Top 10 TechComm Influencers 2011
I've been listed by MindTouch as one of the Top 10 TechComm Influencers of 2011
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David Farbey, Technical Writer
Technical Communication and Information Design
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Most Influential Tech Comm Bloggers 2010
I've been listed by MindTouch as one of the top 25 Most Influential Tech Comm Bloggers for 2010!
Tag Archives: technical writing
On Awards and Algorithms
I am very proud to be listed as No. 8 on MindTouch’s list of Tech Comm Influencers for 2011. Nevertheless, and despite that fact that I don’t have a good success record at questioning awards I receive (or don’t receive), … Continue reading
Posted in content strategy, technical writing
Tagged algorithms, content strategy, ranking, technical writing, top 10
19 Comments
The “Minimum Effective Dose” of Content
When I spoke at the Congility Conference in May 2011 I used the phrase “minimum effective dose” to describe the amount of content we need to deliver to our users. This is a phrase that arose in discussions about content … Continue reading
Posted in content strategy, information design, technical writing
Tagged technical writing
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Don’t write about the “Cancel” button
In my opinion, when you are creating task-based help topics for software users you don’t necessarily need to write about the Cancel button in a dialog box. Here’s why.
Myths About Content
People who aren’t directly involved in creating content often hold a set of beliefs about what content is and how it is created that can only be described as myths. That may sound a little harsh, because believing in myths … Continue reading
Congility conference retrospective
I spent the last two days at the Congility conference, held near London, and chaired by Noz Urbina of Mekon. This event is the successor to the X-Pubs conferences held in previous years, and was all about making your content … Continue reading
“Getting your message across” survey results
At the beginning of February I ran a quick survey under the title “Getting your message across” in association with the UK launch of Adobe Technical Communication Suite 3. I’d like to summarise some of the results here.
What is “user focus” really about?
The best instructions are always written from the user’s point of view. But what does that mean? What is that point of view, and how do you reconcile that point of view with the widespread expectation amongst people who employ … Continue reading
Posted in information design, technical writing
Tagged information design, technical writing, user manuals, user-focus
6 Comments
How would you use Microsoft Word in corporate tech pubs?
Here’s a serious question that deserves some thought: Could you use Microsoft Word in a large-scale corporate technical publications environment, and if so, how would you do it? I know I am on record as saying that it’s not quite … Continue reading
