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Category Archives: documentation
The Writing Nobody Sees
Last week at a meeting of local entrepreneurs I described the type of writing I do as “unsexy.” I’ve spent much of my corporate life doing bureaucratic work: proposals, internal memos, executive correspondence, strategic communications, instructional design, training materials, event management, speech … Continue reading
Posted in business writing, documentation, job hunting, technical writing, workplace
Tagged bureaucracy
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Knowledge is Power, But How Do You Use It?
With great power comes great responsibility. —Uncle Ben, Spider-Man It’s more or less a truism in the workplace that “knowledge is power.” Knowledge can take many forms, depending on the nature of the work, from hands-on skills to institutional knowledge to having … Continue reading
Posted in consulting, documentation, mentoring, philosophy, workplace
Tagged knowledge sharing, single point of failure, training
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Alphabet Soup and Working in the Technology Business
For the first Christmas I spent at Marshall Space Flight Center, I gave Ares Project Managers Steve Cook and Dan Dumbacher each a small gift bag. Inside each bag was a can of alphabet soup, “as a way of returning … Continue reading
Posted in documentation, documents, research, technical writing, workplace
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Finding the Information You Need: The Magic of Keywords
I have a friend at NASA who is terrified of the way I use a computer. He’s convinced I’m a member of the Borg collective because of the speed with which I find information on the internet. And while I … Continue reading
Car Repairs and the Design of Documents
I’m sitting in the waiting room of the local Honda dealership, waiting a few patient hours for the mechanics to fix the alignment on my Accord and replace all four tires. I’m about to launch into a complaint about my … Continue reading
Posted in audience, documentation, documents, engineering, personal
Tagged business writing, usability
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