Back to the Future – Simplified Technical English
For many years I’ve regarded Simplified Technical English as an outdated legacy from the Aerospace industry. But that opinion has changed radically in the last few weeks and I’m becoming a big fan.
Adobe RoboHelp 2015: Six Super Top Tips
In a previous blog I provided lesser known top tips for users of Adobe RoboHelp 11. They were described as “valuable hints learnt by technical writers who attend my Adobe RoboHelp training courses”. And now, back by popular demand, I
Help systems and user guides are inevitably boring. Discuss.
Recently, I’ve been considering my style of writing style. One of the things most of us are taught when we first become technical authors is that a user/reader shouldn’t be able to tell which technical author wrote the help or
Case Study: iSAMS Wiki-Based Documentation
Here at Armada, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding user-friendly documentation services. We hold long-standing relationships with a range of clients in the software industry. One such client is iSAMS, who develop school management software.
Case Study: Online Help using RoboHelp
At Armada we are very proud of our success rate in winning new business. Read our case study on a client requiring an online help solution.
A shortcut to technical writing success
As a busy technical writer, I like to work efficiently. This means optimising the use of my keyboard and mouse, for example by using keyboard shortcuts and right-clicks. I find it a little odd that I can remember so many
Technical authoring: Be precise, be very precise
Undoubtedly, one of the most important skills I bring to technical authoring is being precise… to the point of pedantry… and, yes, I’m proud of it! Accuracy is critical. In fact, there’s probably nothing more important for a technical author
A technical writer’s character traits
“What makes a good technical writer?” … a question frequently asked on Armada’s Technical Writing, RoboHelp, FrameMaker and Flare training courses, particularly those relatively new to technical writing. The answer, of course, cannot be both concise and comprehensive, though below
Using social media to your advantage
Social media as we know it has blossomed from the early days of Friendster and Bebo to the ever-present Facebook and Twitter. It’s important for every technical writer to take advantage of tools that can help your output and productivity.
Technical authors have problems too
I have worked as a technical author for nearly four years and have had to climb a steep learning curve. Today I am going to share with you a few of the common problems that I have encountered along the