“Hide and Seek” had screeched to a halt! My 11 year-old son had outsmarted his younger sisters by hiding BEHIND the dryer! My poor daughters had looked every place they knew. They were now wailing that he’d run away from home. It was time for Dad to get involved. With a loud shout, I commanded […]
Continue readingA Technical Writer’s Christmas List
I saw Santa in the mall this weekend. The line was long, but I THOUGHT about it. I know I’m too old. I know he would NOT appreciate me on his lap. I get all that. But I WANT stuff. I want Technical Documentation stuff. Not products, mind you: I want FUNCTIONALITY! I know the […]
Continue readingRelentless
A friend once referred to me as “relentless”, as in “unwilling to relent.” We’re about to find out if this is so… Many of you know, I’ve been just a little bit excited about LavaCon these past few months. I have been waiting to LiveBlog LavaCon like skaters wait for the olympics, like flower shops […]
Continue readingUnlocking Hidden Levels
Who doesn’t love a secret passageway? The thrill of gaining access to concealed corridors is found in so many childhood tales, from Narnia’s Wardrobe to Hogwart’s train station. By using social media tools to live-blog and live-tweet industry events, we “unlock” these “hidden levels” for our peers.
Continue readingLavaCon: Cooler than Star Wars?
Earlier this month, I took my 11-year old son and his best buddy to Star Wars Celebration V. For Junior Jedi like them, this was a long awaited, can’t miss event. All their heroes were in one place. George Lucas, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher were there: Not to mention the entire voice acting cast […]
Continue readingContent: A Banquet Best Served Warm
A company that hides answers behind an 800 number is like a banquet host that locks the meal in the pantry. Enabling self-service support is like laying out a rich buffet, rather than forcing guests to beg at the kitchen door.
Continue readingThe Rise of the Vocal Customer
Today’s corporations are facing a mighty challenge: The Rise of the Vocal Customer. Individual business functions will have to think as a single organism to truly maximize the available opportunities that come along side Social Media. So, taking a cue from the Power Rangers, we must “Make the MegaZord.”
Continue readingWhat if we could KNOW?
At the other end of our content is a person who needs an answer. If we learn exactly who they are, we can give them exactly what they need.
Continue readingPrepare for the coming judgement
Within a year or two, web analytics will make it painfully obvious which technical writers write content that matters and which do not. So the time to tune up your text is today.
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