Dec
19
Writing procedures can be much more difficult than you’d think. We see procedures everywhere, so it’s natural to think that we should be able to write one without too much trouble. For that reason, I wanted to take you through some terrible real-life procedures. This is at least partly so we can all have a …
Aug
24
The writing industry has a schism. It’s not always obvious. We like to play it down. Some deny its very existence. But one day, you’ll be happily writing away in your new job, safe in the knowledge that you have a good grasp of spelling, comma placement, the use of industry terms and jargon, and can …
Aug
10
A conversation on the Australian Tech Writers mailing list prompted me to dig up these old blog posts from 2008 and repost them here. It was a short impromptu series of the changing face of language, and how we as wordsmiths deal with it: Merriam-Webster – Bringing The Mondegreen To Linguistic Fanboys Everywhere July 2008 …
Jun
13
At Red Hat, we have a content services department that is about sixty people strong. Even though the department is pretty big these days, back when I started with the company, we were still trying to work out the best way to run a successful enterprise-level documentation team. What that means is that I have …
Apr
30
![beer [DesktopNexus.com]](http://lanabrindley.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/beer-DesktopNexus.com_-150x150.jpg)
The Grass is Greener on the Open Side Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Oh my, here we go again. Another open source advocate banging on about freedom”. Well, yeah, I have to admit to at least a little bit of truth in that. Open source advocates do like to talk about morals, …
Apr
20
![among-grass [DesktopNexus.com]](http://lanabrindley.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/among-grass-DesktopNexus.com_-150x150.jpg)
Some time ago, I gave a web seminar for the Society of Technical Communicators (STC) in the US, which was an interesting experience. Considering it occurred at 4am local time, I’m not entirely certain I was at my best, but luckily I’ve been given the opportunity to repeat the talk at a more reasonable time. …
Apr
17
(Except the snow and the rain) It looks as though I’ll be winging my way back to the United States again shortly. I’ve been asked to speak at the Open Help Conference in Cincinnati (and one day soon I’ll learn how to spell it!), Ohio on 3-5 June. If you’re half as dedicated as I …
Feb
09
I was absently staring at a new tube of toothpaste this morning as I washed my hair. You have to look at something, right? This one declared “healthy, whiter teeth for longer”. An image of extremely long (but healthy and white) teeth filled my mind, and was immediately pushed out by the technical writer in …
Nov
30
Receiving a MODY3 diagnosis can be a threatening, frightening time. However, by understanding the disease, and knowing what to do about it, you can live a long and healthy life. This booklet will explain what MODY3 is, and will outline some of the changes you will need to make. Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases …
Jul
13
Everyone has heard the old adage about the “KISS Principle: Keep It Simple, Stupid”. Easy to say, easy to remember, but often hard to do. At least, hard to do well. When we simplify our language, it often comes across as patronising, dumbed-down, or just plain rude. So how should Stupid keep it simple, without …
