The Hidden High Cost of Cutting Down on Documentation
© 2010 Ugur Akinci When times are rough, one of the first things companies try to cut back on is documentation. Some managers believe that if they fire a few technical writers and skip on user and installation manuals the company would make more profit. The reality could be just the opposite. The company may…
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How to Write and Punctuate Measurements Correctly
How to write measurements correctly is a hot topic for technical editors and I suspect will remain so for eternity. Ultimately, there is no absolutely correct and absolutely-wrong way of writing anything. I’ve seen so many different writing guidelines and style books recommending so many different principles that I cannot in all good conscience be…
Read MoreHow to Write a Documentation Plan
Documentation Plan is one of the key documents in technical writing. When starting off a technical communication project, either as a freelancer or a payroll employee, you’d better start with a Documentation Plan to avoid any unnecessary complications and headaches down the road. Here are the ideal stages of any documentation project: 1. Write the…
Read MoreTechnical Book Review – "The User Manual Manual"
© Ugur Akinci The User Manual Manual : How to Research, Write, Test, Edit & Produce a Software Manual by Michael Bremer (Untechnical Press Books for Writers Series, 1999, 314 pp) is a useful text book to learn not only the techniques of producing a software manual but becoming more aware of the “organizational ecology”…
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