Write More, Write Less

When: Thu Jan 15, 2009 6pm to 8:30pm CST Where: DePaul Universitys Rolling Meadows Campus Meadows Corporate Center East Tower 2550 W. Golf Rd., Suite 255 Rolling Meadows, IL
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: Join STC Chicago on Thursday, January 15, at the DePaul University campus in Rolling Meadows (east of Woodfield mall), for our first chapter program meeting of 2009. Our speaker, Joe Welinske of WritersUA, will present "Write More, Write Less: Embracing the Value of Crafted Words and Images". While the word "content" is a good shorthand for words, audio, and images, it unfortunately can move us farther away from the core competency of developing good information. The theme of this presentation is that documentation teams are often spending too little time writing well -- and at the same time spending too much time writing little-used information. Research and professional observation suggest that not enough time is being put into crafting text to be exactly the right text for a particular context. And writing resources for doing "agile" user assistance would be more readily available if writers would prioritize topic writing based on user need. "Writing More" while "Writing Less" can result in better utility for users and can reduce the need and load on the overall documentation development process and content management. Technical communicators of all backgrounds will benefit from this thought-provoking presentation. About the Speaker Joe Welinske is the president of WritersUA, a company devoted to providing training and information for user assistance professionals. The WritersUA Conference for Software User Assistance 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 more than 20,000 visitors each month. 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 courses on developing online help at the University of Washington, the University of California at Santa Cruz, and Bellevue (WA) Community College. Joe received a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1981 and an M.S. in Adult Instructional Management from Loyola University in 1987. About the Meeting A catered buffet (with non-alcohol beverages) is included with registration. There is no bar on campus. The presentation will start at 7 p.m., with check-in at 6 p.m. Registration deadline: 8 p.m. Friday, January 9, 2009. For prepaid online registration, the rates are: $30 for STC Chicago members $40 for non-members $15 for full-time students (with confirmation from their schools) $120 for a table of 6 After the deadline, you must register at the door and must pay by cash or check only. The rates for registration at the door are: $40 for STC Chicago members $50 for non-members For more information or to register, visit www.stc-chicago.org.