Society for Technical Communication, UK Chapter

Back to Main                                       FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER                             Archive

2. Chapter News

3. President's Message
4. UK Chapter Officers 2004-2005

5. STC UK March Conference

6. UK Meetings and Announcements

7. People News

1. Campaign Notices from STC Board Candidates

2. Paula Berger, Candidate for 2nd Vice President

3. Linda L. Oestreich, Candidate for 2nd Vice-President

4. Deborah F. Sauer – Candidate, STC Second Vice President

5. Doug Woestendiek, Candidate for STC Treasurer

CHAPTER NEWS

President's Message

Tina Hoffman

A very Happy New Year to you all! Here we are in 2005; I never dreamed that the first six months of my term as chapter president would go by so quickly. As we start another year, I would like to thank everyone for their enthusiastic support and participation during 2004. I am sure we can make 2005 an even better year for the UK chapter.

We are planning a varied program of events for 2005, a mixture of informative and interesting programs, as well as networking and education opportunities. And I look forward to meeting many more of you in person in 2005.

Last weekend I participated in the Trans-European Technical Communication Awards Event in Amsterdam. It was an excellent weekend, packed with learning and networking opportunities, attended by over 30 people from all over Europe (as well as a visitor from Canada!). I was reminded once again, how important these gatherings are. Our lives are becoming increasingly 'virtual'; most of our chapter business takes place by email, on the yahoo group, and over the telephone. Don't get me wrong, I like to be virtual. It often is the fastest and most effective - and sometimes the only possible - way of communicating with members from across the UK, or indeed the globe. But sometimes it's not enough. Sometimes we need to be real. So look out for our calendar of events. Full details of the meetings will be published in the coming newsletters, mailed to the chapter discussion list and posted on the chapter web site. Join us. It's fun.

As always, if you have any ideas that you would like to share with the UK chapter, please feel free to email me at thoffman@pathtrace.com. Or better still, come and join us at one of our events.

In closing, I would like to wish for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2005 for us all. The terrible tragedy that hit southern Asia over Christmas has once again reminded us, how quickly all our lives can be turned upside down. We have run out of words to describe the horror that devastated the lives of so many people. Let's keep the tsunami victims in our thoughts and hearts, not just today but over the next few months and years. Our holidays were - I hope - happy ones, let's give what support we can.

Thank you and see you at one our events in the coming months.

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STC UK March Conference

Nick Rosenthal

The UK Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) cordially invites you to attend its one-day conference in Manchester on Saturday, 12 March 2005. Our one-day conference will start with a welcome coffee at 09:00, and the first speaker will be "on stage" at 09:30. We will be providing a buffet lunch, and plenty of tea and coffee breaks.

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet other technical communicators, exchange ideas and experiences, and pick up authoring tool and job information.

This event is open STC members and guests - please forward this information to anyone you think would be interested in attending.

Venue

We're venturing into the northern heartlands of industrial Britain for our March STC UK Conference. After the highly successful one-day workshop that Nancy Halverson organised last spring in Sheffield, we cross the Pennines this time to the Castlefield area of Manchester. Once the heart of the industrial revolution (and a vital hub on some of the earliest canals in Britain), this area went through a period of post-industrial neglect in the 70's and 80's. Nowadays, it has been regenerated and is home to several "city dwelling" Mancunians, the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry and some wonderful bars. Castlefield is easily accessible from the motorway network, by train (via Deansgate railway station), and is less than 1 km from the shopping Mecca of Manchester. Our one-day conference will be held at the purpose-built Manchester YHA, which enjoys a prime waterfront location directly opposite the Museum of Science and Industry.

Topics / speakers
At the time of going to press we are still finalising speakers and putting the finishing touches to the programme. Please keep an eye on the STC UK web site for further details as our final speakers confirm. So far, we're delighted to announce that the one-day conference will include the following:

* Tina Hoffmann, president of the STC UK chapter, will be updating us on news of the STC UK chapter
* Nick Rosenthal will giving a presentation on "Managing graphics in multilingual documentation", or how to stay sane whilst managing a workflow involving a 90-page manual with 50 different localisable graphics, going into ten to fifteen languages.
* Simon Elmes, Principal Technical Author at Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe Ltd, will be sharing his experience of using FrameMaker and WebWorks to produce user guides and online help from a single source file.
* Nadir Moubarrid from Pass Engineering in Bonn will be flying in from Germany to give us a cutting-edge overview of the use of XML-based documentation, including localisation approaches and tools.
* Roel Seegers from Tedopres International will be offering us all valuable insights into the correct use of Simplified English in technical communication

Benefits
Investing in ourselves as professionals is more important than ever, and our one-day STC UK conference is an ideal opportunity to stay abreast of new trends and technologies. As well as a series of highly informative presentations, this conference provides an ideal opportunity for networking, making new contacts, renewing old friendships and sharing thoughts with our fellow professionals.

No conference would be complete without a social dimension. Since several people will be travelling to Manchester specially for the conference, we will be providing details of recommended hotels, and arranging for informal dining groups on the Friday and Saturday evenings. Again, please watch the STC UK web site for more details as our plans develop.

Booking (web site)
The booking form is available at the STC UK web site. We aim to keep delegate fees as low as possible (tickets are priced at £15 for STC members and £25 for non-members, so book early!). This has to be the best value for money tech writing conference so far this year!

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UK Meetings and Announcements

STC UK is launching a Northern Local Interest Group (LIG). This will be a loose affiliation of STC members who live in what they consider to be the North of the UK. This LIG is being set up by Nick Rosenthal in Manchester and Nancy Halverson in Sheffield. It is intended as a loose, informal contact group, perhaps with occasional very informal meetings held in venues in Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds (or perhaps Newcastle? Glasgow? Birmingham?).

Anybody who would like to join is invited to drop an e-mail to nick@salftrans.co.uk - please include the words "northern LIG" in the subject line.

In time, we also intend setting up a "Southern Local Interest Group" - we'll have more on that in the next newsletter.

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Congratulations to the Usability Professionals Association - North of England (UPA North) who held their Inaugural Meeting on February 7, 2005. This was attended by 27 people from a wide range of backgrounds, including usability consultants, tech writers, product managers, information architects, graphic designers, project managers and professors.

For more about the event and info on future meetings, see:
http://www.ukupa.org.uk/north/archives/000132.html

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The STC Christmas Dinner was held on 6th December at The Archduke Restaurant & Wine Bar under the arches near Waterloo Station. This is always a delightful venue, with an unusual menu, great jazz and a cosy atmosphere. The group was relaxed and jolly. While authoring topics did arise, we found many other things to discuss, too. When we chose the date Tina pointed out that 6th December is St Nicholas Day, when Continental people give presents. She found some delightful chocolate Santas, and gave them to the restaurant staff to put on our table. Alas, the Santas ended up on the next table! By the time Tina realized this, about half had been eaten by another party! When restaurant staff realized their mistake, they were most apologetic and offered us some free wine in compensation. Many thanks to Tina for a lovely idea!

Unfortunately, a couple of people had to pull out at the last minute, and others couldn't make the dinner due to Christmas commitments. Would people be interesting in having a dinner or perhaps a picnic in the summer?

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People News

Please join us in congratulating our 1st Vice President, David Farbey on his new status as a Master of Arts. As many members will know, David has been following the Sheffield Hallam distance learning MA in Technical Authorship for some time and he was delighted to finally be awarded his Master's degree at the end of January 2005. Well done, David!

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CAMPAIGN NOTICES FROM STC BOARD MEMBERS

The following candidates have asked us to print their election notices (see below). Members should be aware that election to the post of 2nd Vice President eventually means that the successful candidate will become STC President, because promotion to 1st Vice President and then President is automatic (except in very exceptional circumstances). Members are therefore encouraged to read all the representations carefully and to cast their votes with due thought for the future of STC and its membership.

Note: Ballot papers will be sent to STC members on or about March 2, 2005.

Paula Berger, Candidate for 2nd Vice President

I want to thank the STC membership for giving me this opportunity to run for 2nd Vice President. Many people asked me to run for this office because STC and our profession need strong leaders. I have been a voice for change and progress in STC for years, I have a clear vision of where our profession and our society need to be, and I have the strength and willingness to lead us through these changes.

This article presents my views on the major issues that STC must address. The ballot materials and the candidate information printed in Intercom offer a brief summary of these issues. You can read more about my views, my STC experience, and my professional experience at www.paulaberger.com.

Providing Better Value to Members
Membership has dropped in recent years, partly because members and employers no longer believe STC provides enough value. We must re-engage technical communicators by redefining and improving our services. This is a major goal of STC’s Transformation.

One of STC’s primary duties is to foster the career growth of members by defining and supporting career paths they can follow in their own discipline or related ones. Our activities and offerings must focus on lifelong professional development.

STC must increase educational opportunities for both newcomers and for senior members. We need to add educational offerings that focus on advanced skills for advanced practitioners.

STC needs to develop comprehensive, industry-supported training programs that provide clear value to members and employers. Our strong special interest groups should work with education and industry experts to define curricula for basic and advanced certificates in their disciplines.
Webinar topics and other educational offerings must be part of a coherent training structure, with the value of each topic defined in context of the focused training programs.

STC’s financial arrangements must respond to the day-to-day concerns of members. Our membership fees must be appropriate and manageable. We must provide additional financial value to members, such as STC discounts on software products and reduced prices at an online bookstore. We should also partner with other associations to offer reciprocal discounts on events and membership.

Promoting the Technical Communication Profession
STC must embrace the multi-disciplinary nature of technical communication. Our diversity is a positive sign that our profession is evolving and we must welcome and support the many disciplines that constitute technical communication. As one society with communities from many related disciplines, we can take advantage of the stronger voice we have because of our diversity.

We must truly lead the profession, promoting best practices and educating the public, employers, and industry about the importance, usefulness, and diversity of technical communication. We must define where technical communication fits in the global business landscape of 2005 and beyond. To better define and increase our business value, we should solicit high-level industry leaders to join a new STC Board of Advisors.

Greater corporate support is key to STC’s future. We must aggressively solicit support from companies that understand the benefits of a strong technical communication profession. We must promote corporate sponsorships for education programs, scholarships, and even specific recognition awards.

We must have a strong global presence and actively pursue new members and corporate involvement outside the U.S. Working outside the U.S. and belonging to a chapter in Europe for several years has helped me understand the global business of technical communication.

Other societies exist to support many of the technical communication disciplines – user experience, information design, and more. STC needs to look outside its boundaries and interact with other societies. We must build alliances with them, arranging reciprocal discounts on events, offering shared educational offerings, and perhaps even holding joint conferences.

Supporting STC’s Communities
Communities have always been a real strength of STC. While many associations boast strong networks, STC is truly unique in the quality of the relationships that members form. Our members are committed professionals who care a great deal about what they do and about each other. STC has been a wonderful part of my personal and business life, with many STC members I consider both colleagues and friends.

We must nurture all our communities and help them thrive. “Seasoned” STC members usually have close ties to their chapters. Now, more people have also developed close ties to virtual communities. All our communities have great value and need to be supported fairly and equitably.

Our annual conference is an important part of the society year and offers wonderful networking opportunities. We can strengthen the conference by updating our approach to reflect our changing community structure. It may be time to align the conference stems with the special interest groups and have these communities take responsibility for defining the offerings in their stems. Perhaps our smaller conferences throughout the year can be based on disciplines and run by larger interest groups, either instead of or in conjunction with regional conferences.
We must also provide society-wide technology solutions that simplify community operations and communication, such as portals, job banks, event listings, online classes, and forums. We must provide additional training and support for community leaders, particularly in light of the proposed changes to the sponsor role.

Improving Our Management of STC
It is no secret that we need some internal changes in STC. The Transformation is a good start, but the STC Board needs to communicate better than it has. The Board needs to listen to members, to invite participation in discussions and decisions, and to explain what the Board is doing. If I am elected, sharing information will be one of my key priorities.

We need to improve our management of the society’s resources. STC needs to “open the books” to a greater degree, allowing members to understand how the society’s resources are used. We also need to be sure we are deriving the maximum benefit from the STC office and directing them effectively.

Another area for change is the election process. Very few STC members vote, because our election process does not foster member involvement or bring issues into discussion. We should evaluate alternatives, such as requiring all potential candidates to submit petition signatures showing demonstrating member support.

Please Vote…

STC is at a crossroads. We need leaders who are not afraid to take the more difficult path if it leads to greater benefits. Please give me the chance to help STC help us all. Thank you.

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Linda L. Oestreich, Candidate for 2nd Vice President

Hi, I’m Linda Oestreich, one of your 2005 candidates for STC 2nd Vice-President. I have been an active, dedicated member of STC ever since I became a technical communicator in 1979. In fact, in 1996, I was honored by the Society with the title of Fellow. And, for the past three years, I have been Director-Sponsor of Region 5.
You will have my “official” write-up with your ballot materials and in Intercom. So, this article is my way of bringing to you some of my ideas about the Society and our profession that I hope will help you understand who I am.

You have three choices for this office this year. Each candidate brings with her a wealth of experience, wisdom, and dedication. Naturally, I hope you decide to vote for me, but no matter whom you choose, please do vote!

Relationships and Communities
Our profession and our Society are about relationships and communities. Merriam-Webster says relationship means [the state of] “having an aspect or quality (as resemblance) that connects two or more things or parts as being or belonging or working together or as being of the same kind.” Sounds like a bunch of STCers, doesn’t it?
Many of you have heard about the move to call all of our chapters and SIGs communities. Merriam-Webster gives its first definition of community as “a unified body of individuals.” Even better, a second definition is “a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society.” Change the word living to working, and we have a perfect fit!

Relationships naturally exist within communities. And communities exist to help their members, to provide support, and to offer growth. Communities also have relationships with other communities. STC is, has been, and I hope, will always be, about the relationships within, among, and between communities and the individuals within those communities. It is this aspect of the Society that has kept me excited about being a member and leader for more than 20 years. If you have ever heard me speak, you know that I love what I do, but even more so, I love helping others be better at doing what they do!

The STC Community
The Society for Technical Communication is a vehicle to help all of us be better at what we do. In these days of change, turnover, outsourcing, and offshoring, the global community absolutely needs what we do.

Technical communication is necessary. As long as we have technology and change, we will have people who need good technical communicators who can provide bridges to understanding.
I believe in the STC community. I believe that the Society provides and will continue to provide a path for our success. Just as the work we do provides the words and tools that act as bridges to better understanding, I believe that STC provides a way for us to excel in that work. STC communities even help us better understand technical communicators in other fields, in other cities, and in other parts of the world.

A Two-Way Love Affair
Our world is about relationships. Sometimes we forget that relationships need two-way energy. They need feedback and they need care. If you are one of the STC members who wants more value for your membership, perhaps you need to give more than your membership fee to STC.

I have loved STC for more than 20 years, and I have worked hard to be part of its success. STC has loved me back with opportunities. It has shown me the way to new employment, to new heights of my profession, to higher salary levels, and to lifelong friendships that I treasure. For me, it has been you, the people of the Society who have made those benefits possible. I want to be 2nd Vice-President and ultimately President of this Society because I believe in you. You are the people of the Society. I believe you are its heart, and I believe that the changes the Society is experiencing are for ultimate good.

Our organization must be known and respected by industry, by academe, by government, and by everyday people. I want STC to be a recognized acronym—even with people who have never written a users guide, a journal article, a research grant, a help file, or a hardware manual. I want our spouses, our children, and our parents to understand the value we bring to the world. We, as members of the Society, can make that happen through better marketing, varied and accessible educational programs, enthusiastic grass root activities, and strong communities.

Relationships are Our Strength
Communities of practice; communities of interest; communities of geography, communities of communities! It doesn’t matter what we call ourselves when we form relationships, what matters is the relationship.

Our STC relationships provide ongoing mentoring and form a substructure of strength that we can depend on. As the Society moves forward with new programs and new technologies, we find areas of the Society that are in need of repair, recycling, and retirement. However, we also find areas that are strong, viable, and valuable. As we live our professional lives, we choose the parts of the Society that work best for us. Yet, no matter what programs or technologies we embrace, the relationships and the communities of STC are at the core.

I will do all I can to make my belief in this Society contagious. But, you are the key. As a member of the Society, you have a relationship with other members, and you have a relationship with your SIGs, your chapters, your competitions, and your conferences. You can make those relationships strong and reciprocal. As a Society leader, my job is to help ensure that the Society returns your efforts with value.
I am passionate about STC. I believe that passion will help me lead the Society with wisdom and integrity. I hope you believe so, too.

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Deborah F. Sauer, Candidate for 2nd Vice President

My name is Deborah Sauer and I am writing to you about why I am running for second vice president and why I am qualified to serve in this office. I am running because I want to work with you to ensure that the STC serves you in the best way possible. I will represent your interests in this critical time of change. My professional career and STC experience gives me the skills necessary to achieve this.

I have clear priorities. You, the members, are first. The STC is a member-based organization. Everything in the STC, the board, the office, the communities (chapters and SIGs), exists because of you. In fact, it exists to serve you. The board is at the bottom of the organization; you, the members, are at the top. I want to find out how you want the STC to serve you and then work to implement that vision. Tell me what you want your organization to be in three years, five years, or ten years. I’ll ensure that your voices are heard, not just the voices of the vocal few.

I am a leader and a manager. The Boston chapter experienced a great deal of change during my presidency. We changed our approach to managing our newsletter by creating an editorial team, we changed our approach to planning for the future by creating a strategic plan, and we changed the way we managed our chapter affairs by revising the chapter bylaws. I initiated, facilitated, and participated in these changes.

I am a team player. My experience on several annual conference program committees and as assistant to the president for conferences proves that I work well with individual members, committees, and the office staff. In managing the annual conference, I consult with leaders and members to ensure that we all have a balance of input before making changes or launching new initiatives. This experience will be useful in managing the Transformation as we need to consider all of the ramifications and make careful decisions before proceeding.

I can balance long-term vision with near-term results. While vision is important, the ability to execute it in a practical and timely fashion is critical. I have a proven history of taking input, processing it, distilling it, and acting on it with clarity and focus. I have done this in various aspects of my professional life, including my career as an employee, as the owner of a consulting business, and as an STC volunteer in the role of assistant to the president for conferences for the past five years.

I have listened to your input and provided results. Post-conference survey feedback from attendees showed that you felt that 30 concurrent sessions was too many. There are now about 20 concurrent sessions, so there’s less risk of missing a session that you want to attend. Conference attendees also wanted more time in the exhibit hall. Now, you can visit the exhibits after the keynote session and there’s extra time before lunch one day. There have been many other changes. So, you see, we’ve been listening to you.

I have a vision as to what the Society can be for you in the future. You said that you want more in-depth training. In October, 2005, the Society will offer the pilot program of what we hope will be a series of two-day training courses taught by well-known, experienced instructors. A variety of people contributed their ideas to this program, so I will not take sole credit. But, the idea started with the seeds you planted in your post-conference surveys, and my vision for what the Society can provide to its members. The pilot for the training program is just one aspect of that vision. We’re working on other initiatives that will add value to your membership.

I am a diplomat. I have successfully managed difficult situations with positive results in which all parties feel that their needs have been addressed. I work to ensure that everyone feels that their concerns have been heard, that they have been treated fairly, and that they can live with the solution. These skills are important in managing the Transformation.

I hear your concerns about your relationship with the STC. The primary goal of the Transformation is to provide member value. Value as you define it, not as I define, it, or as the board defines it, or as the office defines it. Defining that value and providing it to you requires that the members, the board, and the office to work together. I have a proven track record of working well with all of these groups. I will work to provide member value while closing the gap that members feel between themselves (as individuals and as communities) and the Society (both the board and the office).

I foster an environment that encourages change, innovation, and idea exchange. We must have the vision to embrace change to our advantage. We must view change as an opportunity. It allows us to reinvent ourselves, or, in this case, reinvent your Society. This is your organization. You must provide the direction for the change.

As second vice president, I’ll be your voice in a place where voices can sometimes get lost, to make sure that your voices are heard, and to help set the direction of the Society in light of what you, the members, want the Society to become. For these reasons, I am asking for your vote in the upcoming election. Let’s work together to make a better STC.

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