Tag: Technical Writing
Dr. McCoy to Boldly Start at the End
Here we are, at the end of my TECM 5200 coursework. 8 weeks ago, if someone said the phrase “SWOT analysis,” I would have assumed we were talking about law enforcement—not strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Transitioning from an academic to a techcomm career has reminded me of a line from T. S. Eliot’s Four… Read more
Anton Chekhov, Apple Maps, and the Power of Consistent, Accessible Content
I have characterized the difference between writing for the academy techcomm as working out the same muscles with new exercises. Plain language is a major theme in these blogs. Module 4, in particular, championed a concept Anton Chekhov once wrote to Maxim Gorky: You understand what I mean when I say, “The man sat on… Read more
ROT, Personas, and Finding What You’re Looking For
What did you read or watch that surprised, delighted or disappointed you? Why? Module 3 was a milestone. Information from the previous modules fell into place. The acronym ROT was delightful. But the term “personas” was disappointing. ROT ROT is any redundant, outdated, or trivial content. It’s a satisfying, clever, and clear acronym. Interestingly, whenever I’ve… Read more
The Surprising Similarities Between Content Inventories and Dissertations
I found the first two modules encouraging. I am an adjunct professor who wrote his PhD dissertation on Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. Many of the challenges I faced writing a dissertation, from creating clear, logical chapters to researching for the dreaded literature review, correlate to the aims and goals of technical communication. What did you read… Read more