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Digg it UP - The Death of the Technical Author?
As a small business owner, you must have knowledge of various financial issues and investment options. In the primary and secondary markets, you must have come across the term LBO, or Leveraged Buyout, several times. You may perhaps know what leveraged buyout is, but you may not have enough knowledge about its working. So, as an investor as well as a businessman, have a look at LBO and its various aspects.Leveraged Buyout- What Is This? A typical dictionary definition of this term is “a debt-financed transaction, usually via bank loans and bonds, which aims at taking a public corporation private.” In simple terms, a LBO takes place when a financial supporter gets control over a majority of a company’s equity through the use of borrowed money or debt. Leveraged buyout is also known as high-leveraged transaction or bootstrap transaction.It usually follows a ratio of 70% debt to 30% eq
Cherryleaf (along with other similar organisations) applies its skills to others outside of the technical authoring and software development community. For example, we work with people who are interested in improving their intranet, quality management systems, sales proposals or training courseware. So there's good reason to believe these newly named "Information Designers" could contribute in a similar way within their own organisations.
1. Carry out usability testing to measure the value of what technical authors produce
Some form of measurement needs to take place if you want to place a value on something. Jakob Nielsen (www.useit.com) has described how meaningful usability studies can be carried out for a small amount of effort. So test to see what happens if users don't have any documentation, and how they react to different types of user assistance.
2. Get involved in the development of new software at an earlier stage
As online user ass
Planning on visiting or doing business with an Arab company? Here are few tips about Arab business and culture for visitors, exporters, and international traders to understand the culture, business culture, and how to do business with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, and other Middle East countries.Conservative behavior: In public, Arabs behave conservatively. Display of affection between spouses is nonexistent. It is a private society and display of one’s feelings is kept private. You will also notice that laughter and joking in public is toned down, which is not the case in private gatherings. Arguments between spouses, friends, and people in general are also kept private or conducted in a way that guarantees no one else is aware of it.Invitations: If you are invited to dinner or lunch, you are not expected to bring food, drinks, or gifts. Upon
The problems
Let's first look at a number of issues that Technical Authors face :
1. Overlapping technologies means overlapping job roles
Technologies and software are developing in a way that means the boundaries between the programmer, the Technical Author, the Web Developer and the Trainer are becoming blurred. For example, the online Help that will ship with the next release of Windows (code name Longhorn) may look more like a Web site or a Web-based learning (CBT) system than the type of Help files we currently see. This means that some Technical Authors feel they are being "crowded out" and losing their jobs, as their work is taken on by others within the organisation.
2. The work can be done in other ways
From time to time new software or technology will come out that will lead some technology evangelists to claim you can away with the need for "man-made" user assistance. Common themes appear and reappear with each technology wave, with people claiming:
3. It's a specialist and lonely job
Many are in an environment where they are the only Technical Author in their organisation, and this can mean their career path is unclear.
4. Their contribution to the business can be uncertain.
Some people perceive what Technical Authors produce to be a necessary evil - something that needs to be provided, but not actually of any great value. So they look to keep costs, and consequently the quality, to a minimum.
So what do Technical Authors do that is of value to the organisation?
We believe Technical Authors, as well as specialist documentation companies, are valuable to the organisation in:
We call this skill "information design". It is sometimes called (in Germany, for example) "information development". We believe these skills in information design have a wider application to the business than just the development of user manuals, procedures documents and Help files. These skills - organising information and providing the means by which people get that information - can help organisations fight and win the "information overload" battle.
Our recommendations
Technical Authors' skills need to be applied more widely across the organisation. In other words, create an Information Design department.
We suggest the role of the Technical Author should be redefined as "Information Designer" and the Technical Publications department should be redefined as the "Information Design" department. Doing this should help to make it clearer to everyone where their specialist skills - making large amounts of unstructured information more useful - can be applied elsewhere in the organisation.
IT departments don't have information design skills. Quality Managers don't have these, nor do marketing executives or Webmasters. The Technical Author (or Information Designer) does have these skills, and can offer these skills to anyone in the organisation that has to deal with large amounts of unstructured information.
Cherryleaf (along with other similar organisations) applies its skills to others outside of the technical authoring and software development community. For example, we work with people who are interested in improving their intranet, quality management systems, sales proposals or training courseware. So there's good reason to believe these newly named "Information Designers" could contribute in a similar way within their own organisations.
1. Carry out usability testing to measure the value of what technical authors produce
Some form of measurement needs to take place if you want to place a value on something. Jakob Nielsen (www.useit.com) has described how meaningful usability studies can be carried out for a small amount of effort. So test to see what happens if users don't have any documentation, and how they react to different types of user assistance.
2. Get involved in the development of new software at an earlier stage
As online user assi
Do you want to make more money at your job? Most people do, but don't know how to get a raise. Here are 7 practical tips that you can use now to get the raise you want and deserve:1. Know your company’s policy and schedule. Most companies have strict cycles when they approve raises. What is the raise cycle in your company? If you don’t know, talk to your Human Resources representative.2. Start now. Even if the next raise cycle doesn’t start for a few months, you need to start early. If you wait until review time, your salary might already be decided by the time you have a meeting with your manager.3. Find out what you’re worth in the market place. There are many websites that will help you to find out the market rate for your position nationally or locally. You can find salary calculators at www.monster.com and www.salary.com.4. Prove what you’re worth at your co
2. The work can be done in other ways
From time to time new software or technology will come out that will lead some technology evangelists to claim you can away with the need for "man-made" user assistance. Common themes appear and reappear with each technology wave, with people claiming:
3. It's a specialist and lonely job
Many are in an environment where they are the only Technical Author in their organisation, and this can mean their career path is unclear.
4. Their contribution to the business can be uncertain.
Some people perceive what Technical Authors produce to be a necessary evil - something that needs to be provided, but not actually of any great value. So they look to keep costs, and consequently the quality, to a minimum.
So what do Technical Authors do that is of value to the organisation?
We believe Technical Authors, as well as specialist documentation companies, are valuable to the organisation in:
We call this skill "information design". It is sometimes called (in Germany, for example) "information development". We believe these skills in information design have a wider application to the business than just the development of user manuals, procedures documents and Help files. These skills - organising information and providing the means by which people get that information - can help organisations fight and win the "information overload" battle.
Our recommendations
Technical Authors' skills need to be applied more widely across the organisation. In other words, create an Information Design department.
We suggest the role of the Technical Author should be redefined as "Information Designer" and the Technical Publications department should be redefined as the "Information Design" department. Doing this should help to make it clearer to everyone where their specialist skills - making large amounts of unstructured information more useful - can be applied elsewhere in the organisation.
IT departments don't have information design skills. Quality Managers don't have these, nor do marketing executives or Webmasters. The Technical Author (or Information Designer) does have these skills, and can offer these skills to anyone in the organisation that has to deal with large amounts of unstructured information.
Cherryleaf (along with other similar organisations) applies its skills to others outside of the technical authoring and software development community. For example, we work with people who are interested in improving their intranet, quality management systems, sales proposals or training courseware. So there's good reason to believe these newly named "Information Designers" could contribute in a similar way within their own organisations.
1. Carry out usability testing to measure the value of what technical authors produce
Some form of measurement needs to take place if you want to place a value on something. Jakob Nielsen (www.useit.com) has described how meaningful usability studies can be carried out for a small amount of effort. So test to see what happens if users don't have any documentation, and how they react to different types of user assistance.
2. Get involved in the development of new software at an earlier stage
As online user ass
Electronic display boards signify high priority messaging, allowing you to communicate critical, and time-sensitive information.Electronic display boards are present at many fast food restaurants today, aiding, and restaurants to increase sales, publicity and improve their service to you. As a customer, Electronic display boards allow you to check your order and provide you the peace of mind that you are getting what you pay for.At airports, electronic display boards assist airports in providing you a constant update on flight information. Many banks of today post outdoor electronic displays to provide friendly information to the community. From community reminders, to time and weather information, their outdoor electronic display board keeps you informed.In theatres, electronic display boards can give you a preview of what you will see inside and once in the door, these board
4. Their contribution to the business can be uncertain.
Some people perceive what Technical Authors produce to be a necessary evil - something that needs to be provided, but not actually of any great value. So they look to keep costs, and consequently the quality, to a minimum.
So what do Technical Authors do that is of value to the organisation?
We believe Technical Authors, as well as specialist documentation companies, are valuable to the organisation in:
We call this skill "information design". It is sometimes called (in Germany, for example) "information development". We believe these skills in information design have a wider application to the business than just the development of user manuals, procedures documents and Help files. These skills - organising information and providing the means by which people get that information - can help organisations fight and win the "information overload" battle.
Our recommendations
Technical Authors' skills need to be applied more widely across the organisation. In other words, create an Information Design department.
We suggest the role of the Technical Author should be redefined as "Information Designer" and the Technical Publications department should be redefined as the "Information Design" department. Doing this should help to make it clearer to everyone where their specialist skills - making large amounts of unstructured information more useful - can be applied elsewhere in the organisation.
IT departments don't have information design skills. Quality Managers don't have these, nor do marketing executives or Webmasters. The Technical Author (or Information Designer) does have these skills, and can offer these skills to anyone in the organisation that has to deal with large amounts of unstructured information.
Cherryleaf (along with other similar organisations) applies its skills to others outside of the technical authoring and software development community. For example, we work with people who are interested in improving their intranet, quality management systems, sales proposals or training courseware. So there's good reason to believe these newly named "Information Designers" could contribute in a similar way within their own organisations.
1. Carry out usability testing to measure the value of what technical authors produce
Some form of measurement needs to take place if you want to place a value on something. Jakob Nielsen (www.useit.com) has described how meaningful usability studies can be carried out for a small amount of effort. So test to see what happens if users don't have any documentation, and how they react to different types of user assistance.
2. Get involved in the development of new software at an earlier stage
As online user ass
Franchisee has a lot to do about image. Many marketers would agree that image is the single most important part of branding. In the world of franchising and brand-name extension franchisors and franchising companies must pay attention to details to ensure that their brand-name stands tall in the eyes of the consumer and customer.There is probably no easier way to destroy a brand-name or image of a franchising company in a particular marketing region than to have a drunk driving accident with the company's name on it show up on the front page of the newspaper. It is for this reason and because I am appalled by drunk drivers that I decided to do what no other franchise or has ever done in the history of franchising; I specifically addressed the drunk driving issue in our company's franchise agreements. Below you'll find the clause that I inserted into each and every franchise agreement;d (in Germany, for example) "information development". We believe these skills in information design have a wider application to the business than just the development of user manuals, procedures documents and Help files. These skills - organising information and providing the means by which people get that information - can help organisations fight and win the "information overload" battle.
Our recommendations
Technical Authors' skills need to be applied more widely across the organisation. In other words, create an Information Design department.
We suggest the role of the Technical Author should be redefined as "Information Designer" and the Technical Publications department should be redefined as the "Information Design" department. Doing this should help to make it clearer to everyone where their specialist skills - making large amounts of unstructured information more useful - can be applied elsewhere in the organisation.
IT departments don't have information design skills. Quality Managers don't have these, nor do marketing executives or Webmasters. The Technical Author (or Information Designer) does have these skills, and can offer these skills to anyone in the organisation that has to deal with large amounts of unstructured information.
Cherryleaf (along with other similar organisations) applies its skills to others outside of the technical authoring and software development community. For example, we work with people who are interested in improving their intranet, quality management systems, sales proposals or training courseware. So there's good reason to believe these newly named "Information Designers" could contribute in a similar way within their own organisations.
1. Carry out usability testing to measure the value of what technical authors produce
Some form of measurement needs to take place if you want to place a value on something. Jakob Nielsen (www.useit.com) has described how meaningful usability studies can be carried out for a small amount of effort. So test to see what happens if users don't have any documentation, and how they react to different types of user assistance.
2. Get involved in the development of new software at an earlier stage
As online user ass
We work in an increasingly data driven business environment where your business critical data is the core of your business. It is estimated that 60% of companies that lose their data shut down within 6 months. We are all aware of the pitfalls of inadequate backups - the problem is what to do about it. What's the most effective way to backup and secure your data?Online backup or tape - what's the answer? As with a lot of things in life the answer is not straightforward and the solution probably falls somewhere in the middle. In other words a combination of tape and online backup could be the answer for your business.Tape technology has evolved over the last 50 years into the high performance medium we use today -but is has drawbacks. One of the issues with tape backup is that it is a mechanical device that needs human intervention. Mechanisms break and human beings c
Cherryleaf (along with other similar organisations) applies its skills to others outside of the technical authoring and software development community. For example, we work with people who are interested in improving their intranet, quality management systems, sales proposals or training courseware. So there's good reason to believe these newly named "Information Designers" could contribute in a similar way within their own organisations.
1. Carry out usability testing to measure the value of what technical authors produce
Some form of measurement needs to take place if you want to place a value on something. Jakob Nielsen (www.useit.com) has described how meaningful usability studies can be carried out for a small amount of effort. So test to see what happens if users don't have any documentation, and how they react to different types of user assistance.
2. Get involved in the development of new software at an earlier stage
As online user assistance becomes more tightly integrated with the software, the Technical Author will need to be more tightly integrated with the development of the software, right from the beginning of the process.
3. Acquire the additional skills needed
The role today requires more than just writing. It requires skills in online information design and usability. In the future, it could require skills in writing JavaScript and developing e-learning content. However, some of the need to hack into code can probably be avoided if you use the most popular Help authoring tools. These developments in the role probably mean more training is required by Technical Authors.
4. Use the right tools for the job
The latest software from the main software vendors in this field provide more than just an authoring environment. Many tools now include content management, e-learning, scripting and support for output across a range of media. The vendors seem to have a good appreciation of the key issues surrounding the provision of user assistance and large documents.
Conclusion
The overlapping of technologies and the uncertainty of the contribution of the Technical Author does mean that the boundaries between this and other positions in the organisation are becoming blurred. Technical Authors have skills that organisations still need. Indeed, they can be applied to new areas. This means taking a new perspective on the role. So maybe we need to say "The Technical Author is dead. Long live the Information Designer."
(c) Cherryleaf 2006
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