Chapter 3 Technical Writing and Electronic Technologies

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Chapter 3Technical Writing and Electronic
Technologies
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Technology is any implement that helps perform a
task, from sticks and stones to modern computers
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Computer Technologies

• Inevitable and necessary in workplace writing
• Influential in producing and disseminating
  information
• All documents depend on them
• All workers depend on them
• Many to choose from for different tasks
• Involved in the Problem-Solving Approach

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Different Programs for Different Documents

• Word processors
• Web-authoring software
• Graphics and imaging software
• Desktop publishing software
• Help authoring tools
• Single sourcing programs

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Word Processors

• Can revise, edit, correct, and change documents
• Use templates and style guides
• Create tables and columns
• Use multiple windows
• Can be used to find and replace words and phrases
• Can be used to share and collaborate at various
  stages

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Web-Authoring Software

• Used to design, create, and maintain websites
• Uses graphics, images, sounds, links
• Use HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and CSS
  (Cascading Style Sheets) in the background
• Uses WYSIWYG for ease of composition

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Graphics Imaging Software

• Creates new images
• Edits and crops existing images
• Masks portions of images
• Modifies and cleans up images
• Creates text and logos, drop shadows, and effects
• Develops diagrams, charts, and tables

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Desktop Publishing (DTP)

• Combines features of word-processing,
  web-authoring, and graphics and imaging software
• Renders the whole publication, including text,
  images, and other visual elements

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Help Authoring Tools

• Create and organize information to help guide
  readers through a process, problem, application,
  program, product, or website
• Prioritize and sequence help information so users
  follow it logically on various systems
• Create glossaries, appendices, and tables of
  content to organize and prioritize information
• Create and use a variety of navigational aides,
  such as forward, back, and home buttons

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Single Sourcing Software

• Stores one version of the information to use in
  multiple documents
• Is similar to help authoring software
• Saves time and money, eliminates errors, and
  improves consistency

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Communicating Collaborating

• The Internet
• Email
• The World Wide Web
• Electronic Messaging
• Video Conferencing
• Groupware

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The Internet

• Is a huge network of interconnected computers
• Facilitates most workplace communication
• Is a generic name for multiple modes of
  communication

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Email

• Is the most widely used tool for collaboration
  and communication today
• Delivers 35 billion messages per day
• Carries attachments, like word processing
  documents
• Provides a conduit for listservs and newgroups

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Netiquette The Informal Rules of the Internet

• Choose an appropriate email address
• Use an appropriate subject line
• Respect others bandwidth
• Lurk before you leap
• Polish your writing

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Netiquette Continued

• WATCH THOSE CAPS
• Use attachments appropriately
• Back it up and save it
• Remember when its out there, its out there

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The World Wide Web

• Web pages stored on servers, written in code, and
  accessed through a web browser
• A large portion of the Internet
• The primary medium through which technical
  information is published, transmitted, archived,
  and accessed today

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Electronic Messaging

• Is synchronous communication through short
  text-based messages
• Is used for short discussions, follow-ups, and
  immediate questions
• Can be used to facilitate group discussions

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Videoconferencing

• Allows participants to see and hear one another
• Allows individuals at different locations to
  interact in real time
• Is not as convenient as text-based messaging,
  since hardware, software, and bandwidth can be
  problematic and expensive

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Groupware

• Brings together many of the features of
  videoconferencing, document sharing, and the WWW
  in one package
• Allows secure and private file sharing
• Uses whiteboards to draw on a screen that
  everyone can see, regardless of their location
• Manages lists of contacts, group members, or
  collaborative teams

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The Future

• Wireless
• Allows remote connections
• Bandwidth and connection speed
• Allows for more sophisticated documents
• Ubiquity
• More integrated, transparent, and portable
• Price
• Cheaper, more powerful computing