Good Technical Writing

How to lose $35million in three months

A company once lost $35million in one financial quarter, due to the failure of one product. The company was Coleco; the product was the Adam computer, and the blame was-at least partly-put down to 'manuals which did not offer the first-time user adequate assistance.'

Good technical documentation is as important as a good product, and bad technical documents can kill a good product. Documentation shouldn't be left as an afterthought, or fobbed off onto someone with minimal knowledge of the product or service. In fact, it can be nearly as bad to have it written by someone with deep and expert knowledge of the product, because an expert can find it hard to appreciate the position and requirements of new users. So how can you make sure your technical documents are on target with the users' requirements?

A good start is by addressing Plain Words' 6 W's of technical documentation - in fact these pointers apply to writing any kind of document:

1. Why are you producing this document? To inform? To instruct? To represent your company and your service to your customer?

2. What does your document need to include? What information must it present, in what order, and what structure will convey it most clearly? What sort of image do you want all your literature to reinforce?

3. Where are you going to find the information? How can you extract it from people who don't have time to talk to you? How can you best verify and organize it?

4. Who is going to read it? How much do they already know? What don't they know? What do they need to know?

5. How (we never said they'd all start with 'w') will your document be used? On-line or printed? This tells you if you can embed links or use print-related conventions like 'see below'. Will it be read in a leisurely spirit of inquiry or in a frantic search for the answer to a crisis?

6. When is your document due, and what needs to happen before you can deliver? What are the critical milestones and how do you stay on track? Is there time to revise as the product goes through development? Have you identified reviewers and built in time to incorporate their comments? You should spend at least as much effort on planning your user documents as you do on writing them. These six questions will help you focus and plan so that the end result contains the right kind of information for your user.

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The Difference Between a Theodolite and a Total Station

Although theodolites have been used for hundreds of years, the main operation of these tools remains the same. A theodolite consists of a moveable telescope mounted between a vertical and horizontal axes. The angle of each axes can be measured with fairly accurate precision as long as the operator has sufficient knowledge of the tool's use and basic trigonometry. However, the use of a theodolite generally requires the help of at least one other person besides the main operator to help measure and align angles. When precision counts, it is imperative that both operators are properly trained and understand all of the elements of gathering data; this may include leveling the tripod/theodolite and measuring stake, as well as aligning the stake and measuring line to gather accurate data, and finally use mathematical and graphical skills to generate the appropriate output.

The benefits of a total station will outweigh the downsides, in most cases, because of its all-inclusive features and digital integration. These tools integrates theodolite functions in order to measure angles and distance with an EDM (electronic distance meter). They also use a system of prisms and lasers to develop digital readings of all the measurements during your job. All of the information gathered with the total station is stored in an external computer where data can be manipulated and added to CAD programs. Robotic total stations are available that allow the operator to work alone with the use of a remote control.

A total station is generally superior to a theodolite because of its digital integration and precision. However, total stations are much more expensive and require not only surveying training, but specific product and software training as well. When completing surveying jobs that span large distances, especially over treacherous terrain, a total station will provide the most reliable and accurate results. For simple plots of smaller areas, a theodolite is sufficient. Before you purchase either tool, ensure it comes with the necessary accessories you'll need on the job. For a theodolite you will want a measuring stake and steel tape, a tripod, as well as grid paper and a pencil to record the data. In most cases, a total station will come with all the necessary accessories you need, however, some may not so always double check!

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Teaching Vocabulary to Learners of English As a Foreign Language

Vocabulary is clearly an essential part of language learning and teaching vocabulary in a productive way is something which must be at the forefront of our minds as teachers of English. Teaching new words to learners of English as a Foreign Language at first seems quite a straightforward proposition. You provide the appropriate word and meaning much like an automatic dictionary and move on. However, the teacher is far more than merely a speaking dictionary.

There are many things to think about when teaching vocabulary.

How many words should you try and teach students in one class? How do you decide which new words you should teach to your students? What criteria do you use to decide which words are most useful? How do you guide the students themselves in recognising which words are most useful for them? What is the importance of active and passive vocabulary? Why are frequency and coverage important? Why is register important? Do all students need to learn the same words?

How many new words should you think about teaching in a class?

There is no definitive figure here of course, as every student is different, but lower level students can generally manage about 5-8 new words of vocabulary a day. At higher levels usually a few more.

What new words should you teach to your students?

Even if you wanted to, you clearly can't teach students every word in the English language. There are upwards of 500,000 words in English so you clearly only know a fraction of them yourself. A typical B2 (Upper Intermediate) learners' dictionary contains about 55,000 words of vocabulary. The average native speaker probably uses less than 20,000 words actively. Reducing huge quantities of words to manageable learning is a significant challenge for ELT and one of the great challenges for teaching vocabulary is which words to choose.

What criteria do you use in choosing what words to teach?

Frequency and Coverage:

Choose words to teach that are frequently used. Telling students about how often words are used or in what situations you might use them (formal, informal, academic, spoken or written English etc) is something invaluable that they often can't get from a dictionary. Clearly, the most frequently used words will be the most valuable to learn. The words taught also need to be assessed in the light of topic, function, structure, teachability, needs and wants.

Polysemic Words and Word Building:

In English, many words are polysemic - have more than one meaning - and can be used as nouns, verbs or part of a phrasal verb. It is important to bear in mind these alternative meanings and uses when teaching new words. It would appear logical to learn these polysemic words as a priority. The important point to remember when explaining meaning is that context will show which of the various meanings and uses is intended.

Word formation is an essential part of vocabulary teaching, for example, the way that root forms of words change to form adjectival and adverbial forms with the addition of prefixes and suffixes. Learning about word formation raises students' awareness of the language they use. Teach students word building skills. For example, if you teach the verb 'to advance', you might also teach the adjective 'advanced' and the noun 'advancement.' This gives the student extra vocabulary immediately but it also indicates broader patterns within the language. For example, you can point out that 'ment' is a common noun ending. (Others include 'ness' 'ence' 'ation' 'ism' etc.) Typical adjective endings would include 'ed' 'ing' 'ent' 'ive' 'ical' etc.

How do words lead onto other words? How can you point students towards patterns in the language?

Another important aspect of teaching vocabulary is 'word grammar', some words trigger/collocate certain grammatical patterns. Countable/uncountable nouns are an example of this, the former can be used with both singular and plural verbs, while the latter with only singular verbs. Other nouns are neither countable nor uncountable but have a fixed form and collocate with only singular or plural verbs, e.g. people (plural), the news (singular).

Register:

Register refers to a particular style of language relevant to a particular situation or context. For example the way a doctor talks to a patient about a prognosis/diagnosis will differ in style from the way the same doctor will relate the same information to a fellow colleague. Similarly, the way we speak in a job interview will differ from the style of language we use in conversation with close friends. Students need to be aware how certain words fit into different registers. When explaining vocabulary, bear in mind that explanations need to include relevant aspects of context and usage, e.g. 'mate' is a synonym of friend but is used colloquially typically for males.

Topic Area Words:

You could select a theme such as 'weather.' The ensuing vocabulary would include: rain, sunny, cold, windy etc. This is particularly useful if the student is interested in a particular topic or if a topic area has a direct relation to their life or job. Not all vocabulary or topic areas are of equal importance to every student.

Passive and active Vocabulary:

New words enter the Passive Vocabulary of students. Students may understand meaning, especially in the specific context where they see a new word used but as yet cannot use the word independently themselves. To ensure words enter the students' Active Vocabulary, regular revision in meaningful situations is essential. It is estimated that a student needs to encounter a word 10-12 times before it fully enters their Active Vocabulary. Vocabulary, in the same way as Grammar, is learned through use. It is therefore very important to give students opportunities within the classroom to use the new vocabulary themselves. Students remembrance of words is relative to the degree which they have used the word, thus the more we get students to use words in a task of some sort - finding opposites, transformation etc - the better they will remember them. Similarly, if we involve students in presenting new words the better they will remember them. Hence, acting out definitions in a dramatic way - trip, stagger etc - should lead to deeper learning of the words. Sense memory becomes involved, taste, smell, touch etc, which further enhances recall. Discovery techniques where students have to find out the meanings of words themselves will be more effective than standard teacher presentation of new vocabulary.

There may be many words that students will not need to use actively themselves at a particular stage in their learning career and therefore they can remain in the students' Passive Vocabulary. For example, at Beginner level it is enough to know 'big' and 'small'. At Intermediate levels, you might begin to use 'huge' 'massive' 'tiny' 'minute' etc. At Advanced levels, you might use words like 'vast' or 'minuscule' to give a different shade of meaning or to adopt a more formal or academic tone. The point is that at Beginner level it is clearly not practical or useful spending time trying to get the student to use a word like 'vast'.

Vocabulary Testing:

Vocabulary testing has several forms, and as with all techniques in ELT the more variety in the classroom the better.

Examples include:

1. Multiple choice Questions
2. Matching (opposites/complements)
3. Odd one out
4. Writing sentences
5. Dictation
6. Close/gap-fill (with and without wordlist)
7. Sentence completion

Conclusion:

In the classroom, the teacher remains central to the effective acquisition of new vocabulary. Every student is different so their language learning needs and vocabulary requirements are different too. As a teacher, you are interacting with students face to face on a human level. You have an expertise about who the student is and what is useful for them to learn that no dictionary or computer programme could ever have.

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Burn Your Brochures: 8 Better Alternatives for Creating Collateral

If you work in marketing communications, you've probably seen this scenario a dozen times: A harried sales guy, shirts-sleeves rolled up to the elbow, storms into your cubicle. "I got a hot sales call in Toledo in three weeks. I got to have a brochure to leave behind," he says, smacking his fist into his open palm.

You sigh. So it begins -- yet another brochure. And you know how it'll end: Thousands of dollars and multiple late-nights-against-deadlines later, he'll have his brochure. But the company won't have the sale. And you'll have a coat closet stacked with bulging boxes of forgotten collateral.

Is there a better way to support sales? Something you can leave with prospects that's just a bit more memorable -- and more effective -- than the standard brochure with its forced march through company "visions," product descriptions, and corporate bios? Yes, indeed. I offer eight suggestions, not as comprehensive answers to every sales-communications situation, but as inspiration and provocation for creating material less likely to gather dust -- and more likely to draw your company closer to a sale.

1) Make it a magazine. David Ogilvy once asked why print ads had to look like print ads -- why not make them look like articles? I say, why not go one step further and make your brochures look like magazines? Instead of the usual ho-hum content, create articles that position your company, products or services as ways to solve problems or achieve customer-desired goals.

For about a decade, Baystate Health Systems in Massachusetts has published a beautiful four-color glossy magazine, AlphaSights, that they distribute to referring medical professionals in central Massachusetts. Distributed three times a year, AlphaSights is loaded with articles about new procedures, protocols and initiatives at its flagship hospital, Baystate Medical Center. It's been a phenomenal success: The first issue alone attracted an increase in referrals that more than offset the entire year's production costs.

2) Make it useful. Here's another lesson from healthcare. Every day, legions of pharma and medical device representatives leave tons of samples, coffee mugs and brochures in physician offices across the country -- clutter, clutter and more clutter. In a competitive field, how do you stand out?

One medical products manufacturer got wise. They developed a pad of forms, 8.5" x 11", with pre-assigned check boxes and fast, no-brainer ordering fields a physician can complete in seconds. All she has to do is fill a few boxes, sign it, and run it through a fax machine to order the product. In a crowded field of competitors, this manufacturer got the most orders -- not because it had the nicest mug or the most beautiful brochure, but because they left something behind that made their product the easiest to get.

3) Make it educational. Give your prospects a taste of your expertise. Professional services companies have been doing this for your years with the ubiquitous white paper, a kind of extended essay about a relevant topic of business interest.

Why not apply the "report" idea to products and consumer services as well? For years, the Wall Street Journal has been offering personal finance guides as subscription lures. Anything complex could benefit by an educational report that simplifies: Imagine a guide to countertop selection for a kitchen remodeling firm, or an explanation of housing values for real estate agencies. With a little research and imagination, these businesses and others like them can distinguish themselves as authorities, not just other runners in the pack.

4) Make it handy. Two of my current clients are getting lots of mileage by packaging tips -- handy advice and/or insights that are just long enough to be helpful, but short enough to be easily digested. It's a format people love -- in fact, you're reading a tips-based article right now!

The key is to break your know-how into bite-sized bits busy people can consume on the fly. Of my two "tips" clients, one is targeting the multi-billion dollar mergers and acquisitions market with a "top ten tips" guide; the other runs a tips-based website on a variety of subjects that interest consumers -- and draws eager sponsors who want to reach them. Upscale or down-market, tips attract favorable attention either way.

5) Make it "keepable." When I was a kid, a mechanic's garage just wasn't real if it didn't have at least one "girly" calendar, sponsored by a "Joe's Auto Parts" or "Cranwick's Plumbing Supply" on its walls. Cheesy? Perhaps. But you can be sure that the target audience saw the sponsor's name and phone number every day -- often long after the calendars expired!

In addition to calendars, consider attractive posters, playing cards, puzzles and entertaining cubicle toys. Of course, you want to select options that are as closely associated to your business, proposition or message as possible. I know of one enterprise that creates decks of custom cards for authors (especially consultant or motivational authors), with each card serving as a chapter or topic summary. The decks are much more memorable than business cards or brochures, yet are less cumbersome and expensive than giving away free copies of books themselves.

6) Make it from the customer's point of view. If the familiar brochure format still remains as your best option, then at least consider changing the perspective. Too much collateral is narcissistic, packed with empty chest-beating that attempts to wow the reader with the company's alleged greatness.

Instead, write from the customer's point of view. Skip the boring company history and honor's won stuff, and talk about the real problems or issues your customers face. Then tell them how you solve these problems with precise, specific evidence that makes your claims credible. By adopting this shift in perspective, you demonstrate empathy with the customer -- you're on their side -- and you show a grasp of real-world circumstances prospects can recognize and respect.

7) Make it mailable. Or, if it's going to be shared by hand, easy to ship or transport. In any event, consider how you're going to distribute your new collateral before you commit to creating it.

Years ago, I worked on a spiral-bound booklet that the client adored. Unfortunately, the spiral binding bulged within its envelope and jammed the post office's machines. Worse, the book was an awkward size -- just small enough to rattle around in an ordinary cardboard "express" envelope. While the design was lovely, the project was impractical and ultimately failed its intended purpose. Don't make the same mistake: If you're distributing in large quantities, make it easy to mail.

8) Make it work for you. A final thought: You're not in the business of publishing collateral for its own sake; you should always have a specific marketing or business goal in mind for each piece you create. Everything you make must serve a dynamic role in your sales process, an objective that moves the prospect one step closer to buying. What do you want the customer to do as a consequence of getting or receiving your piece? Whatever that is, make it explicit.

If nothing else, at least end your collateral copy with a "call to action," a directive to phone, write or otherwise respond to you. If you can provide an incentive -- a discount, a premium, a free analysis -- all the better. But at the very least, ASK for the response and tell readers exactly how to reach you.

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Teenagers Should Be Allowed to Work During School Holidays - What Is Your Opinion?

Nowadays, it is not outlandish to see many teenagers are working part-time as promoters or sales girls during the school holidays. Parents are willing to allow their children to work part-time so that their children will spend their school holidays well without wasting any time on surfing the internet and playing computer games. However, some parents do not allow their children to work part-time because they have the fallacy of thinking that their children are not mature enough to work. In my opinion, I partially agree that teenagers should be allowed to work during the school holidays due to the reasons that teenagers can earn their own pocket money, learn ample knowledge from working and the teenagers' academics performance will be affected.

School holidays are defined as a period for the students to rest and keep away from their school routines. Whereas, working is known as physical or mental activities carried out to fulfill the tasks and is rewarded in monetary terms. One of the points I will highlight is pocket money can be earned by teenagers through working during the school holidays. For example, those who work as promoters in the shopping malls can earn RM5 an hour as their extra income. Thus, their parents' burden can be reduced as teenagers do not need to ask for pocket money from their parents for daily expenses. Teenagers can even save the money they earn from working to buy reference books and stationery that they need. Therefore, parents do not need to worry on the school fees as their children are able to fork out on their own. Teenagers can also afford to buy things that they long for such as phones, laptops and shoes. In short, teenagers should be allowed to work during the school holidays because of the extra income they can get.

Furthermore, teenagers can obtain ample knowledge by working during the school holidays. It is due to the fact that they will have the opportunity to be exposed to working life at early age. Thus, they will be more experienced and know the ways of dealing with people from different social and financial backgrounds. They also know how to cooperate with other people to complete the tasks given. Hence, their social skills, a yardstick for them to reach for the stars in their future jobs, can be enhanced. They will be able to express their ideas clearly to their colleagues and supervisors. Teenagers can also know ways of utilizing time well as they need to complete the jobs that are assigned by their supervisors in a given time. Thus, they will learn to be punctual. They will become more independent as they have to look for the effective avenues to solve any problems that are faced by them in work. In brief, students' knowledge can be widened through working and, therefore, teenagers should work during their school holidays.

However, teenagers should not spend most of their school holidays in working part-time because their academics performance may be affected. Teenagers should spend their school holidays by attending more tuition classes or seminars and doing more revisions. As a result, they can prepare and perform better in their academics. Conversely, if teenagers use most of their time working, they will have no time to do revisions and exercises from reference books because teenagers who are tired after working are unable to concentrate on their studies. Hence, teenagers who do not do their revisions during their school holidays will find difficulties to catch up with their studies when the following semester resumes. Their academic results will deteriorate due to lack of revisions. In summary, teenagers should not work during their school holidays as this will disturb their academic performance.

In conclusion, teenagers should be given leniency to work during the school holidays so that they can earn extra income and their knowledge can be widened. On the contrary, it is undeniable that working part-time during the school holidays may affect their academic performance. Thus, teenagers should put in unremitting efforts to balance the need and the wants so that they can perform well in academics.

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Technical Writing - Three Sources of Employment For Technical Writers

There are three ways to get a job as a technical writer:

1) On your own, as an independent freelancer.

2) Through a job agency, as a contractor.

3) As a company employee.

Each offers different benefits and advantages, depending on your skills as a technical writer, your background and your personality.

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1) To be on your own is perhaps the ideal of most freelancers and it certainly has its allure. That's the good old American dream, isn't it ?

But I wouldn't recommend going 100% freelancing if you don't have advanced "social engineering: skills, including heavy-duty networking.

A second point is, yes, freelancers make more money when there's work to do but their expenses are also much higher. They pay all their (and their family's) medical insurance, disability and life insurance (if any), Social Security and FICA contributions (for U.S. workers), etc.

2) Job agencies fit you into the projects they secure from the companies where you actually do the work. In a way, they lend you to this other company for a fee. They take their share from the top and pass on to you the rest. If you are good at what you do job agencies can be a steady and lucrative source of income.

I worked briefly for Fannie Mae back in 2006 through a similar agency and I liked the experience very much.

However, if you do not like your job, the agency might not have another and better one for you in waiting. So there is a danger of getting stuck with assignments that you don't like.

There are many employment agencies that you can query as a technical writer. Just search for them on the Internet with the key words "technical writing jobs" and "technical communicator jobs".

As to the benefits, most major agencies cover your medical insurance and other side benefits for a fee. The amount you end up paying is less than what you'd pay as an independent freelancer but more than what you'd pay as a full-time employee.

3) Working directly as an employee for a company is the best in terms of long-term job security, on-the job training opportunities, paid annual vacations, medical-dental-vision coverage, and a variety of other side benefits.

I highly recommend this alternative since it usually comes with generous 401(k) retirement plans and even (which is rare these days) an additional pension plan. During my technical writing career I have worked for 10 years as an employee for major Fortune 500 corporations and I never regretted it.

Good luck with your job search and let me know if you have any questions.

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Reading a Book is a Good Source of Knowledge and Entertainment

The invention of television and Internet has dragged a considerable number of people to depend on these audio visuals for information as well as entertainment. This is because television and Internet are easy means of communication. What holds maximum importance here is the fact that, visual communication are much more attractive and interesting then written words. On the contrary, it does not allow you to use your imagination or creativity because everything is provided readymade. You are no longer required to shuffle through the encyclopedia to obtain the information that you require. Everything is made available in a nutshell. Therefore, it is often recommended to maintain reading habits. It is still considered one of the best source of information that enforces your imagination and helps you to a have a good grasp on the language.

Other than just gaining knowledge, 'reading' has also become a good source of entertainment. It may be unbelievable for many, but most people find it more preferable to read various stories or articles rather than staying glued to the television or the Internet. Books can be categorised as fictional and non fictional. Fictional books have become very common now-a -days because they are interesting and presents everything as a story. The main feature of fictional books, that differentiates it from others, is that, it deals with concepts that are either fully untrue or partly untrue. Exaggeration is the main tool for the success of fictional stories. Everyone likes to read about things which are a kind of fantasy. Sometimes, it also comes up with concepts which are mythological. This means that it may deal with things or supernatural living beings that are partially believed to have been present in the past. There are a dozen books on dragon hunters, supernatural kungfuu warriors etc. Because of its fantasising concepts and plots, these fictions have become utterly popular among youngsters and kids. It is infact one of the best pastime while you are travelling by train, air or bus.

Novels are a good example of fictions. The success of a Novels depends on its plot, setting, themes and characters. It is in fact not restricted to a typical topic. It can be whimsical, serious or controversial. Novels are basically famous for its narrative impact, that most often prompt various directors and producers to make a movie out of it. Some of the famous novels are 'The Alchemist' and 'The Monk Who Sold His Farrari' by Paolo Coelho, 'Silas Marner' and 'The Great Expectation' by Charles Dickens and many more. In fact various other novels like 'The Godfather', 'Lord of the Rings' and the very famous 'Harry Potter' has fared tremendously response in the world market for their narrative excellence. In fact, they have also been screen played as movies and have come up with tremendous success.

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