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Updated:
Feb-06-2008
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New York Meeting
Thursday, Feb-28 (5:30 to 8:30 PM)
5:30 to 7 PM - Networking, Vendor Demonstration and Dinner
7 to 8:30 PM - Presentation
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Topic
An Overview of Trends, Tools, and Technologies in Software User Assistance
Speaker(s)
Joe Welinske, President WritersUA
Location
Arno Ristorante
141 W. 38th Street
(at Broadway)
New York, New York
212 944-7420
New York, New York
http://www.arnoristorante.com/
RSVP By
Wed, Feb-27-2008
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Costs
Dinner & Meeting:
$10 - Members/Students
$40 - Non-members
Meeting Only:
$ 0 - Members/Students
$ 5 - Non-members)
Contact
Donna Timpone
timpone@useredge.com
908 730-9164 (voice)
908 730-8466 (fax)
Payment
Send checks payable to STC NY Metro Chapter to:
UserEdge, Inc.
P.O. Box 5202
Clinton, NJ 08809
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Meeting Summary
The application of technical communication skills to the development of software user assistance has grown immensely in the past twenty years. This specialization is very fulfilling and challenging and technical communicators are finding their role in the software development process to be increasingly valued.
User assistance is much more than "Help." It encompasses a wide range of skills and technologies that are combined to improve the software user's experience.
- We contribute through wizards, tutorials, and web-based training.
- We develop and populate knowledge bases and content management systems.
- Printed manuals and their PDF equivalents are still an important element of our documentation sets.
- Many of us are now embedding helpful content directly into the user interface.
- We are involved with usability testing, localization, testing, quality assurance, and branding.
This presentation provides a cutting-edge overview of the latest trends in software user assistance, defines the key terminology, highlights the most important technologies, and offers predictions on future directions of our field. The seventy-five minute session should be of interest to technical communicators of all backgrounds and experience levels.
About the Speaker
Joe Welinske is the president of WritersUA, formerly known as WinWriters. WritersUA is a company devoted to providing training and information for user assistance professionals.
The WritersUA/WinWriters Conference draws hundreds of attendees each year from around the world to share the latest in user assistance design and implementation. The free content on the WritersUA web site attracts over 20,000 visitors each month. The WritersUA Annual Conference will be held in Portland, Oregon, March 16-19, 2008.
Joe has been involved with software documentation development since 1984. Together with Scott Boggan and David Farkas, Joe authored two editions of the popular and pioneering book Developing Online Help for Windows. He has also taught online Help courses at the University of Washington, UC Santa Cruz, and Bellevue Community College.
Joe received a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1981, and a M.S. in Adult Instructional Management from Loyola University in 1987. Joe is currently serving his second term as President of the STC Puget Sound Chapter.
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