Upcoming Webinar on 7 February: Simplified Technical English
Clear and consistent communication can help you save costs and improve your customer experience. Learn how with the live Web seminar Simplified Technical English, presented by Berry Braster on Tuesday, 7 February from 9:00-10:00 PM EST (GMT-5). Simplified Technical English (STE) is a method of writing that makes technical English easy to understand. The adaptation [...]

STC Election Website Update: Q&A and Audio Podcasts
As we announced via email last week, the website for the 2012 STC Election is now live on the main STC site. Do you know the candidates running for Vice President, Secretary, Director, and the Nominating Committee? There is a photo, biography, candidate statement, links, and more on each candidate’s page. The election opens Friday, [...]

February Community Events Added to Calendar
Thanks once more to the chapter and SIG leaders for filling Your Friendly Neighborhood Blogger in on what’s going on in their neighborhoods. Click the Community Events tab above to see the full listing, in chronological order and with links where provided, or see the list below the jump. If you’re a community leader and didn’t get my email, or [...]

A Community Affair: “Year of the Student Member”
A Community Affair is a new series here on STC’s Notebook of postings from the Community Affairs Committee. Today’s post is by Bethany Bowles and Dan Voss, CAC Student Outreach co-leads. 2012: “Year of the Student Member” in STC! Two-thousand twelve is a great year to be a student member of STC. “Why is that?” you ask. [...]

Upcoming Webinar on 1 February: Best Practices for Converting From Tools
We often find that we need to convert from one tool to another for a variety of reasons. Get the information you need to make the conversion go smoothly with the live Web seminar Best Practices Converting From Tools, presented by Ed Marshall on Wednesday, 1 February, from 1:00-2:00 PM EST (GMT-5). All of us [...]

Links of Interest, 27 January: Social Media, Certification, Craftsmanship, and More
The Brainyard delves into how social media changes technical communication.   Certification Commission chair Steve Jong spoke with Tom Johnson of I’d Rather Be Writing recently in an in-depth interview about certification. Check it out on Tom’s blog.   Larry Kunz discusses the concept of “craftsmanship” in technical communication and ponders if there might be a market [...]

Upcoming Webinar on 31 January: Successful Strategies for Continuous Improvement
Join highly rated STC Summit presenter Marta Rauch on Tuesday, 31 January, from 9:00-10:00 PM EST (GMT-5) for the live Web Seminar Successful Strategies for Continuous Improvement. In this webinar, you’ll learn proven strategies for continuous improvement to products and processes. Gain valuable tips, practical insights, and best practices for increasing customer satisfaction and raising [...]

STC Now Accepts the Discover Card
In response to member requests, STC now accepts the Discover Card for online payments! This is in addition to the previous cards accepted, Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. The Discover card is accepted for any online STC purchase, whether it’s membership, the conference, or education. Simply select “Discover” in the dropdown menu on your payment [...]

Upcoming Webinar on 25 January: Designing Quick Reference Guides
Condensing a manual into an attractive quick reference guide requires a poet’s precision with language, but it also requires you to exercise skill with visual design and page layout. These short guides blend marketing with instruction, allowing you to combine text with images to pull readers into the content. Join Tom Johnson for the live [...]

Upcoming Webinar on 24 January: Introduction to the Mobile Ecology
Like any new technology, mobile has its share of confusing new jargon and concepts. Getting them wrong may be harmless … or it might lead to buying the wrong tool, hiring the wrong person, or going off in the wrong strategic direction. Get the introduction you need with the live Web seminar Introduction to the [...]