June 26, 2009

Research Triangle Park, NC―Scriptorium announces three webinars presented by experts in technical communication.

“The webinars provide useful, conference-quality information to the technical publishing community at a very affordable price,” said Sarah O’Keefe, President of Scriptorium Publishing. “All you need is an Internet connection, and you can attend the hour-long sessions from your home or office.”

Two upcoming seminars are from Scriptorium’s partners in TechComm Alliance, Cherryleaf and HyperWrite.

On July 9 at 11 a.m. Eastern time, Ellis Pratt of Cherryleaf is offering Beyond Documentation, which will examine the future for technical communicators.

Non-technical individuals will always need something to explain technical things, but as they change the ways in which they get their information, will technical communicators be stuck in the passing lane? Are we moving beyond documents? If so, to what? 

Tony Self of HyperWrite is presenting Writing to STOP on July 15 at 5 p.m.  Eastern time. In the 1960s, the Hughes Corporation developed a writing methodology known as Sequential Thematic Organization of Publications  (STOP) to improve the speed of document production and to allow multiple authors to work simultaneously on the same document. Hughes found the technique very effective, and it was later adopted by many other organizations. It led to other writing methodological innovations such as Robert Horn’s Information Mapping.

The STOP approach still resonates in the age of online documentation, as we still have the same needs to reduce document creation times and to work collaboratively. The webinar explores how the STOP approach worked, and how it might be reapplied even more effectively in the 21st century.

Jack Molisani, the president of ProSpring Technical Staffing and the organizer of the annual LavaCon Conference, presents How to Build a Business Case on August 4 at 11 a.m. Eastern time. If you’ve ever submitted a purchase request that was not approved, it probably lacked one or more of the vital components management looks for when allocating resources.

This webinar will identify the components of a successful business case, how to identify what is important to management, how to maximize your chances of approval, and more. 
During the sessions, participants can interact with the presenter and other students through the chat interface or the audio connection.

“These presenters are sought after for top-notch conferences,” said O’Keefe. “It is our privilege to host these events and give participants an opportunity for some inexpensive professional development.”

To register for these webcasts, or to purchase recordings of past webinars, go to Scriptorium’s online store. Recorded sessions include Hacking the DITA Open Toolkit, Documentation as Conversation, and The State of Structure in Technical Communication. All webinars and recordings are $20.

For more information:

Scriptorium Publishing Services, Inc. provides expert advice on how to develop, deploy, and manage content. The company is based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA. www.scriptorium.com

TechComm Alliance is an international consortium of technical communication service providers.www.techcommalliance.com

Cherryleaf Ltd is a technical communication company based in the United Kingdom. The company has expertise in single sourcing (reusing content) and online Help with locations in Brighton, Heathrow (London), and Oxford (Thame). www.cherryleaf.com

HyperWrite Pty Ltd is an Australian hypertext solution company, founded in 1993. The company provides specialized hypertext and Web consultancy services and training, and it produces the very successful annual Australasian Online Documentation and Content (AODC) Conference, now in its twelfth year. www.hyperwrite.com

ProSpring Technical Staffing is an employment agency specializing in engineers and technical writers.www.prospringstaffing.com

The seventh annual LavaCon Conference on Professional Development will be held October 25–27, 2009, in New Orleans. www.lavacon.org