Inside this issue:

• From the Editor’s Desk
• President’s Corner
• A View From Number Two
• Tool Tips
• FTC: Look How Far They’ve Come
• Did You Know? – Your MySTC password

Alex Garcia

Hello friends and members of the Orlando Chapter STC!

I’m currently in the midst of a marathon (20 days and counting) editing cycle at work, but here I am to faithfully bring you another issue of Memo to Members. No “ado” this month, let’s get to the articles!

Are you on Facebook? “Like” the Orlando Chapter STC at: Orlando Chapter STC on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: STCOrlando on Twitter

Do YOU have an article you’d like to submit for Memo to Members? Don’t be shy… email me at  newsletter@stc-orlando.org You will get an Active Member point for your submission

Alex Garcia
Editor
Orlando Chapter STC Memo to Members

Karen Lane

By Karen Lane
President
Orlando Chapter STC

Chapter members and friends:

Usually in my messages, I like to bring you some thoughts about upcoming programs and plans or else introduce you to some people who help move the business of the chapter forward. Here I will do a little of that, but my first item concerns last month’s Holiday Reunion meeting. Those of you who were there know that the evening was very special, thanks to our amazing vice president and meeting planner, Debra Johnson. The setting at the Lake Mary Marriott was lovely and festive, and the meal was delicious. We had an opportunity to get together in a slightly different way from our usual gatherings, and the beauty of the occasion was enhanced many times over by the presence of some of our past leaders—some of them still members and others retired. For newer members and especially for students and recent graduates, the distance between themselves and the more senior professionals could in another context have been a wide gulf. Our chapter is different, and the newer practitioners and the seasoned veterans mingled and socialized with grace and pleasure. If you were there, you know what I mean. If you were not, I’m sorry and we missed you. I have said it before, but it remains true: Our community is unique in STC and surely also in the larger context of professional organizations as a whole. Pictures of the festivities appear below.

 With this situation in mind, I ask you to please remember to renew your membership.  I can assure you that your membership is worth much more than you pay for it—you have only to reach out to receive its benefits. The membership year ended December 31, so if you haven’t renewed you’re on borrowed membership time, and the Society will be dropping you from our chapter roster. Please do not let this happen. Our members are our riches: we each bring something to the community that benefits others, and we each receive benefits in turn. If you have any questions, please contact our membership manager, David Coverston (membership@stc-orlando.org). He is the man with the answers.

 By now you’ve probably put away your holiday decorations and you’re busy resuming your regular activities. As with everyone else, your STC colleagues are doing the same, and this month that means we’re back in work mode and planning a really special meeting for you. January is the month we traditionally offer a joint meeting with the Future Technical Communicators club at UCF. This year’s meeting on January 24th features Joe Welinske, president of WritersUA (http://www.writersua.com/), who will be talking to us on the topic “Optimize the Googleability of Your Content.” You won’t want to miss this unique opportunity to learn from one of the leaders in our field. Best of all, the meeting admission is free. Your only cost is your UCF parking. Check out our Web site (stc-orlando.org) for information on time, location, and RSVP link.

 Your AdCo has already been making plans for the coming months. As we move into winter, we have some useful programs coming up, and I hope you’ll make the effort to be part of the chapter’s events. Each and every person is important in our chapter, and when you attend our meetings you are part of our collegial group. Everyone is welcome—members and non-members, veterans and newbies, students and professionals. And we hope that if you see a gap in what we are providing, you will let us know so we can investigate and rectify any omissions. Our chapter has no independent existence without our members and colleagues, and you can make of the chapter whatever suits your needs. If you need something we’re not covering, let us know or offer to provide it. If you’re missing it, perhaps other people are, too.

 I  look forward to working together with you, my STC friends and colleagues, in the coming year.

 Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

Debra Johnson

by Debra Johnson
Vice President
Orlando Chapter STC

Debra is currently the Lead Documentation Specialist at Wyndham Vacation Ownership in Orlando, FL where she is responsible for setting up and leading the Technical Communications discipline within Wyndham’s Information Technology department.

Happy New Year Everyone! Hope you had a great Holiday!

It’s time for the annual joint meeting of STC-Orlando and the Future Technical Communicators at  UCF.

The subject this year is “Optimizing the Googleability of your Content”…presented by Joe Welinske, of WritersUA

According to Joe, despite our best efforts at developing user assistance, it is increasingly likely that your users will turn to Google for answers to questions about your product or software.  The success Google has in providing quick answers to difficult questions has made it a natural resource to help with software…even provide software tutorials, online help, FAQs, forums, and email support.  Since this trend will probably continue, we need to learn how to “embrace the beast.” 

Join us to learn more about this exciting topic on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 starting at 6:30 pm in the UCF Pegasus Ballroom (inside the Student Union).

There is no cost for the meeting, however here is a small charge to park on campus. ($5 or less)

RSVP to me at vicepresident@stc-orlando.org.

We hope you’ll join us!

David Coverston

by David Coverston
Membership Manager
Orlando Chapter STC

In my last ToolTips column, I wrote about an ebook reader, Calibre. Calibre lets you manage your ebooks, but will not let you edit them. For that, you’ll need Sigil. Sigil is a WYSIWYG epub book editor in an editing environment. If you have access to the original source files, obviously you will want to edit those files and re-publish to ebook format. If not, then Sigil is a good way to make corrections. You can use Sigil to create new files, but I doubt that is a very efficient way to work.

Sigil is a free and open source software under GPLv3. The website is http://code.google.com/p/sigil/ ; follow the Downloads link on the site to get it. There are versions for Windows. Macs, and Linux machines, so make sure you get the correct version for your operating system. There is a 64-bit version for Windows, so again, make sure to get the correct version.

The default main user interface contains an editing panel and a Book Browser panel. The various parts that make up the book are displayed in the Book Browser. These include the XHTML files, the CSS files, and the images.

You can view and edit the XHTML code, and the CSS code with Sigil, but not the graphic files. Changes made in the code view show in the WYSIWYG view. Likewise, changes made to the CSS style sheet will show in the text formatting. Sigil gives you a code view, text view, and a split view, shown below.

Double-click the files in the Book Browser to open them for editing. Each file you open displays in a tab in the main pane. These tabs can then be closed, reordered or opened again. As you can see in the screenshot above, I have opened the title page, the two CSS files, and the chapter 1 file, and then applied bold formatting to a sentence using the editing tools.

Editing tools include text bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough. Justification tools, bullets, numbering and indentation tools are included, along with cut/copy/paste and undo/redo. There is a find and replace function that also include regular expression searching. A slider at the bottom of the editing window lets you adjust the size of the text display.

The link to the manual from the interface leads to an error message, but you can access it at http://web.sigil.googlecode.com/git/contents.html .

I would not want to do a full scale publishing project with Sigil, although it is possible. But for home use or for quick fixes, this is a great tool.

Brittney Adams

   By Brittney Adams
   Secretary
   Future Technical Communicators at UCF

The UCF chapter of FTC has been very busy planning events and activities to revamp the organization. This semester, the officers of FTC will be working on recruiting new members and improving their productivity. Among these events are several speakers from the community, game nights for networking, technical writing group projects, and workshops. FTC will also be speaking to several classes at UCF in an attempt to draw in more members. They are going to rewrite the constitution so that it is accurate and better suited to the organization’s needs.

In addition to the election of new officers, they will be forming brand new committees. These committees include Public Relations, Fundraising, and Membership. These committees will be working on gathering new members, promoting FTC on campus, and fundraising so that next year’s FTC group will have more money to hold events. They will also be electing a Web Architect, who will maintain and update the Website on the UCF server. FTC is also looking forward to raising money for the STC Summit and spreading the word about careers in technical communication.

FTC will now be having meetings every Tuesday from 9:15-10:15am in the technical writing lab (Colbourn Hall, room 203). They will be having officer meetings every other Thursday from 4:30-5:30pm at the same location. Students are welcome to attend the officer meetings if the Tuesday meetings do not fit into their schedules. It is FTC’s hope that this semester will create beneficial changes to the organization so that more students are aware of the opportunities they offer. They welcome all STC members to stop by and visit!

Erika Higgins

By Erika Higgins
Director-at-Large/Communications Chair
Orlando Chapter STC

If you have not joined MySTC yet, what are you waiting for? MySTC is essentially STCs professional version of Facebook without Farmille or cat videos. (not that there’s anything wrong with that.) If you don’t have or don’t remember your password, fear not. Simply enter your username (which is most likely your member id number) and then click on the Forgot Your Password link to be emailed a new, temporary password. Once you have logged in with the temp password, you can click on MySTC on the STC.org toolbar and select Change Password in the Self Service sub section. It is that simple! Once you are in, be sure to find me via the Friends tab and become one of my MySTC friends, and, of course, be sure to join the Orlando Chapter group via the Groups tab. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at erikabhiggins@gmail.com. Until next month…

Inside this issue:

• From the Editor’s Desk
• President’s Corner
• A View From Number Two
• If You Missed Last Meeting…
• Tool Tips
• 2011 State of the Chapter Survey Results
• STC Early Renewal Incentives

Alex Garcia

Hello friends and members of the Orlando Chapter STC!

Welcome to another exciting issue  of Memo to Members. The Orlando Chapter is in full Holiday mode, getting ready for our Holiday reunion this Tuesday December 13 at the Orlando Marriott Lake Mary.

In this month’s issue, my Mentee, Brittney Adams takes the helm of the “If You Missed Last Meeting…” column. Also, David Coverston plays double duty with another edition of Tool Tips and details about early STC membership renewal incentives. Finally, Chapter Achievement Awards chair Patricia Cruz reveals the results of the 2011 State of the Chapter survey.

So, without further ado, enjoy this edition of Memo to Members!

Are you on Facebook? “Like” the Orlando Chapter STC at: Orlando Chapter STC on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: STCOrlando on Twitter

Do YOU have an article you’d like to submit for Memo to Members? Don’t be shy… email me at  newsletter@stc-orlando.org You will get an Active Member point for your submission

Alex Garcia
Editor
Orlando Chapter STC Memo to Members

Karen Lane

By Karen Lane
President
Orlando Chapter STC

Chapter members and friends:

As we approach the end of 2011, I’m finding it more and more difficult to figure out why the year’s end always takes me by surprise. It’s December (somehow), and that just doesn’t seem possible. But I think I’ve figured out why it’s such a disconcerting notion: it’s because when we start the year, we consider the 12 months before us and imagine how productive we’ll be. By the time we’re in December, we realize that despite our best efforts, we might be falling a bit short.

Our chapter’s year, on the other hand, has been a series of successes. I’ve been heartened to be connected to so many talented and inspiring colleagues and friends. Some of us who have been around for a while already know this, but if you’re a newer member of our community you may not realize how very special the Orlando Chapter is. I’m not just saying this to stroke our egos; it’s a fact. We are unique in the Society for our level of commitment and our record of innovation. We have been a model for other chapters, and many other chapters have sought our guidance and adopted our programs.

In addition to being a Chapter of Excellence, we are a chapter of individuals committed to service. As an example, consider our November meeting held last month at the Houlihan’s on East Colonial. We met to celebrate the chapter’s successes and to express thanks for our blessings. Generous members—and non-members!—of the Orlando Chapter donated food items for the Second Harvest pantry. I was so proud of those who chose to share their bounty with the less fortunate of our community. The generosity of our members and friends is awesome.

While we’re reflecting on our individual and chapter successes, it’s important to recognize the significant connections between the Orlando Chapter of STC and UCF. UCF faculty were instrumental in the creation of the chapter, and our student members have become leaders, not only in the chapter but at the Society level. In fact, 30% of our current members are students or recent graduates, and that is in addition to the many others who have passed through UCF in the past on the way to professional technical communication careers.

Now at the end of the year we are holding a very special event to honor our former and current members and recognize previous recipients of the Mellissa Pellegrin Scholarship. The Holiday Reunion meeting will bring together old and new friends and colleagues and give you a chance to catch up with those whom you may not have seen for a while. You should already have received an invitation to this December 13 event celebrating our chapter’s past, present, and future, and I look forward to seeing many friends old and new. We’ll be catching up on old times and looking ahead to new ones. I hope you will be with us for this fun dinner event. There is no admission charge. The three-course meal plus soft drink costs $25 (including tax and tip), and there will be a cash bar. If you have not yet done so, please send your RSVP to our program chair and vice president, Debra Johnson (debraderoojohnson@gmail.com). When we reach the maximum table count, we will close the reservations.

In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, I wish everyone a beautiful and meaningful holiday season, however you choose to celebrate it, and may we all have a new year that brings us satisfaction and delight.

Debra Johnson

by Debra Johnson
Vice President
Orlando Chapter STC

Debra is currently the Lead Documentation Specialist at Wyndham Vacation Ownership in Orlando, FL where she is responsible for setting up and leading the Technical Communications discipline within Wyndham’s Information Technology department.

The Society for Technical Communication – Orlando Chapter invites you…to a Holiday Reunion.

Space is limited so RSVP quickly.

PLEASE Click here to RSVP or on the image below.  Let me know in your RSVP if you are bringing a guest.

Brittney Adams

By Brittney Adams
Secretary
Future Technical Communicators at UCF

…You missed a chance to unite with your fellow Orlando Chapter STC to kick back and share some memories of the past year. The November STC meeting was a special event held at Houlihan’s on East Colonial Drive in Orlando. While networking with others, STC members spent the evening giving thanks and relaxing. Many of us got to meet new members for the first time and were able to catch up with those we hadn’t seen in a while. We collected canned and boxed goods for a food drive and discovered what we were thankful for. Orlando Chapter STC Vice-President Debra Johnson gave each member a secret envelope at the beginning of the dinner. After a couple hours of anxiously trying to peak at what was inside, we discovered it was a fill-in-the-blank sentence. Every member took a turn reading their card out loud. Among the discoveries uncovered through this activity were member’s first crushes, favorite movies, and how we acted as a child. This was a great way for everyone to connect and learn more about each other apart from their profession. Debra also informed us about the STC-Orlando Holiday Reunion. The reunion will be held Tuesday, December 13^th, 6:30pm at the Orlando Marriott Lake Mary. Members were encouraged to inform previous STC members to join as well. Overall, the meeting was a success. We got to take a break from our busy lives to appreciate each other and the rest of the STC community.

David Coverston

by David Coverston
Membership Manager
Orlando Chapter STC

Do you want to read some books in the one of the new ebook formats, but don’t want to buy another machine? Do you like sticking your hands on the screen you are reading from? If you answered yes to the first question and no to the second question, then I have a solution for you: Calibre.

Calibre is an ebook reader from Kovid Goyal, and runs on Windows XP through 7, as well as Apples and Linux machines. But it is more than that. It is a free and open source e-book library management application. Calibre allows you to organize your ebook collection, as well as convert ebooks to other formats. It supports a number of ebook readers, including the Kindle, Sony, and Nook readers. Calibre provides:

• Ebook library management
• Ebook conversion
• Synchronizing to ebook reader devices
• Downloading news from the web and converting it into ebooks

Calibre is has three main parts: The graphical user interface, the command line (CLI) utilities, and the ebook reader.

The GUI is the typical way you will manage your book collection. All of Calibre’s functionality is available through the GUI, except for the command line utilities, of course. Click the Add books button to import your books into the library, then browse to the location where you store them, and click Add. Calibre imports them and displays the cover, along with information about the ebook. You can customize tags and covers, which is handy if the book doesn’t come with any.

Calibre can convert a number of formats, making this a very useful tool. It has a batch convert function as well. Supported formats include:

• Mobi
• Lit
• PRC
• ePub
• ODT
• HTML
• CBR
• CBZ
• RTF
• TXT
• PDF

Calibre can also download news from a variety of sources. Hundreds of sources worldwide, including both free and paid content are supported. I haven’t used this function yet, so I can’t comment on how useful it might be. Actually, there are a lot of bells and whistles with this program that I want to explore.

Download Calibre from http://calibre-ebook.com/ . Double-click the .msi file to install it. At 42MB, it will take a few minutes to download and install.

Help for Calibre is available on the web site, which opens when you click the Help button. Calibre will automatically check to see if you have the latest version running, but doesn’t it automatically download and install new versions. I appreciate having that choice.

Calibre is not an editing tool. If you want to edit ebooks, you will need to use an editing tool. Stay tuned. Maybe that will be my next column.

Patricia Cruz

By Patricia Cruz
Community Achievement Award Chair
Orlando Chapter STC

Hello Orlando chapter members and friends,

You might remember getting an email in October or November that invited you to fill out a short survey from the Orlando STC.

The survey was divided into four parts:

• Part 1 covers basic demographics questions (e.g., age, gender)
• Part 2 looks into your educational background and work life
• Part 3 gauges your involvement in and feelings towards social media and other technology tools
• Part 4 asks you how you keep up with the ever-changing technical communication field, and what you would be interested in learning next year

Did you fill it out? If you did, I’d like to thank you for your time and let you know that your responses have been put to good use. The 2011 State of the Chapter Survey Results are here (PDF). We received a total of 31 responses, with respondents ranging from members to nonmembers, STC veterans to newbies, and Central Florida locals to out of state residents. What a diverse group.

If you didn’t take the survey, check out the survey results anyway! You’ll learn some fascinating things about your technical communication colleagues.

2011 State of the Chapter Survey Results

The end of the year is always a great time to look back on your experiences over the past 11 months and how they’ve changed you. I hope the survey results successfully captured who we were as technical communicators in 2011.

David Coverston

By David Coverston
Membership Manager
Orlando Chapter STC

Early renewal for your 2012 STC Membership is still underway. Members who renew before 3 January 2012 will receive a free copy of the 2012 STC Salary Database when it’s published in July.

Are you going to be authoring help files this year? MadCap software has a deal for you. Purchase Flare and/or MadPak with any maintenance plan and MadCap will pay for a full year of your STC membership dues and fees. For more information, visit http://notebook.stc.org/madcap-software-paying-for-stc-memberships-again-this-year/ or contact sales@madcapsoftware.com with the subject line “STC Promotion” for details. Tell them I sent you. No, really. I use the software and met some of the staff… OK, maybe you don’t want to mention my name.

Remember the Member Get a Member Campaign? For each new member you refer, you get $10 off your own membership, up to a max of $50. See the Member Get a Member page for more details.

Don’t forget to tell your colleagues that we have a New Membership Category, the New TC Professional category. The membership rate is only $160, but you must have graduated from a college/university within the past three years. The membership includes one professional chapter (Orlando, of course) and one Special Interest Group.

If you love SIGS, you can become a member of every single Special Interest Group for just $295, reduced from $375.
If you have any questions, you can email the STC membership department. Or you can email me at membership@stc-orlando.org

Inside this issue:

• From the Editor’s Desk
• President’s Corner
• A View From Number Two
• If You Missed Last Meeting…
• Student Member Outreach Gains Momentum at CPTSC Conference

Alex Garcia

Hello friends and members of the Orlando Chapter STC!

There’s a chill in the Orlando air, it got into the lower 50s this week! As Floridians get out their snow gear, the Orlando chapter is gearing up for its end-of-year festivities. This month, we take a chance to gather and give thanks. Next month is our Holiday celebration. We hope to see you at both meetings!

So, without further ado, enjoy this edition of Memo to Members!

Are you on Facebook? “Like” the Orlando Chapter STC at: Orlando Chapter STC on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: STCOrlando on Twitter

Do YOU have an article you’d like to submit for Memo to Members? Don’t be shy… email me at  newsletter@stc-orlando.org You will get an Active Member point for your submission.

Happy Holidays!

Alex Garcia
Editor
Orlando Chapter STC Memo to Members

Karen Lane

By Karen Lane
President
Orlando Chapter STC

This time of year, we theme our chapter activities around giving thanks. And it’s a natural consequence of the holiday of Thanksgiving and the evidence of abundant harvest that we are moved to reflect on the many advantages we enjoy and the bounties we share. If you are of a religious bent, you will direct your thankfulness to the deity; if not, you can be thankful to circumstance, luck, perseverance, or whatever other forces for good you see in your life.

Unfortunately, we are not all equally blessed with good health and fortune. Many people, including some of our chapter members, are struggling with health and other personal issues that are making their lives challenging and bringing their spirits low. Others, or in some cases the same people, have financial issues because of the faltering economy. And it looks as if the economic downturn will continue for some time; the light at the end of the tunnel hasn’t quite appeared yet.

I bring all this up to ask you to think about those of your colleagues, friends, neighbors, relatives, and even strangers who are struggling and could use a little help. Sometimes the help can be as simple as a kind word or a pat on the shoulder. Just knowing that others care can be uplifting. In other cases more tangible and specific help is in order. People are hungry; we can help feed them. People are out of work; we can help them find work. People are sick or homeless or both; we can support organizations that take them in and make them well.

STC is an educational organization, and it cannot directly send support to charitable organizations. But its members can, and I urge you to be generous with your help. We of the Orlando Chapter can make it possible by serving as a conduit for members’ and friends’ contributions of food to Second Harvest during this season. As in past years, we are asking that if you are able to donate food items for those who need it, please consider doing so. We will make it easy for you. Bring your contributions to our Give Thanks meeting on November 15. If you’re not planning to attend but would still like to donate food or money, please contact me (president@stc-orlando.org) and I will arrange to have someone meet you and pass along your donation.

Second Harvest has asked for the following:

•  Meals in a Can
• Canned Tuna
• Nonfat Dry Milk
• Peanut Butter
• Oatmeal
• Nutritional Drinks
• Canned Meats/Poultry
• Dry Beans
• Evaporated Milk
• Canned Veggies
• Canned Soup
• Pasta/Macaroni
• Canned Fruit
• Rice
• Beef Stew
• Baby Food

Be as generous as you can. My grandmother used to say, “If you look up, you see people; if you look down, you see people.” There are always some who are worse off than we are, and if we can help them we will have done something good for them and good for ourselves, too.

My wish for everyone this season is this: May you always be able to help others.

Debra Johnson

by Debra Johnson
Vice President
Orlando Chapter STC

Debra is currently the Lead Documentation Specialist at Wyndham Vacation Ownership in Orlando, FL where she is responsible for setting up and leading the Technical Communications discipline within Wyndham’s Information Technology department.

Hi Everyone!

Geesh…last month just flew by… We weren’t even done with Halloween and the Christmas decorations were already being hung with care….We hosted an STC-provided webinar, Starting and Building a Freelance Business, presented by Katherine Nagel and Ruth Thaler-Carter. The webinar was very enlightening and the ladies were pretty funny. It was a great learning experience.

So now it November… It’s that time again to meet up, share, laugh, and connect with each other.
It’s time for our annual November “Give Thanks” Meeting.

**We will be collecting for a food drive at this event, so if you would like to, please bring some canned or boxed food.

Tuesday Nov. 15, 2011
Networking 6:30pm
Dinner   7:00pm
No Meeting fee for this event

Please keep in mind each individual is responsible for their own expense at this event.
Gratuities will be added to each check.  Thank you.

Please CLICK HERE to RSVP: vicepresident@stc-orlando.org so we know you are coming and bring someone with you!!!

Houlihans East Colonial
Meeting Room
2600 East Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32803

Open to members, non-members, students, & faculty… Everyone is welcome… Bring a guest if you want, but definitely bring yourself. Tell other Technical Communicators!

So we’ll see you there….Don’t forget to RSVP

P.S. Look for the announcement soon about our Holiday Reunion coming in December….

**This Food drive is an individual initiative and not a chapter-sponsored activity

Alex Garcia

By Alex Garcia
Editor
Memo to Members Newsletter
Orlando Chapter STC

…You missed the Orlando Chapter STC flexing its technological muscles by streaming a webinar from the international Society’s vast archives.

Starting and Building a Freelance Business, a presentation by Katherine Nagel and Ruth Thaler-Carter, was recorded live at the 2009 STC Summit in Atlanta, GA. This webinar talked about what it takes to freelance part- or full-time. Building a freelance business, like nurturing a garden, is hard work. We learned about marketing and customer relationship strategies and more. In the end, it was a successful experiment and we hope to continue to bring these type of exciting programs to our memebers in the future.

More About STC’s Free Archived Seminars

STC offers a collection of archived seminars free to members as part of your annual membership package! This member benefit debuted in 2011 with 38 free archived seminars, with more to be added each year.

STC members said they wanted more educational offerings, and these archived seminars provide that! The seminars are on a wide variety of topics from some of the top presenters in technical communication. Review the full listing available below.

These archived seminars are available to members only, and members, you must log in to access them. Click on the Site Access button at the top right or click on My STC on the header. (Remember, when you log into My STC, please use your regular STC username and password. You do not need to set up a new account.)

If you are not an STC member, join now to access these seminars and all the other benefits of membership! See the Join or Renew Now page for full details on the benefits of the various STC membership packages. You can also view a demo of the free archived seminars, Climbing the Levels of Collaboration, presented by Anne Gentle.

View the free archived seminars now!

List of Free Archived Seminars is available after the jump…

• Advancing Web Accessibility, presented by Shawn Henry
• Change Management 101, presented by Ant Davey
• Chinese Website Usability Study, presented by Carol Barnum, Yina Li
• Climbing the Levels of Collaboration, presented by Anne Gentle
• Collaborating Around the World, presented by Kirsty Taylor
• Designing for People Who Do Not Read Easily, presented by Caroline Jarrett, Whitney Quesenbery
• DITA + Wiki = The Open-Source DITA2Wiki Project, presented by Lisa Dyer
• Documentation & EU Regulations: Stay (or Get) Legal, presented by Chris Durban
• From Sketching to Code: Jump-Starting the Interaction Design Process, presented by Christopher Fahey
• He Said, She Said: Mergers, Acquisitions, and You, presented by Jean-Luc Mazet
• How People Judge Static and Animated Software Instructions, presented by Jose de Souza
• How to Run a Successful DITA Pilot Project, presented by Mark Wallis
• How to Write Contracts/Letters of Agreement, presented by Jack Molisani
• Information Architecture and Interaction Design in Museum Environments, presented by Julian Jackson
• Introduction to XSL Transforms, presented by Dave Gash
• Learn What the Academics Already Know, presented by Phylise Banner
• Moving Unstructured Content to Structured Content, presented by Bernard Aschwanden
• Process Re-engineering for Topic-Based Authoring, presented by Rob Hanna
• Read the Research. Don’t Just Make it Up!, presented by Susan Becker
• Revealing Design Treasures from the Amazon, presented by Jared Spool
• Scenario-Driven Information Architecture, presented by Alyson Riley
• Selling Usability in(to) Organizations, presented by Daniel Szuc
• Seven Habits of Highly Successful Technical Communicators, presented by Bernard Aschwanden, Rob Frankland, Rob Hanna, Lisa Swallow
• Starting and Building a Freelance Business, presented by Katherine Nagel, Ruth Thaler-Carter
• Strategies for Efficiently Creating Screen Captures, presented by Adam Jones
• Strategies for Successful eLearning Project Management, presented by Mark Steiner
• Structure 2.0, presented by Tristan Bishop
• Taking Tech Comm into K-12 Schools, presented by Marjorie Davis
• Ten Tips for Tastier Tasks, presented by Leah Guren
• That’s a Good Question!, presented by Elizabeth Frick
• The Future of Technical Communication: Remix, presented by Barbara Giammona
• The Green Communicator: Eco-Friendly Practices for the Small Business Office, presented by Roger Munger
• The New Face of Documentation, presented by Rahel Bailie
• Training Writers Building a Local Workforce, presented by Patti Blake, Connie Twynham
• Transitioning Web-Based Information to WCAG 2.0, presented by Linda Roberts
• Understanding and Evaluating Component Content Management Systems, presented by Mary Laplante
• What Tech Docs Can Learn From The Comics, presented by Alan Porter
• WinHelp, WebHelp, AIR … Help!, presented by Neil Perlin

Dan Voss

By Dan Voss
Co-Manager
Mentoring Program (M&M’s)
Orlando Chapter STC

Early this month, I had the honor and privilege to serve as industry keynote speaker at a workshop sponsored by STC’s Academic SIG preceding the 39^th annual conference of the Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication (CPTSC) October 5-8 at the Indian Summer sun-soaked campus of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA, in the lovely Shenandoah Valley.

I also made two panel presentations, one for a panel on virtual internship and mentoring during the pre-conference workshop—a panel in which Sarah Baca made a virtual presentation via Skype—and the other for the plenary panel which kicked off the conference proper on the theme, “Academy-Industry Relationships and Partnerships.”

Rounding out my conference activities was a presentation/workshop on the ethics of intercultural communication for technical communication students at JMU.

The presentations were well received, and my CPTSC/JMU hosts were most gracious. Other than tripping over the same slab of elevated sidewalk that felled STC president Hillary Hart (despite her warning to watch out for it), the conference was an altogether fulfilling and enriching experience.

Lockheed Martin sent me to the conference and was acknowledged as an industry sponsor of the event, which was co-sponsored by STC, JMU, Texas Tech, and Appalachian State.

Industry, academe, and STC co-sponsored the workshop preceding the 39th CPTSC conference.

A significant offshoot of the conference was a big step forward for STC’s student member outreach, an initiative that Sarah Baca and I started last year in our role as co-leads for student outreach on STC’s Community Affairs Committee, or CAC, and which Sarah gave a big boost in her Leadership Day presentation at the annual STC conference in Sacramento last May.

The initiative has gained traction this year with the establishment of an STC Board-mandated special task force that I have been asked to lead and on which Bethany Bowles (this year’s student rep on the CAC) and I will be quite active in the coming months.

Working to an overarching goal of sustaining, strengthening, and expanding STC’s student constituency, the task force is forming as we speak. Most of the people I have invited to serve on it have accepted, and, assuming the Board approves the slate (which seems likely), we will have a very strong team.

In addition to Bethany and me, the team includes STC’s deputy executive director; its director and assistant manager for community relations, its chief financial officer, its treasurer, the Academic SIG’s liaison for student affairs, and the faculty advisor and vice president of the JMU student chapter.

And the task force clearly enjoys the strong support of STC’s chief executive officer, Kathryn Burton, and its president, Hillary Hart, as well as the Board.

Indeed, the Board has already taken a momentous step by establishing the “new technical communicator” membership rate of $160, open to students who have graduated in the past 3 years. And the STC director for community relations reports significant progress in resolving the gnarly IRS tax-exempt situation that recently struck the Society like a venomous viper slithering out of the tall grass.

Here are the titles of the presentations Sarah and I made in Harrisonburg. If you’re interested in viewing any of these materials, they should be posted soon at the CPTSC and Academic SIG web sites (http://www.cptsc.org/ and http://archive.stc.org/membership/sig-details.asp?ID=22, respectively). Or “hit me up”* at daniel.w.voss@lmco.com, and I’ll be glad to send them to you.

The CPTSC site still has the programs both for the pre-conference workshop and the conference itself, if you’re interested in seeing how the industry/academy partnership theme was developed.

• Industry keynote at pre-conference workshop.  Title:  “Industry and Academe: The Grass Can Be Greener if We Work Together”
• Panel presentations on “Virtual Internships and Mentoring” at pre-conference workshop.  Titles: “Project-Based Learning: Mentorship that Matters” (Sara, via Skype) and “There’s Virtue in Virtual … or … An Old Dinosaur Can Learn New Tricks!” (Dan)
• Plenary panel presentation at the opening session of the CPTSC conference.  Title: “Building a Bridge from Industry to Academe: It’s a Two-Way Street”
• Presentation and workshop for technical communication students at JMU.  Subject:  “Ethical and Intercultural Challenges for Technical Communicators and Managers in a Shrinking Global Marketplace”
• Planning meeting of STC president, STC vice president, and faculty advisor and officers of JMU STC student chapter.  Subject:  Task force commissioned by STC Board of Directors to revitalize and expand the Society’s student membership base.

The industry keynote focused on partnerships between industry and the academy.

Sarah “patched in” via Skype to deliver a presentation on project-based mentoring.

Dan described his just-in-time epiphany on the efficacy of social media.

Inside this issue:

• From the Editor’s Desk
• President’s Corner
• A View From Number Two
• If You Missed Last Meeting…
• Fun with Numb3rs
• Mentoring Program off to Rousing Start in 9th Year
• A New Benefit for Orlando Chapter Members Arriving Soon!

Alex Garcia

Hello friends and members of the Orlando Chapter STC!

I am settling into my role as Memo to Members Editor nicely. Everyday, I learn at least one new thing about the WordPress.com platform. I hope to learn even more from my new Mentee, Brittney Adams, who describes herself as a “WordPress Guru.” Who knows, you might see her assume a role as Associate Editor in the months to come.

As for my career developments, I am currently between assignments as a Senior Proposal Editor, and am always looking to network to find that next great gig. My spirits are high, though, as it’s only a matter of time until networking with the great folks at the Orlando Chapter STC lands me at a direct, stable position.  My LinkedIn public profile is: http://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrgarcia. Add me and let’s network!

Enjoy this month’s newsletter where you’ll find information about our new employment database (which I will be signing up for at midnight on Nov 1st), and see how much fun the Mentors and Mentees had at their 2011 kick-off meeting. Also, Sarah Baca bravely takes the reigns of “Fun with Numb3rs” with her first Treasurer’s report.

Are you on Facebook? “Like” the Orlando Chapter STC at: Orlando Chapter STC on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: STCOrlando on Twitter

Do YOU have an article you’d like to submit for Memo to Members? Don’t be shy… email me at  newsletter@stc-orlando.org You will get an Active Member point for your submission.

Until next time,

Alex Garcia
Editor
Orlando Chapter STC Memo to Members

Karen Lane

By Karen Lane
President
Orlando Chapter STC

We in the Orlando Chapter STC are fortunate to have a dedicated and enthusiastic Administrative Council (AdCo) working mostly behind the scenes to ensure quality meetings and other programs for our members and guests. As the face of technical communication in our community, we try very hard to “get it right.” But in case you have ever wondered what it is that your Administrative Council does, here’s a brief highlight of the kinds of things we do to make your STC experience more interesting and useful.

Meetings
This one is the most obvious: When you attend our third-Tuesday chapter meetings, you find other members present to greet you, check you in, and answer your questions. The evening’s program is ready for your edification, and you can snack on a light supper as you network with your peers. All this is planned by your AdCo, often months in advance. The greeting table is staffed by David Coverston, your membership manager, Gail Lippincott, hospitality chair, hosts the refreshment area, and Debra Johnson, program manager and vice president, arranges for the speaker, topic, and supporting A/V. And don’t forget the after-the-party-party led by Memo-to-Members editor Alex Garcia, which is a visit to a local watering hole for a continuation of the networking after most meetings. You don’t want to miss it!

Scholarships and Competitions
AdCo members head up the Rising Stars (fundraising), Melissa Pellegrin Scholarship, High School Writing Competition (run by Jon Kessler), and Jaffe Award (outstanding technical communicator) programs. These worthy initiatives aim to support the next generation of technical communicators through cash awards and seek to encourage outstanding practices in technical communication through peer recognition. Director Erika Higgins ably leads up several of these efforts, seemingly everywhere and doing everything. And she has plenty of help in the form of AdCo volunteers who serve as judges and evaluators for the programs mentioned. (Continued after the Jump…)

Chapter Achievements and Other Recognitions
Your Orlando Chapter has been a beacon in the STC world for innovative programs and an active membership. That doesn’t happen by itself. In addition to providing world-class technical programs at our meetings, the AdCo gives you many opportunities to boost your career profile and skills while enhancing the Orlando Chapter experience for others.

For ten years we’ve recognized chapter volunteerism through our Active Member program, ably headed by W.C. Wiese, no slouch in the activity category himself. W.C. is not only a former Orlando Chapter president and 5-year treasurer. He also served two terms as STC treasurer and is now serving on the STC board—that’s the international board!—as Director. W.C. keeps track of member activities. You do not have to be on the AdCo to earn a coveted Active Member shirt, by the way. You merely have to be active in the chapter.

In addition to running the Active Member program, AdCo members are responsible for charting chapter achievements. Patricia Cruz, recent UCF graduate, has been diligently keeping the chapter on course for a possible designation of Chapter of Distinction. Orlando is a five-time winner of this recognition, and we are on track to show well at judging time.

In other recognitions, the AdCo considers nominations for the Society awards to individuals: Distinguished Chapter Service Award and Distinguished Service Award for Students.

Public Relations and Other Communications
Over the years, the position of Public Relations chair has sometimes sat vacant, but this year we have a strong presence on the AdCo to “tell our powerful tale” to the larger community. Our membership brochure is brand-new and has been collaboratively created by Jennifer Wolff and members of the AdCo. This marketing tool will not only help the chapter move forward with increased membership but also will aid members by giving them a tool to explain to their employers and colleagues about our organization and why membership is a wise professional investment.

We have a presence on MySTC and a chapter announcements list, overseen by our communications chair, Erika Higgins. She has been responsible for our recent Facebook and Twitter notices, so make sure you follow us on both (@STCORLANDO) to learn the latest about chapter happenings.

And let us not forget the newsletter you are reading right now, Memo to Members, edited by another AdCo volunteer, Alex Garcia. If you have news or information you think would be of use to your colleagues, he is always interested in hearing from you.

Employment Notices
For some members, this is the reason they joined the chapter. Notices of job openings and opportunities have taken a quantum jump in frequency and number since Dalton Hooper, employment manager and immediate past president of the chapter, took it over. The notices are fresh and geographically targeted. If you are looking for work, either permanent or contract, you don’t want to miss Dalton’s notices, but to get the notices you need to be an Orlando Chapter member.

FTC and Mentoring
Since the earliest days of the Orlando Chapter, STC and UCF have enjoyed a close partnership. Gloria Jaffe, for whom the Jaffe Award is named, was an early leader in founding the chapter, along with her “mentee” and colleague, Dr. Dan Jones. Thus, supporting and nurturing the next generation of technical communicators has always been a priority for our chapter. Led by Dan Voss and a succession of student co-chairs (currently Bethany Bowles), the mentor–mentee program (M&Ms for short) has been a model to the rest of STC and has been copied elsewhere as its value is recognized. And the STC–FTC connection is actively at work in the AdCo in other ways, too; typically several FTC officers attend AdCo meetings, and the student interests are well advocated by them.

The STC–UCF connection comes into focus most prominently in the joint meeting held every January. AdCo members assist FTC officers and other UCF students to plan the program, arrange for a speaker, provide refreshments, and promote the meeting to the larger UCF community.

The AdCo Approach
As you have seen, your Administrative Council is busily at work for you. But wait: who is the AdCo? Well, it’s you. As my descriptions should have convinced you, no one works alone. Our chapter is fortunate indeed to have willing helpers whenever the need arises. And should you wish to become more active by running for office, nominating chair Kelli Pharo would be glad to speak with you about your possible future role.

But you don’t have to be elected to participate. We can always use a little help, and little is the operative word. If you can do just one thing, say yes when asked, step forward where there is a need, you will find the payback to be much greater than the effort.

At the very least, when you participate in chapter activities, as I hope you will do, take a moment to thank the volunteers for their time and energy. They are the reason you have a chapter and its programs. And if those programs are of value to you, join us in making them happen!

Debra Johnson

by Debra Johnson
Vice President
Orlando Chapter STC

Debra is currently the Lead Documentation Specialist at Wyndham Vacation Ownership in Orlando, FL where she is responsible for setting up and leading the Technical Communications discipline within Wyndham’s Information Technology department.

Welcome to October! First thing…I want to thank Tracy Rud for her presentation last month.  I had no idea what went into writing fiction and getting published. She was an awesome mentor to me and continues to be a great friend.

Ok, so now it’s time to announce our October chapter meeting program.  It’s happening on Tuesday Oct 18, 2011. We will be hosting an STC-provided webinar, Starting and Building a Freelance Business, presented by Katherine Nagel, Ruth Thaler-Carter. This webinar talks about what it takes to freelance part- or full-time. Building a freelance business, like nurturing a garden, is hard work. Learn about marketing and customer relationship strategies and more. It will be a great learning experience; having the knowledge to get work in any economy. So please join us.

Winter Park Civic Center

1050 Morse Blvd

Winter Park, FL 32839

Refreshments 6:30pm – Program 7:00pm

So we’ll see you there….

Please RSVP vicepresident@stc-orlando.org  so we know you are coming and bring someone with you!!!

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Alex Garcia

By Alex Garcia
Editor
Memo to Members Newsletter
Orlando Chapter STC

…You missed swordfights, cannonballs, alternate-time narratives—and the revelation that there are only six big publishers in the US literary scene. Tracy Rud took us on a swashbuckling voyage through her career as a Technical Writer, published fiction author, and professional mentor to our very own Vice-President, Debra Johnson. She detailed how her participation in a writers group with the head of a Boutique publisher, Nightbird Publishing, allowed her to publish her first novel, Sea Beggar.

Tracy explained the difference between a the Big-six publishers, a Boutique publisher, a vanity press, and self-publishing, while reminding Chapter members that everyone has at least one novel inside them. Who knows, had you been at the meeting, you might have been inspired to pen the next best-seller!

More about Tracy from her website, www.TracyRud.com:

Although she has an M.S. in Technical Communication Management, and divides her time between technical writing and fiction writing and editing, at one time Tracy majored in music. Music plays a big role in her writing, and in fact, if you said that mathematics is the universal language, she’d argue and say that music is actually the universal language.

When not near the ocean, Tracy resides in North Metro Atlanta with her husband and daughter. SEA BEGGAR is Tracy’s debut novel. Her short story “Midnight Writer” appears in the anthology NIGHTBIRD SINGING IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT (Nightbird Publishing, 2009).

Description of Sea Beggar, also from www.TracyRud.com:

The odds are against the Sea Beggar, because the closer she gets to completing her mission, the treacheries increase. There is a deadly faction of pirates broken off from the Spanish armada who also seek the treasure the Sea Beggar carries. The Sea Beggar crew must be wily to keep this faction guessing, so with the help of the Benedictine monks in Montserrat, Spain, they hide the treasure. Can these sea rovers finish what they started and return the treasure to its rightful owner?

Back in present day, after finding the treasure buried in secrets and sand for nearly 300 years, Macy discovers something more important–a sense of belonging. But her discovery does not stop there. She also finds that the legacy the lady pirate, Keary Dunbarton, left is her legacy as well, and this is the true treasure of the Sea Beggar.

It’s a great summer read, so jump-start your vacation with this high-impact pirate adventure!

Sea Beggar is available for purchase from Knightbird Publishing at:

http://nightbirdpubs.com/buy_nightbird_books

Sarah Baca

By Sarah Baca
Treasurer
Orlando Chapter STC

The Administrative Council of the Orlando Chapter STC has been working hard to make sure we can keep offering fun and educational events in the current economic climate. We have some very exciting events in the remaining months of 2011 and coming up in 2012.

We are very excited about the merger with the SpaceTech Chapter, which was recently approved by the Board of Directors. This means that we can start planning for an event on the East Coast for the technical communicators who live there. I have some friends in that area, and I can’t wait to meet them on the East Coast for an official STC Networking Event. Stay tuned for details about this and other exciting events that are coming up.

We have also budgeted for the website makeover. I can’t wait to see what the new website will look like. I know that John Kessler and the website committee have been working very hard on transporting the information from our previous site over to the new one and electing the new look and features for the new website.

This is a great time to be involved in the Orlando Chapter of STC. Just like everyone else, we’ve been challenged by the financial difficulties caused by the recession. These challenges force us to focus on what really matters and prioritize. The friendships that I’ve formed are definitely better than anything money can buy.

As a recent college graduate, I am so grateful that I found this group to help me navigate the stormy waters of the current job market. The knowledge I’ve gained from the meetings and the experiences of my fellow technical communicators is priceless to me. As Treasurer, I definitely appreciate that return on investment!

Bethany Bowles

Dan Voss

By Bethany Bowles and Dan Voss
Co-Managers
STC Orlando Mentoring Program (M&Ms)

OPERATION 9-9-9 has begun! Our STC chapter has launched the 9^th successful year of its mentoring program with 9 mentors and 9 mentees joining in a “get-to-know-you” kick-off meeting at Painted by Hue in Waterford Lakes on September 29. Everyone had the opportunity to paint his/her own ceramics as well as to partake in refreshments that included hand-made sandwiches, snacks, soft drinks, cake, and, of course, M&M’s.

For those who are less artistically inclined, it was an opportunity to step outside of their box and try something new!  And, with one notable exception, the results were quite impressive.

The mentors and mentees learned who their partners would be for this year’s program (see box). Based on the steady “buzz” of conversation amidst the flying paintbrushes, the “M&M’s” wasted no time getting started on establishing goals, objectives, and activities for their mentoring relationships, which will run through May 2012.

The mentoring program, pairing professionals in the STC Orlando Chapter with technical communication students at UCF, has had a highly successful legacy since its inception in 2003.  The model for a number of other successful mentoring programs in the Society, including a program partnering the STC-France Chapter with the University of Paris, the Orlando mentoring program—co-sponsored by the STC-Orlando Chapter and Future Technical Communicators (FTC) at UCF—has been instrumental in sustaining and enriching the dynamic partnership with the university that has been a major factor in making our chapter an acknowledged leader in the Society.

In its 9 years, the program has nurtured 70 mentor/mentee (“M&M”) relationships, many of which have blossomed into long-term professional relationships and friendships.  Mentees have received valuable assistance in job search and placement, skills development, project management, big-company “politics,” and many other areas of endeavor.  Mentors have had the immense personal satisfaction of helping new technical communicators as they enter our profession.

“Perhaps most gratifying is the fact that several former mentees have gone on to serve as mentors,” observed Dan Voss, who, with Bethany Bowles, co-manages this year’s program.  “That plus the fact that Bethany has taught me how to use Facebook.  Not how to paint coffee mugs, unfortunately, but one out of two isn’t bad.”

In past years, the mentor and mentees communication was tracked through contact logs, but this year they have been put aside in favor of Facebook. The new STC/FTC Mentorship group on Facebook is a great social networking tool which enables the M&M’s to share their progress in an interactive page. Rachael Blankenbecklor has already proudly proclaimed to our Facebook group, “I have a meeting planned for Friday with my mentor and we’re looking to go big on this project perhaps! Our first endeavor is to possibly make a short presentation for our local STC chapter about the MySTC website.”

Inspired by the variety of suggested activities, largely contributed by last year’s program coordinator, Patricia Cruz, several M&M pairs have already gotten down to work (see box below).

For example, Rachael Blankenbecklor and Erika Higgins are undertaking an ambitious project: developing a user tutorial for the new MySTC web platform—the need for which has already been identified at the Society level. Debra Johnson and Jessica Campbell have already arranged a job shadowing.

In order to encourage the M&M’s to post on the Facebook group, Bethany proposed a contest. The first mentor/mentee pair to post on Facebook what project from the M&M Bonding page they are working on, and then show proof of completion, will become the proud owners of an M&M mug, compliments of Gail Lippincott. Confident in the success of her project with her mentee, Erika Higgins already issued a challenge: “Try to keep up with us fellow M&Ms. The mug is ours.”

             OPERATION 9-9-9: Success!!!

Meet the Mentors and Mentees (After the Jump):

Alex Garcia and Brittney Adams discuss their common love of Edgar Allan Poe.

Dan Voss and Bethany Bowles benefit from the artistic talents of Rachael Blankenbecklor in the absence of her mentor, Erika Higgins.

David Coverston and Steven Harbor work on their pottery while getting to know each other.

Diane Heald and Rashelle Oberle manage to look wonderfully photogenic while painting their pieces.

Mary Burns shares some surprising information with her mentee, Aidan Hitchingham.

Debra Johnson and Jessica Campbell making some ambitious choices in their painting that led to beautiful results.

Zach Sawyer gives a thumbs-up while his piece is drying, as his mentor W.C. Wiese shares some words of wisdom.

Dalton Hooper

By Dalton Hooper
Employment Manager
Orlando Chapter STC

If you’re one of the several Orlando Chapter members currently looking for your next career opportunity, help is on the way. On November 1, 2011, yet another exclusive benefit will be rolled out for Orlando Chapter members only: To those members who opt in, online member profiles will be made available to potential employers looking to hire technical communicators.

This new program will consist of two distinct parts:

1. An online form will be available to create, update, or delete individual  member profiles.
2. An online website containing the member profiles for employers to search when seeking out technical communicator talent.

Once the member profiles start populating the databases, emails will be sent to dozens of employers alerting them to this complimentary service and directing them to a website set up especially for them. The aim is to help them connect with our chapter member job-seekers.

As for the online member profile form, it will be available to any Orlando Chapter member wishing to use it. Since a member’s employment status is rarely static, the profiles can be modified or completely deleted at will.

The online form will collect the following information:

1. Disposition (i.e., New, Replace, or Delete)
2. Last name
3. First name
4. Email address
5. Your Linkedin public profile URL
6. Contact phone number
7. Whether or not you are currently employed
8. Your date of availability
9. The particular role(s) you are seeking (e.g., Business Analyst, Technical Writer, Instructional Designer)
10. Your geographic preference(s)

Be on the lookout in the coming days for more information about this exciting new benefit.

Inside this issue:

• From the Editor’s Desk
• President’s Corner
• A View From Number Two
• If You Missed Last Meeting…
• Washlines XVII Adds Luster To a Long, Golden Tradition
• September/October 2011 STC Webinars
• Get Active, Get Recognized, Show Off!

Alex Garcia

Hello friends and members of the Orlando Chapter STC!

Welcome to another jam-packed issue of Memo to Members!

Besides our usual columns (“President’s Corner,” “A View From Number Two,” and “If You Missed Last Meeting…”), W.C. Wiese has an update on how you can earn a coveted Orlando Chapter STC Active Member Shirt. Also, Dan Voss brings you an update from the front lines of a very successful Washlines XVII Mini Conference. Finally, you’ll get a glimpse at the international Society’s upcoming webinars.

Are you on Facebook? “Like” the Orlando Chapter STC at: Orlando Chapter STC on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: STCOrlando on Twitter

Do YOU have an article you’d like to submit for Memo to Members? Don’t be shy… email me at  newsletter@stc-orlando.org You will get an Active Member point for your submission.

Until next time,

Alex Garcia
Editor
Orlando Chapter STC Memo to Members

Karen Lane

By Karen Lane
President
Orlando Chapter STC

According to the calendar, we’re heading into autumn. Traditionally this is the time of year we send children (and teachers!) back to school, think ahead to holidays, and plan our productivity schedules. Well, our student members are back in school, we are planning holiday events for the chapter, and your Administrative Council is putting together programs of interest for the year—some more traditional and some more innovative. So Orlando Chapter is right on track.

Our August Washlines meeting was a huge success, offering a broad selection of sessions gleaned from the STC Summit held last spring in Sacramento. It was the next best thing to being there. Our Vice President, Debra Johnson, will be telling you about future programs that will be as good or even better.

In addition to our meetings, the chapter runs several very successful programs that may be of interest to you. The 2011–2012 mentoring program is getting ready to launch, with mentors and mentees waiting to be assigned to one another. But it is not too late to be “in the wings” as a possible mentor, should the need arise. If you have an interest in participating in the professional growth of the next generation of technical communicators, this opportunity is one you will not want to pass up. Dan Voss and Bethany Bowles are heading up that initiative. You may contact them directly at mentorship@stc-orlando.org and mentorship2@stc-orlando.org, respectively.

The Orlando Chapter is committed to making our meetings more available to our distant members, particularly to accommodate busy schedules and out-of-city, out-of-county, and even out-of-state members. We will keep you posted as this plan evolves.

And since our Web site is our public face to the world, we have embarked on an overhaul of both the appearance and functionality of stc-orlando.org. We anticipate having a new site to show you before the end of the year. I would like to thank those who volunteered to work on our Web Redesign Committee: Erika Higgins, Debra Johnson, Michelle Llamas, and Mike Murray. The committee has been hard at work reviewing the sites of other STC communities and making suggestions to be considered for implementation. As always, Jon Kessler, webmaster extraordinaire, will be the technical advisor.

We hope to see everyone at the next chapter meeting on Tuesday, September 20, 2011, and I look forward to greeting you there and hearing your ideas. I can always be reached by e-mail as well: president@stc-orlando.org.

Debra Johnson

by Debra Johnson
Vice President
Orlando Chapter STC

Debra is currently the Lead Documentation Specialist at Wyndham Vacation Ownership in Orlando, FL where she is responsible for setting up and leading the Technical Communications discipline within Wyndham’s Information Technology department.

Hi all…it’s September! School is back in session…hopefully the temperatures will start to drop…and wasn’t Washlines XVI amazing last month???…. We had eight amazing presentations that summarized our experiences from the annual STC Summit held in May. We shared food and drink and networked with some regular members, as well as, some new folks that joined us. We had a great turnout.

Ok, so now it’s time to announce our first chapter meeting program of the year.  It’s happening on Tuesday Sept 20, 2011. Hey that’s my birthday… that means we get CAKE!!!! Whoo Hooo!

We will be welcoming Tracy Rud, Senior Technical Writer, fiction author, my teacher and mentor, as well as, friend.  She is coming all the way from Atlanta, GA to share her story about her career path, what it’s like to write fiction, plus much more.  So please join us.
It will be a great evening.

Winter Park Civic Center

1050 Morse Blvd

Winter Park, FL 32839

Refreshments 6:30pm – Program 7:00pm

Remember…I am always looking for interesting speakers and topics if you have ideas.

So we’ll see you there….

Please RSVP vicepresident@stc-orlando.org  so we know you are coming and bring someone with you!!!

Michele Damron

By Michele Damron
Secretary
Orlando Chapter STC

. . . you missed our annual Washlines celebration in which 2011 STC Summit attendees shared with us what they gleaned from conference sessions they attended. Washlines XVII: California, There We Went, featured 8 venues, 9 presenters, and a total of 18 mini-presentations. Venues included the Sierra Nevada Brewery, The Gold Rush, and the Blue Diamond Almond Factory, to name a few. Our presenters included Karen Lane, Debra Johnson, W.C. Wiese, Jim Clark, Patricia Cruz, Sarah Baca and Dan Voss, Paula Toth, and Dawnell Claeson. Attendees had a large selection of topics and interests from which to choose, and each of the 3 sessions provided a whole 25 minutes at a particular venue. Here’s a sample of some of the topics:

• HTML 5: The Next Internet Gold Rush
• TechComm2020: Get Vision Be Ready
• Digital Self-Defense
• Why Social Networking Matters
• We Are All Content Strategists Now
• Gaining, Sustaining, & Retaining Student Members: An STC Imperative
• Change, Trust, Collaboration: Adapting to New Technologies
• Forty-Nine Nuggets from the Conference

So if you didn’t make it to our August meeting, why not come on out and join us for our September 20 meeting? We promise you will learn a lot about Technical Communication and have an enjoyable time as well.

Dan Voss

by Dan Voss
Coordinator
Washlines XVII Mini-Conference

Billed as a “gold mine” of information, Washlines XVII more than lived up to its billing as the Orlando chapter got the year off to a rousing start with nine attendees of the 58th international STC conference last May in Sacramento sharing information from sessions they attended and, in some cases, presented at the conference.

With topics ranging widely, from social media to certification to radically open documentation, and with a strong attendance that included several welcome new faces we hope to see back in September, it was an evening filled not only with information but also with fun.

Jim Clark entertains one of the two large and enthusiastic crowds that stormed his NorCal Sports venue.

W.C. Wiese, perhaps the only chapter member who has attended all 17 “Washlines” meetings (yours truly missed one due to surgery), said he felt this may have been the best ever.  “Participation was just outstanding,” W.C. said.  “Every table had at least a few participants in every rotation.  People were scribbling notes, asking questions, and enthusiastically discussing the topics.”

A measure of the success of the event was the fact that three of the eight “venues” didn’t close down even when the meeting was adjourned; animated discussion at those tables continued for at least 15 minutes into the after-meeting networking and clean-up time.  Indeed, at least half of the attendees stuck around for a half hour of additional information exchange and socializing.

We anticipate another terrific meeting on Tuesday evening, September 20th, featuring Tracy Rud, Senior Technical Writer and fiction author.  Post time, as usual, is 6:30 for refreshments and networking, 7:00 for the meeting.

With seven experienced chapter officers, twice that number of dedicated committee managers and “specialists,” and bolstered with an exceptionally enthusiastic crop of technical communications students from UCF, our Chapter of Excellence—and five-time Chapter of Distinction—is off to one of the best starts on a chapter year that we have ever had.  Don’t miss the information, the professional growth, the friendship, and the fun.  Come on down … we’ll keep a light on for you. 

Chapter VP Debra Johnson not only helped produce Washlines XVII, she "manned" the Blue Diamond Almond Factory venue.

STC Board member W.C. Wiese discussed certification and other topics in the California Legislature venue.

Erstwhile mentor/mentee pair Sarah Baca and Dan Voss aren't telling whether the libations at the Winery Venue were really 240 proof.

Festooned with the traditional washlines and colorful signs, the WPCC meeting room metamorphasized into Central California for the evening.

Cost: Members $79 each; Not Yet Members $149 each, Student Member $29 each. All payments done through PayPal.

Note: Cost is transferable but is not refundable.

Note: The webinar platform does not support Voice Over IP (VOIP) for Apple Macintosh system. Participants using Macintosh computers can access all other functions of the platform and use the 800 dial-in number instead of VOIP.

Here is the exciting lineup for September and October 2011 (click on the titles to register):

W. C. Wiese

by W.C. Wiese
Active Member Motivator
Orlando Chapter STC

STC-Orlando Immediate-Past-Treasurer Mark Wray shows off his 2010-2011 Active Member Shirt at the end-of-year banquet in June 2011.

They come in pepper, yellow, seafoam green, and powder blue. They come in forest green, black, and artillery red. And there are maybe 200 in the whole wide world. What are they? Highly sought after Orlando Chapter Active Member shirts!

At our end-of-the-chapter-year awards dinner in June, Membership Chairman David Coverston recognized 16 Orlando Active Members at the year-end banquet in June. Receiving dusky-blue polo shirts were Sarah Baca, David Coverston, Patricia Cruz, Michele Damron, Alex Garcia, Erika Higgins, Dalton Hooper, Debra Johnson, Jon Kessler, Karen Lane, Gail Lippincott, Mike Murray, Kelli Pharo, Dan Voss, W.C. Wiese, and Mark Wray.

For 10 years, the Orlando Chapter has recognized members who are consistent in their attendance and help make the chapter a success. These distinctive leadership shirts cannot be bought, only earned. They set our membership apart at STC conferences and in the workplace. (After years of envy, several other chapters have copied us and begun their own active membership programs in the past 4 years.)

As the points table shows, members earn points every month they attend a meeting, put on a program, attend an Administrative Council meeting, or serve as a judge or mentor.

In the chapter year ahead, you must earn 14 points to earn a 2012 Active Member shirt. But it will be worth it!

The shirt lets our members celebrate chapter pride in the workplace whenever they choose to wear it. It sends a positive message to employers, clients, and co-workers: I am committed to my profession and committed to self-development. I am a member of STC!

Will you be an active member? Watch in upcoming issues of Memo to Members!

Inside this issue:

• From the Editor’s Desk
• August 16: Don’t Miss the “Gold Rush”
• Washlines XVII Program Matrix
• Washlines Venue and Topic Highlights

Alex Garcia

Hello friends and members of the Orlando Chapter STC!

August officially kicks off our chapter year, programwise, and we are kicking it off with a rush—a gold rush that is!

On August 16^th, at the Winter Park Civic Center, Orlando Chapter STC proudly presents Washlines XVII: “California, There We Went.” This one night mini-conference brings the best “nuggets” of information gold back from the STC Summit in Sacramento to Orlando. Networking and refreshments at 6:3o PM, program at 7:00 PM.

• STC Members $10.00
• STC Student Members $5.00
• “Not yet” Regular members $20.00
• “Not yet” Student members $10.00
• First timers and presenters are free (email David Coverston @ membership@stc-orlando.org for more information about the first timer’s coupon).

Please RSVP to Debra Johnson @ vicepresident@stc-orlando.org.

This special issue of Memo to Members will be devoted exclusively to Washlines, with a word (or 1,000) from the coordinator, Dan Voss, a user-friendly program matrix, and a preview of some of the programs available. Until next month, when we resume our “normal” programming, find all the gold you can at Washlines!

Alex Garcia
Editor
Orlando Chapter STC Memo to Members

Dan Voss

Come to Washlines XVII—“California, There We Went”:
Pan for Nuggets to Enrich Your Professional Development

By Dan Voss

Over the years, the traditional Washlines event has opened the STC-Orlando chapter year by conveying information on our profession gathered at the Society’s annual international conference in a lively “mini-conference” format that has, over the years, varied from speaker panels to progression tables.

In fitting with the Sacramento venue for last May’s 58^th annual STC international conference, our theme this year is keyed to California in general and Sacramento in particular.  Fittingly, Washlines XVII—can you believe this is the 17^th incarnation of Washlines?!—offers a gold mine of information at a fraction of the cost of attending the conference itself.

So mark your calendars and be sure to be in “Sacramento Southeast” (a.k.a., Winter Park Civic Center) Tuesday, August 16, at 6:30 p.m. to partake in the fun and the sharing of information—not to mention cleverly themed refreshments.

Following the usual social networking time and a brief business meeting, eight chapter members who attended the 58^th annual international STC conference in Sacramento in May (and one who didn’t but was supposed to!) will bring you a full-blown mini-conference in a unique format that is 50% progression, 50% North Central California ambiance—and 110% fun.

The format is designed to simulate a realistic conference experience—including the sometimes vexing challenge of selecting the selections you attend from a staggering array of fascinating and informational alternatives.

Eight “California, There We Went”-themed progression tables will offer you the opportunity to choose from 18 mini-presentations covering a wide range of subject areas within technical communication (see box).

The complete program is published in this edition of Memo to Members and will also be available as a printed handout at the event.  A word of warning, however—choose now (with first and second choices for each rotation), because the mini-conference, just like the real thing, will fly past you at a dizzying pace.

Five or six venues will be open in each of three 25-minute rotations; two or three will be closed, thereby allowing the table hosts to take a break and attend one rotation at another venue so they can acquire as well as share conference information.

In addition to choosing which three venues you are going to visit, you will also be faced with a smorgasbord of choices at many of the tables. The number of topics at the venues ranges from 1 to 4, and the level of possible treatment varies from brief summaries to in-depth presentations, based on the number of topics on the menu as well as the audience’s preferences.  Each rotation at each venue will be different, but all with well-prepared material and some with valuable handouts to boot.

At three of the venues, the host or hostesses are offering a reprise of sessions they presented in Dallas; another is offering unique leadership insights from within the STC Board of Directors.  The remaining four tables will offer information gleaned from a broad range of technical sessions at the conference.

Without any doubt, Washlines XVII has something for everybody!

Your table hosts will be competing vigorously for your attendance by offering not only information, experience, and handouts, but also a wide range of trinkets, goodies, and other bribes to lure you unabashedly to their venues.

We literally do not know exactly what will happen at Washlines XVII until it happens (just as in the previous 16 Washlines sessions), but we do know this—it will be richly varied, vastly informative, thoroughly entertaining, probably quite loud, and unquestionably a whole lot of fun!

Tuesday, August 16, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Winter Park Civic Center

R1 = Rotation 1 (7:25-7:50)     R2 = Rotation 2 (7:50-8:15)
R3 = Rotation 3 (8:15-8:40)     C = Closed        O = Open

Washlines XVII Program Matrix (Click to Enlarge)

The Print-quality program matrix, which will be distributed at Washlines, is available at the following link for your highlighting pleasure:  
WashlinesXVII_Program
(PDF Reading Software Required)

Venue: Sierra Nevada Brewery (GREEN)
Host: Karen Lane

Venue: California Legislature (Tan)
Host: WC Wiese

Venue: Old Sacramento (Tower Bridge Yellow)
Host: Patricia Cruz

Venue: Burgundy
Hosts: Dan Voss and Sarah Baca

AND MANY MORE…

Inside this issue:

• From The Editor’s Desk
• President’s Corner
• A View from Number Two
• If You Missed Our Annual Leadership Day Meeting . . .
• Year Opening Meeting: Washlines XVII to Offer a “Gold Rush” of Information
• August 2011 STC Webinars
• Join My-STC Today!

Alex Garcia

It is with great pleasure that I assume the role of Editor for Memo-to-Members, your gateway to news and information about the Orlando Chapter STC, for the 2011-2012 chapter year.

First, a little bit about myself: I have double degrees from the University of Central Florida in Engineering Technology and English: Technical Communication. I joined STC, and the Orlando Chapter, in 2004 as a student member. Throughout my time with the chapter, I’ve served as hospitality chair, mentorship program chair (both for the mentees and the mentors), and most recently, as chair for the Gloria Jaffe Outstanding Technical Communicator Award committee. I spent five years as a Space Shuttle Engineer at the Kennedy Space Center before surviving two strenuous short term assignments as a Proposal Editor at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Orlando. I am currently looking for my next adventure.

My hope for this newsletter is to make it as interactive as possible. Throughout this year, I’d like to work with the STC Orlando Communications and Public Relations committees to integrate the newsletter into the chapter’s social networking footprint.

So, what would YOU like to read about and see in Memo-to-Members? Feel free to email me at newsletter@stc-orlando.org, or comment below.

Until next time, enjoy this special summer issue!

Alex Garcia
Editor
Orlando Chapter STC Memo to Members

Karen Lane

By Karen Lane
President
Orlando Chapter STC

I’m very excited to have the opportunity to serve as the Orlando Chapter President for 2011–2012, and I’ll be sharing some of my ideas with you in this series of newsletter articles.

First, an introduction: Some of you may know me from my presence at monthly chapter meetings, since I have been a chapter member since 1994. My current work is as a freelance technical editor and indexer, which I have been doing since my graduate school years at UCF, earning a master’s degree in technical writing along the way. From 2001 to 2006, I served as the Orlando Chapter Treasurer, and since then I have been your Employment Manager, sending out job notices as they were sent to me by recruiters and employers.

We in the Orlando Chapter are very fortunate to have a dedicated and diligent group of committee chairs and members. You will be hearing from them from time to time about their various plans for our chapter. For now, I will tell you about some chapter news of which you may not yet be aware.

In the spring, your Administrative Council (AdCo) and general membership each voted to approve a plan to merge two sister chapters, Orlando and SpaceTech (in Brevard County). That initiative is moving forward as we await Society board approval. Once the merger is complete, I hope we will be seeing some of our Brevard colleagues at our meetings, and it’s also under consideration to include the Brevard members in some of our programs, perhaps by remote access.

In another exciting development, the Administrative Council voted at its Leadership Retreat in mid-July to increase the number of voting members on the Council by the addition of two at-large directors, as permitted by our chapter bylaws. The election for these positions will be held at the regular chapter meeting in August. We look forward to the increased input the new directors will provide as we plan chapter activities.

Speaking of the Leadership Retreat, I’m very pleased to report that in addition to the members of the AdCo attending to review the chapter’s progress and plans, we had the pleasure of welcoming several UCF students who are active in the FTC (Future Technical Communicators) club: Jennifer Blackwell, Bethany Bowles, Michelle Llamas, and recent graduate Jennifer Wolff.  We certainly hope they will become active members of our chapter and give us the benefit of their unique insights on a variety of relevant topics. Their enthusiasm and energy was inspiring to us “veterans,” and they brainstormed many good ideas and volunteered to serve on committees. And they are by no means the only students who have taken leadership roles in the chapter. This past year Patricia Cruz, then a student and now a UCF graduate, co-chaired the chapter mentoring program and now co-chairs the Community Achievement Award Committee. You will be hearing more about Patricia in the months and years to come. And let us not forget Sarah Baca, recent UCF graduate, who has stepped forward to serve as your chapter treasurer, a position of great responsibility and one she is well equipped to hold. Our chapter is fortunate to have the energy of all its members across the age spectrum.

One last initiative that I’d like to tell you about concerns the chapter’s public face to the world: our Web site. We are very fortunate to have an expert webmaster in Jon Kessler, and he has agreed to undertake a major project to move our site in a new direction. For this he needs your help. We are asking everyone to assist by thinking about what you would like to see that we could realistically provide. I urge you to look around the Web at other organizations’ sites and pick out a few that you think might inspire our new design. Heading up the effort to collect site suggestions is Michelle Llamas. If you send the URLs of the sites you’re recommending to Michelle (m.y.llamas@gmail.com) by August 6, she will pass along the information to Jon. Who knows—your suggestion might just be the one to seed our new site!

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions (president@stc-orlando.org), and I hope you will find—as I did—that chapter membership can be both professionally rewarding and fun. All you have to do is join in.

Looking forward to seeing you at our August meeting—Washlines—and all year round.

Debra Johnson

[Editor's Note: In the originally published article, Bethany Bowles was listed as FTC President. She is actually the Vice-President of FTC and has also volunteered to co-manage the Mentoring program this year. The new FTC president is Edward Petrowitz and the "January" bullet has been updated to reflect this correction.]

by Debra Johnson
Vice President
Orlando Chapter STC

Debra is currently the Lead Documentation Specialist at Wyndham Vacation Ownership in Orlando, FL.  She is responsible for setting up and leading the Technical Communications discipline within Wyndham’s Information Technology department.

Well, here it is, July 2011, and I am back in my second term as your VP.  It has been a great year for me. I really wasn’t quite sure what to expect last year, and now I do.  I was honored this past April with the Gloria Jaffee Outstanding Technical Communicator Award for 2011 and a Chapter Service Award at the end of the year Banquet in June… How amazing is that? …oh, I also earned my first Active Member shirt…yea!

I have to admit I was a bit scared in the beginning of last year, but now it feels so natural. We have a new president, a new treasurer, and two new positions on the Ad Co.  We are looking to make some much needed changes on our path to “Distinction”. I am really looking forward to a very exciting year ahead.

On the Agenda for 2011-2012

So what is on the agenda for this coming year…

As before, my primary function of VP is to be the Programs Chair. I will be lining up some terrific monthly chapter meeting topics and/or speakers.

Those months are:

• August – This is our first meeting of the new chapter year, it’s during this month we hold our annual “Washlines” meeting where we recap our experiences at the Annual STC Summit recently held in May….. This year it’s all about California, dude!!!
• November is the month we break bread together and give thanks….stay tuned for the location
• December – we have off for the holidays
• January – this is the month we hold our annual FTC/STC joint meeting. It takes place on campus at the University of Central Florida. The new FTC President, Edward Petrowitz, usually takes the lead on this, however, President Karen Lane and I will work closely with him.
• April – is our month to hold our annual High School Writing Competition awards banquet. June – is the month we hold our annual end of year banquet
• March usually has an employment-theme, although not always. I am responsible for this meeting. In the past, we have done everything from job fairs to employment panels for this meeting. I will be looking for your suggestions and feedback…
• The remaining months, September, October, November, December, February, and May, are the months I must arrange a speaker/program.  I have three solid so far…so look forward to hearing from a Senior Technical Communicator turned novelist, learn about generating consistent documentation estimates, and the future of TechComm and where it’s heading, just to name a few…. and I am working on a few webinars as well!
• I still can use your suggestions and feedback on speakers…or if you would like to present on a topic, please contact me at vicepresident@stc-orlando.org

Another important job for me is to make sure I am available to assist and support our new President, Karen Lane, re-elected Secretary, Michele Damron; and new Treasurer, Sarah Baca, as well as, the rest of our Administrative Council leaders.  But most importantly, I am here for you… So as before, look for me to call the meetings to order, introduce our guest speakers/programs, and give away those amazing door prizes… Whoo Hoo!

See you in August…

P.S. RSVP for August 16, 2011 at 6:30 pm Washlines XVII at the Winter Park Convention Center.  Bring someone with you!!!

Michele Damron

By Michele Damron
Secretary
Orlando Chapter STC

…you missed a brainstorming extravaganza in which our Administrative Council (AdCo) planned for the new year. Held July 16 in the conference room of Atkins (formerly PBSJ), the leadership retreat included 14 regular members and 4 student members. We brainstormed ideas, reported progress on current initiatives, and planned for an effective, innovative year.

Surprising us all in the midst of a working lunch, Kelli Pharo made a presentation to Laura Pooser of the UCF Foundation regarding the Melissa Pellegrin Scholarship. The Atkins press release provides the exciting details:

The Atkins Foundation, Inc., has awarded a grant of $3,000 to the UCF Foundation, Inc. in support of the STC-UCF Melissa Pellegrin Memorial Scholarship, an endowment established by the Orlando Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication (STC). The STC endowment is managed by the philanthropic arm of the University of Central Florida (UCF), the UCF Foundation, Inc., in coordination with Orlando STC leadership.

We are thrilled that Atkins has chosen to support the education of promising UCF Technical Communication students by granting this generous donation in memory of Melissa.

Ultimately, the day’s discussions yielded several initiatives that are currently being pursued, or will be pursued, as the year continues:

• Merging our Orlando Chapter with the Space Tech chapter
• Refreshing our website with a new look and additional functionality
• Creating a new writing competition in conjunction with the Orlando Science Center’s Regional Science Challenge

Orlando Chapter President Karen Lane reported that the merger of the Orlando Chapter with the Space Tech Chapter is almost complete. We plan to have at least one meeting a year in the Brevard county area to provide additional networking and educational opportunities for members in both geographical communities. Stay tuned for details!

Karen Lane and Jon Kessler (Webmaster and High School Writing Competition Chair) presented plans for a Chapter website renovation. Over the next couple of weeks we will be gathering ideas for what we need and want regarding both user interface and functionality. If YOU have thoughtful ideas on the website renovation that you would like to share, send them by August 6 to Michelle Llamas at the following email address: m.y.llamas@gmail.com

One of the most exciting proposals discussed at the meeting involves a new annual competition that would be held in conjunction with the Orlando Science Center’s (OSC) Regional Science Challenge. We hope to offer finalists in OSC’s contest a chance to write a paper summarizing their experience, telling us why they chose their particular project, what they learned, and the potential impact their project might have on others—in essence the “backstory” of their science project. For each of two divisions, we would award a $100 cash prize to the first-place winners and a $50 cash prize to the honorable mention recipients.

If you love science and would be interested in being a judge in this competition, keep your eyes on the monthly newsletters for more information. We are hopeful that this competition would help us expand STC Orlando’s influence and outreach to local students who may one day enter the field of Technical Communication.

So if you missed our Leadership Day meeting, won’t you let it be the last STC meeting you miss for this year? We would love to have your involvement and input as we go through the year. Come on out and join us!

Dan Voss

By Dan Voss
Coordinator
Washlines XVII Mini Conference

J’ever pan for informational gold?

Ya’ll’ll have the opportunity to do so at the STC-Orlando chapter meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 16, at the Winter Park Civic Center, in “California, There We Went,” or, more formally, Washlines XVII.

As we speak, the nine venue hosts for this 17^th incarnation of the chapter’s traditional year-opening program are busily packaging information on a wide range of topics from sessions at STC’s 58^th annual international conference last May into golden nuggets for information prospectors to pluck from the silty and gravelly tray with your panning screens that evening.

A number of the venue hosts will be offering a condensed version of sessions they presented in Sacramento; others will distill the golden essence of sessions they attended to share with you.

Either way, you’ll be tapping into a mother lode of information in this “mini-conference” for a fraction of the cost of attending the full conference itself … and at the price of gold these days, a bargain to be sure!

Don’t miss Washlines XVII—the 17^th edition of an epic that has passed down through the epochs from the Orlando chapter’s tribal elders.

Look for more information, including the full mini-conference program, in the August edition of Memo to Members.

Cost: Members $79 each; Not Yet Members $149 each, Student Member $29 each. All payments done through PayPal.

Note: Cost is transferable but is not refundable.

Note: The webinar platform does not support Voice Over IP (VOIP) for Apple Macintosh system. Participants using Macintosh computers can access all other functions of the platform and use the 800 dial-in number instead of VOIP.

Here is the exciting lineup for August 2011:

Wednesday, 3 August | 1:00–2:00 PM EDT (GMT-4)

TechComm 2020: Get Vision, Be Ready

Tristan Bishop

Communication is morphing at a dizzying rate. In some fields, technological advancements disintegrate job functions without warning. This presentation will use statistics to present a vision of the technical communication profession in 2020, and explain steps we can take today to be a part of that vision.

Wednesday, 10 August 1:00–2:00 PM EDT (GMT-4)

Putting Your Best Font Forward

Michael Opsteegh

Learn to create documents, help, Web pages, and presentations that people actually want to read! This fast-paced presentation touches the fundamentals of graphic design, the key elements of typography, and the ethical implications that all technical communicators must know to create attractive and innovative materials.

Wednesday, 17 August 1:00–2:00 PM EDT (GMT-4)

Cut the Fluff (A Diet for Text-Bloated Docs)

Leah Guren

Are your documents too wordy? Do you go on and on and on before you get to the point? Maybe you need to learn how to cut the fluff! Learn the tricks to trimming without terror and cutting without qualms.

Wednesday, 24 August 1:00–2:00 PM EDT (GMT-4)

We Are All Content Strategists Now

Karen McGrane

Out of relative obscurity, content strategy has become the next big buzzword. Some say it fills a gap in our professional practices. Others argue it’s just a different name for things we already do. In this session, the presenter will discuss why the Web needs content—and how technical communicators of every stripe can put content strategy to work on their projects.

Wednesday, 31 August 1:00–2:00 PM EDT (GMT-4)

HTML5: The Next Internet Gold Rush

Peter Lubbers

Peter Lubbers presents a behind-the-scenes look at HTML5 and how it differs from previous versions of HTML. Learn the vision and design principles behind HTML5 and how this will affect the TC field. You will see practical demonstrations of the different features of HTML5, including the new semantic markup. HTML5 is available in most modern browsers, but you will also learn how to make it work in older ones.

Erika Higgins

By Erika Higgins
Communications Committee Chair
Orlando Chapter STC

The recently launched My STC feature will change the way technical communicators interact online. Combining the knowledge-sharing capabilities of a professional network with the interactivity and user experience of a social network, My STC is an important platform for networking, collaboration, communication, community management, and more.

The interface is simple enough to be intuitive, while still incorporating the tools and resources that will provide the greatest value possible.

To experience the My STC Network, please visit www.stc.org.

To log in, just enter your existing STC username and password. You can do this by clicking on the “Site Access” link at the top right-hand side of the page or by clicking on the “My STC” tab on the navigation bar.

Once you’re inside, you’ll have the opportunity to personalize your user experience. You can edit your profile, add personal information, upload an image or video, create or view events, and begin participating in discussions. If you’re a member of an STC chapter or SIG, you’ll be automatically added to the corresponding discussion groups when you sign in. If you’re not a member of an STC community, you can participate in open discussion groups or start your own. Be sure to join the Orlando Chapter’s group.

With this new platform, STC can also invite any STC.org visitor to register for the website, providing the opportunity for nonmembers to purchase educational offerings, publications, and other STC services. These accounts will also allow nonmembers to gain limited access to the My STC Network, where they will be able to participate in designated nonmember groups and view or join open community groups. (A group’s status as “open” or “private” is determined by the administrator; in the case of STC communities, usually the president or manager.) If you’re considering inviting a technical communicator you know to join STC, this is a great way to get them involved.

STC has taken great care to make this new platform as user-friendly as possible. If you should happen to encounter any problems, however, please let them know. You can leave feedback using the “Feedback” tab on every page of the site. This will take you to Get Satisfaction (separate login required), a tool we’re using to aggregate and address site issues and suggestions.

We’ve prepared a video tutorial that explains the new features of STC.org. If you’d prefer a walkthrough before signing in or need some help finding your way around, please have a look at the following instructional video:

We hope you enjoy these new Web tools developed to enhance collaboration, networking, and knowledge sharing among professionals in the field of technical communication. We look forward to seeing you online.