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While technical writers need to have good computer skills, they do not necessarily have to write about computers all their lives. "Technical" comes from the Greek techne, which simply means "skill".
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See also my collection of writing handouts, with special sections on academic writing, creative writing, writing for the internet, and technical and professional writing.
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06 Jun 2010 (updated); by
Usability Testing: 8 Quick Tips for Designing Tests
If you already have a prototype
and you want
to conduct a usability
test, and you're eager
to learn how to make the most of your opportunity to learn from
your users,
then this document is for you.
Short Stories: Developing Ideas for Short Fiction
A short story is tight -- there is no room for long exposition, there
are no subplots to explore, and by the end of the story there should be
no loose ends to tie up. End right at the climax, so that the reader
has to imagine how a life-changing event will affect the protagonist.
Quotations:
Integrating them in MLA-Style Papers
The MLA-style in-text citation is a highly
compressed format, designed to avoid interruping the
flow of ideas. A proper MLA inline citation uses just
the author's last name and the page
number (or line number), separated by a space
(not a comma).
Researched
Papers: Using Quotations Effectively
If your college instructor wants you to cite every
fact or opinion you find in an outside source, how
do you make room for your own opinion? Paraphrase,
quote selectively, and avoid summary.
Slouching
Towards Bedlam
*clunk*
The rotating tin cylinder within the phonograph vibrates slightly as a brass needle scrapes against it. The sound of a throat being cleared emerges from the machine's hornshell speaker, followed by a thin, haunting voice.
"March the 16th."
A deep, shaky breath.
"I dread to say it, but I believe I am going mad. The -- *moments* -- come more frequently now. I fear that I have found what I have sought, and I shall now pay the price for it."
The scrape of a chair across flagstone. A sigh.
"Chaos treads the halls of Bedlam; her work is evident everywhere..."
Thesis Statements:
How to Write Them
A thesis statement is the single, specific
claim that your essay supports. A good thesis
statment is not simply an observation, a question,
or a promise. It includes a topic, a precise opinion,
and reasoning.
Personal
Essays: How to Write Them
Your instructor is not going to grade you on how much
you loved your deceased family member, how wonderfully
you played in the big game, or how narrowly you escaped
death. Your instructor wants to gauge your ability
to focus on one specific incident -- even a routine
happening -- and tell it in an engaging way.
Assessing
Google as a Teaching and Research Tool
We know our students use Google, and we ourselves
use Google to prepare for classes. We should know
how Google works, so we can accommodate its weaknesses.
(Teaching & Learning Forum, Seton Hill University.)
Finding
the URL of a Framed Web Document
When a site uses frames, clicking on navigation links
will cause the document displayed inside the frame
to change, but the URL at the top of the screen won't
change. This document explains how to find the URL
of the exact page you want to cite.
Cruel
Amusement Park Instructions
Amusement parks just wouldn't be amusing without
all the warnings that we ignore.
(Meme)X
Marks the Spot: Theorizing Metablogging via "Meme"
and "Conduit"
This paper examines metablogging in terms of Dawkins's
concept of the "meme" and Reddy's critique
of the "conduit" metaphor for communication....
The language of metablogging uses metaphors that emphasize
communality and proximity, and thus offers an alternative
to the social risks Reddy associates with the conduit
metaphor.
24 May, 2003; by Kathy
Kennedy, UWEC Senior
Short
Stories: 10 Tips for Novice Creative Writers
A short story starts close to the conclusion,
conserves characters, scenes and details, and usually
focuses on a single problem and a short time period.
This page offers tips on writing dialogue, building
to a climax, and capturing the reader's interest.
Integrating
Good Sources
If your college instructor wants you to cite every
fact or opinion you find in an outside source, how
do you make room for your own opinion? Paraphrase.
Quote selectively. Avoid summary.
Newbie
Web Author Checklist
If you've recently created your first website and
you're getting ready to submit it for a class assignment,
then this page is for you.
Gender-neutral
Language
Many people believe that the general use of the term
"man" is offensive, or at least inaccurate.
Phrases like "no man is an island" or "every man for
himself" seem to exclude women. Unless your goal is
to offend or annoy your audience, you should follow
the conventions they expect.
I
Found it On the Internet:
How to Locate, Evaluate and Cite Online Sources
The link above goes to the web version of a
PowerPoint
presentation.
All
Your Usenet are Belong to Wesley
I tracked down the first Usenet references
to the hated Star Trek character Wesley Crusher, and
to Wil Wheaton, the child actor who grew up to gain
some serious geek credibility.
Titles
for Web Pages: In Context and Out of Context
Most writers know the value of an informative
title, but many beginning web authors don't know that
each web page needs two kinds of titles.
Short Reports: How To Write Routine Technical Documents
This collection of documents uses examples and commentary
to teach technical writing principles. Chief among
them: good writers don't need fancy words; a technical
document is not a mystery novel; and, break your content
into appropriate sections (Abstract or Executive Summary?
Introduction or Background? Recommendations
or Conclusions?).
World
Trade Center: Reflections on the Disaster
Skyscrapers in general, and the twin towers
of the World Trade Center in particular, symbolize,
for many writers, either prideful arrogance, or a
new technological beauty. This site attempts to survey
what has already been written on this topic.
Scott
Adams: Storytelling in Computer Games
The author of the first commercial computer game
("Adventureland," 1978) leads a lively discussion
on narrative, copyright, and violence. He also describes
his first night playing EverQuest.
Exposition
in Interactive Fiction
Putting long stretches of narrative prose into
the mouth of the interactive fiction narrator will
not turn a great puzzle-fest into even a passable
story.... The interactive fiction player is supposed
to live the story.
Frames: Finding the URL of a
Framed Document
Look for an "escape from frames" or "turn
this frame off" link. Right-click on a link (or, on
a Mac, hold down the control key while clicking) and
select the command that will let you "open link in
new window."
"Last
Page of the Internet" Links
Who first created the "Last Page of
the Internet" joke? I have no idea.
Scott
Adams, Computer Gaming Pioneer, to Speak at UWEC
Scott Adams, the computer gaming pioneer
whose work during the early 80s helped spawn an entertainment
industry, will visit the University of Wisconsin --
Eau Claire on Thursday, May 3, 2001 as part
of the UWEC English Festival. He will participate
in an early afternoon round table (2pm, location TBD),
and also discuss his work in the Hibbard Humanities
Hall penthouse, 4-5pm.
Eliza (1966)
Eliza was the first chatterbot -- a computer
program that mimics human conversation. In only about
200 lines of computer code, Eliza models the behavior
of a psychiatrist (or, more specifically, the "active
listening" strategies of a touchy-feely 1960s
Rogerian therapist).
Galatea
(interactive fiction)
She might be the model in a perfume ad; the trophy
wife at a formal gathering; one of the guests at this
very opening, standing on an empty pedestal in some
ironic act of artistic deconstruction -- You hesitate,
about to turn away. Her hand balls into a fist. "They
told me you were coming."
Outlines:
How They Can Help You
An outline is a tool that helps
writers determine whether they have enough raw material
(in the form of quotations from scholarly sources
and/or data from original research) to construct a
particular argument. With experience, many writers
learn that using an outline leads to better work,
in less time.
I Missed Class...Did
I Miss Anything Important?
Most
teachers I know cringe when students who missed class
e-mail to request a transcript of the class they missed.
My policy is to say, "Get the notes from a classmate."
Top
5 Tips for Effective Notetaking
The transition from high school textbook learning
to college lecture learning can leave students struggling
academically. Make that transition easy by following
these 5 top tips to improve your notetaking -- and
your GPA.
Zplet Bug Hunt
Some time ago I corresponded with Matthew
T. Russotto, programmer of Zplet, who gave me permission
to update, expand, and redistribute Zplet for non-commercial
purposes. So... what bugs bedevil us when we use Zplet?
Blurbs:
Writing Previews of Web Pages
A blurb is a short paragraph that previews
what's on the other end of a link. You're reading
a blurb now. If it helps you decide whether you should
click the link, then it has done its job.
Writing Effective E-Mail: Top 10 Tips
These ten tips will help teach you how to write
effective, high-quality e-mails in today's professional
environment. Write a meaningful subject line; keep
the message short and readable; avoid attachments;
identify yourself; don't flame (and more).
The
Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde
"[I]n case of the decease of Henry
Jekyll, M.D., D.C.L., L.L.D., F.R.S., etc., all his
possessions were to pass into the hands of his "friend
and benefactor Edward Hyde," but that in case
of Dr. Jekyll's "disappearance or unexplained
absence for any period exceeding three calendar months,"
the said Edward Hyde should step into the said Henry
Jekyll's shoes without further delay..."
Hypertext Essays- How to Write
Them
The ordinary prose essay has been around
for hundreds of years; people have had a long time
to discover how to write a good one. But hypertext
is a much more recent invention.
Learn to Fear Jupiter Communications!
If this
press release represents the kind of thinking
that comes out of this company, I suggest that you
run screaming from the unbounded evil that
Jupiter Communications represents.
Slamming
the Door on Readers
Web design is a good thing; but web authors
who overemphasize design frequently end up skimping
on -- or even subverting -- their own content.
Keep
It Simple Stupid: On the Web, a KISS is still
a KISS
Want to launch a business that makes a really
huge impression? Put the cash register on
the roof. How cool would that be!
MLA-Style
Bibliography Builder
Updated to handle web sources (Jan 2001).
Choose a form, fill it out, and push the button...
you will get an individual MLA "Works Cited"
entry, which you may then copy and paste into your
word processor. The BibBuilder is limited in its usefulness,
but you may nevertheless find it helpful.
- Oral Presentations: Delivering Technical Information Face-to-face
- The Waste Land
- Bernice Bobs Her Hair
- PICK UP AX (Review)
- The Talk about [Florida] Elections (2000)
- Shall I compare thee to a hanging chad?
- Dr. Seuss Goes to Florida
- Jingle Bells 2000
- Florida County Ballot Design Raises Questions about Election 2000
- Interactive Fiction Call for Papers
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