What is “Optimal” and “Optimization” in Technical Communication?
© 2010 Ugur Akinci From time to time I see sample documents in which the terms “optimal” and “optimization” are not used correctly. Since it’s a term that’s frequently used, I’d like to address it for the benefit of those TCC readers who wrote to me asking for an explanation of the concept. For one…
Read MoreGoogle Chrome Tutorial — Information Design at its Finest
© 2010 Ugur Akinci Have you seen this cartoon-style tutorial by Google Chrome? It’s one of the finest examples of information design that I’ve seen. It’s perfectly tuned to its intended audience (geeks age 16-36), is easy to follow, and chops down important concepts into easy-to-swallow visual chunks. http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/big_00.html
Read MoreHow to Write About Circuit-Board DIP Switches
© Ugur Akinci DIP switches are electronic components frequently used on circuit boards (a.k.a. “motherboards”, “panels”, “control boards” or “controller boards”) to configure basic system behavior by keeping a circuit either open or closed, by default. Once you set the value of a DIP switch it remains the same until you change it manually. First…
Read MoreTechnical Book Review: Studying Engineering: A Road Map to a Rewarding Career
If you’re a parent with a high-school kid who is debating whether to become an engineer or not, say this to him or her: “Here, read this book first and then decide on whatever you want to be…” The book I’m referring to is STUDYING ENGINEERING: A Road Map to a Rewarding Career by Raymond…
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