features, should I apologize for running with glee to document bugs; do I need treatment for my pathological enjoyment of sitting with R&D developers?
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Brilliant Ideas
So my boss wants me to come up with something “new” in time for the Sales Conference at the end of October.
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Pick your Battles
In case you hadn’t picked up on it, the Mumpy is a sensitive soul, and gets offended at the slightest provocation. When you look up the phrase “water off a duck’s back” in the dictionary, you will never see a photo of the Mumpy.
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The Art of Loitering
At long last, I have the answer to the question that has baffled technical communicators for years. The question is, of course, what makes a good technical writer.
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Take No Responsibility
I sent out some Release Notes for review the other week. In the Release Notes, I had documented a new feature which posed some risk to the customer’s organization if they were not very careful with their configuration. A leading support engineer emailed me back asking me to include the following note:
[Company Name] takes no responsibility for the following feature.
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Nothing melts a Mumpy more
Just when I thought it was all over and I was going to resign from my job and become a wet nurse, something unexpected happened to me. I was sitting in a meeting with my team (Product Management) – minding my own business and lost in a pleasant daydream about George Michael, when I heard my name mentioned.
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Information Teaser
My boss is an information-teaser. Picture the scene. I am sitting in my boss’s office, notepad in one hand, pen in the other, and a look of intensely, earnest concentration on my face. My boss is standing by the white board discussing a white paper he wants me to write about subject X.
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Have You Marinated Your User Guide Lately?
The other day somebody sent me a funny sentence taken from an advert for a technical writer published on Jobnet. The advert stated they were looking for a technical writer who was good at writing, editing and marinating technical articles.
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Don't Ask
Things Not To Say to a Technical Writer and How to Respond
But nobody ever reads the manuals anyway. As said by a Product Manager in a large meeting. The correct response to this does not involve extreme injury to certain body parts. The recommended course of action is
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For Hire Now!
Summaries
Upcoming Events
- Feb 17 2012 (22:00 - 23:30)Larry & Mindy’s “From The 60's & 70's With Love” – at Han Yehudia
- Feb 20 2012 (19:30 - 21:45)Voices Israel Group of Poets in English - Tel Aviv meeting
- Feb 26 2012 (19:00 - 21:00)Jerusalem launch of arc-22 (the humor issue)
- Mar 01 2012 (18:00 - 21:00)Tel Aviv launch of arc-22 (the humor issue)
Upcoming Courses
- Feb 21 2012 - Feb 23 2012Using FrameMaker
- Feb 28 2012Single Sourcing with FrameMaker
- Apr 07 2012Adobe Illustrator for Technical Communicators
- Jun 01 2012 - Jun 02 2012Exploring FrameScript
Useful Information
Survey Reporting
Requires access rights Freelance Writer Rates (11 pp) Q4/09 Copy Editor Rates (9 pp) Each month, Mark L. Levinson presents one hard-to-translate Hebrew word at a time for discussion. Michael Cohen will teach us practical shortcuts that save us time and make our lives easier. Mark L. Levinson examines the big and little factors that make writing effective. David Siegel looks at the problems in education in Israel and discusses what can be done. Jonathan Plutchok identifies free or inexpensive utilities or plug-ins that save time, increase productivity, improve your computing environment, perform a task you otherwise couldn't do... or is just too much fun to ignore. This column has grown into its own blog at http://jonathanstoolbar.blogspot.com where you can find new issues every week. Paul Schnall teaches us about the power of FrameScript and how to use it. Did you ever wonder what was inside a PC, laptop, or other microcomputer system? Michael Cohen teaches us what's inside and how to configure and build our own. Dr. Tal discusses the principles of professional coaching, focusing on resiliency. Eric Gluch looks at modern marketing. Esther Shira Stepansky takes us on a humorous adventure in the modern day land of Chelm as we look at some of the challenges of making aliyah and finding work in Israel. Making aliyah is supposed to be the fulfillment of my of your Jewish identity, so why does Israel make it so difficult? By Mumpy Dr. Zaidel discusses another aspect of mediation within the framework of Israel's court-approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process. Hezy Asher teaches us how to improve our memory. Tom Johnson's podcast episodes, provide tips on recording presentations, and other podcasting related news and events. By multiple authors By Israel Ivri Summaries of events held by Elephant and other organizations throughout the Israeli technical/marcom community. Q2 2010 Survey Results
Columns on Elephant
Translatable but Debatable
Of Mice and Keyboard Shortcuts
The Why of Style
Broken Bell Education in Israel
Jonathan's Tool Bar & Grill
It's in The Script
Do it Yourself
Coaching for Success
Hunters and Gatherers
Moving to Chelm
Why am I a Tech Writer?
Life as a Tech Writer
Building Bridges (in Hebrew)
Don't Forget
World of Podcasting
Effective Management ניהול אפקטיבי
Scribblin' With Steph
Life in Northern Israel
Life on the Southern Front of Israel
Event Summaries