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Technical Writing is a fairly recent
profession. Until the mid-80s, most technical writing was done by the
same people who designed the software or conducted research. Often the
role fell by default to the team member who had some writing skills, and
the documentation was frequently difficult for the layperson to understand.
Today, most technical documentation is distributed to a public who may
have little or no desire to know underlying theory, but who simply want
to read and understand the documentation.
Philosophy
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Your documentation reflects your business.
Organizations will spend thousands of dollars
for a new logo design and a lot more for an ad campaign. Often,
though, the documentation that accompanies new products and reports
is put together by people whose chief skill is something other than
writing. A logo or ad campaign may last for a few years or for a
season; documentation lasts as long as someone, somewhere, uses
the information.
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The cover's nice, but what do these words
mean?
A well-designed report cover or help file won't
make up for information that confuses rather than helps. Your audience
wants to understand what you've done and how the information can
be used. There's no profit in producing a product that will frustrate
rather than educate.
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What does CherWare know about my business?
CherWare doesn't know nearly as much about your
business as you do - but your client doesn't, either! Organizations
today have a need to present technical information in a clear and
interesting manner for their clients. A technical writer doesn't
need a background within a particular field, but the ability to
grasp new concepts and translate them into written document that
are easily read and understood by the organization's target audience.
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How can CherWare help my organization?
A dedication to presenting information that
is understandable, interesting, and easy to read is the hallmark
of a good writer. My writing has been published in
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Good
Housekeeping, February 1995, "My Problem and How I
Solved It" (original manuscript, ghostwritten for publication's
preferred style) |
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The
Miami Herald's Tropic Magazine, May 23, 1993,
"Can't Live Without 'Em" |
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Portland
CitySearch |
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Oregon
Episcopal Church News, "Yes,
Lord, I Believe." |
Excerpts
from a recently produced technical document and a reference
for my technical writing skills can also be viewed online.
(These documents all require the free Adobe Acrobat
Reader, available from Adobe.
Contact me by email to discuss your project.
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