Content managers wear many hats; CMSwire discusses seven of them for 2012.

Brain Traffic takes a look at content strategy and responsive design.

Boxesandarrows talks about how to integrate UX into the product backlog.  

TechWhirl conducted an interview with the “Content Philosopher” Joe Gollner about integrated technical communication and the content revolution.  

Johnny Holland explores the top mistakes UX designers make.  

And finally, guest editor David Kowalsky writes on The Content Wrangler about collaborative authoring and the tools available to help.

Guest post by Deanne Levander

This is a plea for help with the International Summit Awards competition. We have sent a call for judges but still need a number of experienced judges for this year’s International Summit Awards Competition.  

Do you have what it takes to be a judge?

To judge in the International Competition, you should have judged in three or more local or regional competitions and be familiar with the responsibilities of being a judge. There is a judge handbook on STC’s competitions page (see Judging Forms header); spend a minute checking it out to find out what it takes to be a judge. Do you have what it takes?

What is in it for me?

There are a number of professional development benefits from being an International Competition judge:

• Learn what other companies are doing with their technical communication. How do your materials compare with award-winning materials? What can you learn from them?
• Meet professional colleagues through your team experience. Being part of an International Judging team is part of a great network.
• Share your expertise. Through your comments and judgment, entrants build their expertise. We raise the bar of excellence with every competition.

How do I apply?

Go to https://www.mblast.com/mr.asp?2.257689.7. Be sure to follow the instructions from the first page through the last. If you do not work for a company, add your name to the company field. Although we have tested the online form, there still might be one or two hiccups. If you have any problem with the online form, email Deanne Levander.

What is the schedule?

Most judging will take place during the month of March. We hope to have entries to judge teams by 1 March.

How many entries will I have?

It really depends on how many judges apply and are accepted. We would like to keep the number of entries per judge to five (5) entries.  Right now, we are looking at about 15 entries per judge. Please help your fellow judges!

Who can I talk to if I have more questions?

Please email any questions regarding this year’s International Summit Awards competition to Jackie Damrau.

Each of the candidates for the upcoming STC election were invited to submit a blog post to STC’s Notebook in support of their candidacy. Below is the post submitted by John Hedtke, candidate for Nominating Committee. Click on his name to take you to his election page, or visit the main STC election page for information about all candidates.

The STC Is a Hard Habit to Break

Part of the selection process for becoming a candidate for any office in the STC is an interview with a couple of Nominating Committee members who want to find out more about what you want to do and why. Not surprisingly, the first question I was asked in this interview was, “Why do you want to run for the office?” My initial response was a bit flip: “A habit is a hard thing to break.” But as I discussed my reasons with the Nominating Committee, this proved to be an important part of my decision to run for office once more.

I’ve been involved with the STC since 1986. The STC means worlds to me. As a result of being a member for the last 25 years, I have:

• developed an incredible number of professional skills: writing, speaking, teaching, business analysis, management, and others.
• met many of my closest friends.
• made professional contacts around the world.
• received many professional awards and accolades.

All of these experiences have been incredibly enriching, and have also led to another important outcome: I’ve made $1,000,000 that I wouldn’t have made otherwise if I hadn’t been a member of the STC. And the benefits keep flowing in: I keep making new friends and professional connections through the STC, I became an STC Fellow in 2003 (which I’m still incredibly happy about), and I definitely keep making money because of contacts I’ve made here. The STC helped me be a success in my career, and as part of that, I’ve gained friends and professional satisfactions I couldn’t even envision a quarter-century ago.

With all these benefits that have come into my life from being in the STC, it’s been important for me to pay back some of what I’ve received. I was president of a couple of STC chapters. Since the late 1990s, I’ve served continuously on STC committees and even chaired a few. In 2001, I was elected to the STC’s Nominating Committee and in 2005, I became the last Region 7 Director and served for three years on the Board during what may have been the STC’s most turbulent period ever.

But even though I’ve served the STC in many ways, I still believe that when I get called and asked to run, I have an obligation to say “Yes.” By serving on the Nominating Committee, I can continue to pay the STC and the profession back by recruiting candidates who will make the most of the STC for future generations of members and give to them at least some of the personal and professional satisfactions I’ve received.

So my initial response to the Nominating Committee about why I’m doing this really was correct. I believe in service to the organization that has helped me and many other people become better technical communicators and have a lot of fun while doing so. Volunteering to help the STC really is a hard habit to break.

Guest post by Nicky Bleiel

The deadline for communities to submit an application for the Pacesetter Award is 26 March. STC’s Community Pacesetter Award recognizes innovative and successful community initiatives. All communities are welcome to apply for the Pacesetter Award, even those that have already applied for the Community Achievement Award.

What is an innovative achievement? The Guidelines include details and examples. That link also includes the application form.

Winners will be announced at the Honors Banquet at the STC Summit.

The deadline for applications is 26 March 2012. Please contact Pacesetter Chair Tom Barnett or Lloyd Tucker with any questions.

Each of the candidates for the upcoming STC election were invited to submit a blog post to STC’s Notebook in support of their candidacy. Below is the post submitted by DJ Cline, candidate for Nominating Committee. Click on his name to take you to his election page, or visit the main STC election page for information about all candidates.

Have you ever wondered why some websites get to the top of Google’s search results while others fall short? Would you like to learn how simple it can be to get a website ranked in the Top 10 of Yahoo and Bing? Then join Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expert Donte Ormsby for the live Web seminar Getting to the Top of Google on Wednesday, 8 February, from 1:00-2:00 PM EST (GMT-5), as he shares his secrets of success.

Learn SEO tactics that you can use today to put your website or blog at the top of the search engine charts. By the end of the training attendees will be able to identify the type of Web page content search engines prefer and how it helps a site’s ranking, describe a method for creating captivating blog posts and Web content, list the common reasons why websites rank poorly, list the common elements successful websites possess to rank higher than the competition, and look at example Web pages and instantly determine if it will be successful within Google, Yahoo, or Bing.

Clear and consistent communication can help you save costs and improve your customer experience. Learn how with the live Web seminar Simplified Technical English, presented by Berry Braster on Tuesday, 7 February from 9:00-10:00 PM EST (GMT-5).

Simplified Technical English (STE) is a method of writing that makes technical English easy to understand. The adaptation of STE stimulates the (global) acceptance of technical documentation as it improves readability and translatability, and prevents misunderstandings and misinterpretations.

During this webinar, content quality advocate Berry Braster of Tedopres will explain the benefits of STE using case studies, and show how overall cost, time to market, and content volume will be reduced and how you can save considerably on translations: up to 40 percent per language!

As we announced via email last week, the website for the 2012 STC Election is now live on the main STC site. Do you know the candidates running for Vice President, Secretary, Director, and the Nominating Committee? There is a photo, biography, candidate statement, links, and more on each candidate’s page. The election opens Friday, 2 March, and will run through Friday, 23 March.

We also are inviting STC members to ask questions of the candidates. Go to the Candidate Q&A Page, select the position to which you wish to direct your question, then enter your name, email address, and question. We’ll send the questions to all candidates for that position and post the responses as they’re received. There are already a few questions submitted and answers received, so click the position links at the top of the page to review those, too.

And finally, we invited all candidates to participate in an audio podcast interview with a few brief introductory questions and a short discussion about their thoughts on the position, technical communication, and STC. The links are available on each candidate’s page; if they participated, you’ll see a box labeled “Podcast” on the right side (under the photo), with a link to listen.

Remember, you must renew your STC membership by 29 February to be eligible to vote. This election is an important one, so make sure your voice is heard. Renew and vote!

Thanks once more to the chapter and SIG leaders for filling Your Friendly Neighborhood Blogger in on what’s going on in their neighborhoods. Click the Community Events tab above to see the full listing, in chronological order and with links where provided, or see the list below the jump.

If you’re a community leader and didn’t get my email, or if you didn’t get a chance to respond, feel free to email me and I’ll add your events to the below as soon as I can.

All members are invited to attend any of the below meetings, many of which are virtual. See the websites for more information or to sign up.

2 February: Santa Barbara, Chapter Meeting, Jack Molisani presents Increasing Your Corporate Value, 6:00 PM PST (GMT-8)
http://www.sbstc.org/

4 February: Southeastern Michigan, “An Overview of Trends, Tools, and Technologies in Software User Assistance” and “Development Techniques for User Interface Text and Web-based Content in SmartPhone Applications,” with Joe Welinske, Lawrence Technological University, 9:00 AM-1:00 PM  EST (GMT-5)
http://stc-sm.eventbrite.com/

6 February: Southwestern Ontario, Education Evening: Joe Welinske presents Write More, Write Less: Embracing the Value of Crafted Words and Images, 7:00 PM EST (GMT-5); doors open at 6:30 PM EST
http://www.stc-soc.org/calendar.php

7 February: Mid-South (TN), Leanne Logan presentation on creating an improved user software experience, Central Library, 5:45- 7:00 PM CST (GMT-5)
Email Mid-South

7 February: North Texas Lone Star, Webinar, Indexing Across Communications with Cheryl Landes, 6:00-7:30 pm CST (GMT-6)
http://www.anymeeting.com/stclonestar

8 February: Europe SIG, Watercooler Webinar chat, “Getting started in terminology management,” phone-in details to be e-mailed to members, 17:00-18:00 CET (GMT+1)
Email Europe SIG

8 February: Northeast Ohio, Development Techniques for User Interface Text and Web-based Content in Smartphone Applications, 5:30 PM-8:00 PM EST (GMT-5)
http://www.neostc.org/cms/

8 February: Berkeley, Chapter meeting, “Bringing the Editor’s Perspective to Our Work,” Panel Presentation with Q&A, 6:00-9:00 PM PST (GMT-8)
http://www.stc-berkeley.org/MonthlyMeeting/february2012_meeting/meeting_details.shtml

9 February: Santa Barbara, Monthly Schmoozing Lunch, Elephant Bar, 12:30-1:30 PM PST (GMT-8)
http://www.sbstc.org/

9 February: Suncoast (FL), “Meet and Greet,” exploratory meeting for likes, needs, and wishes of Sarasota-area technical communicators, 6:00-8:00 PM EST (GMT-5)
http://stc-suncoast.org/2012/01/february-9-chapter-meeting-in-sarasota/

11 February: Southwestern Ohio, Key Topics in Software User Assistance seminar,
Seapine Software, 9:00 AM-Noon EST (GMT-5)
http://www.stc-swo.org/

11 February: San Diego, “Project Management from a Documentation Perspective” by Rebecca Lyles, 5:30-8:30 PM PST (GMT-8)
http://www.stc-sd.org/home/home.htm

15 February: New England, Program meeting “Dealing with Contract Agencies, Pt 2″ featuring Carol Szatkowski and Caleb Paul Stewart, 5:30-8:30 PM EST (GMT-5)
http://www.stcnewengland.org

15 February: San Francisco, Linda Urban on Thinking about User Assistance as Performance Support, 6.00-8:30 PM PST (GMT-8)
http://www.stc-sf.org/

16 February: New York Metro, Virtual or Live Workshop, Cheryl Landes presents Indexing for Multiple Outputs, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM EST (GMT-5)
https://sites.google.com/site/stcnychapter/home/upcoming-events/cheryl-landes-workshop-and-meeting-indexing

16 February: New York Metro, Virtual/Live Meeting: Cheryl Landes presents The Future of Indexing, 7:00-8:30 PM EST (GMT-5)
https://sites.google.com/site/stcnychapter/home/upcoming-events/cheryl-landes-workshop-and-meeting-indexing

16 February: Willamette Valley, 2011 Competition Awards Celebration!, The Stockpot Broiler, 6:00-9:00 PM PST (GMT-8)
http://www.stcwvc.org

16 February: Philadelphia Metro, Chapter Meeting, “From Technical Communicator to Project Manager and Beyond!,” 6:30 PM EST (GMT-5)
http://www.stcpmc.org

21 February: Orlando, Tristan Bishop presents “TechComm 2020 – Get Vision, Get Ready,” Rachel D. Murrah Civic Center, 6:30 PM EST (GMT-5)
http://stc-orlando.org/

21 February: North Texas Lone Star, Live presentation, Proving Your Value with Paula Robertson, 6:00-8:00 PM CST (GMT-6)
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2481289604/eorg

21 February: Orange County (CA), Chapter Meeting, Carolann Kowalski presents How Technical Communicators Can Apply User-Centered Design, 6:00 PM PST (GMT-8)
http://ocstc.org/events/event/43-201202

21 February: Canada West Coast, Karen Rempel presents Chair Yoga for the Office, 6:30-8:30 PST (GMT-8)
http://bit.ly/wrq7n6 or Email Canada West Coast

22 February: Southeastern Ohio, Informal Networking Meeting, Panera’s at Town and Country Shopping Center, 6:00-8:00 PM EST (GMT-5)
http://www.stc-swo.org/

23 February: IDL SIG, presentation, “Choose the Right Tool for the Job,” by Joseph Gancy, 1:30-2:30 EST (GMT-5)
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/872501206

29 February: Chicago, “Let’s Break the Ice,” Member Appreciation Night, 6:00-9:00 PM CST (GMT-6)
http://www.stc-chicago.com

14 March: San Diego, “A Whole New World: Working with an Offshore Partner”; speaker, Barbara Giammona; Elijah’s, 5:30-8:30 PM PDT (GMT-7).
http://www.stc-sd.org/home/home.htm

A Community Affair is a new series here on STC’s Notebook of postings from the Community Affairs Committee. Today’s post is by Bethany Bowles and Dan Voss, CAC Student Outreach co-leads.

2012: “Year of the Student Member” in STC!

Two-thousand twelve is a great year to be a student member of STC. “Why is that?” you ask. Well, here are four major reasons that spring to mind.

1. STC has given students voting rights in Society elections via a vote at the annual open business meeting last May at the international conference in Sacramento, recognizing the vital role students play in the future of STC. Students will now have a say in the management of STC at the highest level.
2. A significantly reduced New Technical Communicator Professional membership fee of $160 for the first three years after graduation makes it easier than ever before for students to continue their STC membership after they graduate. In the past, too many students were unable to afford to renew and enjoy the benefits of STC membership while job-hunting.
3. STC Community Affairs Committee (CAC) has two members to co-lead a Student Member Outreach: Dan Voss, a member of the Orlando Chapter, and Bethany Bowles, a student member of the Orlando Chapter from the University of Central Florida. We would be pleased to work with you to sustain and strengthen your student communities.
4. The STC Board has demonstrated its commitment to its student constituency by forming a special task force to foster and nurture the student communities. The task force—which understands the importance of open communication between students and the STC Board, the CAC, and the staff at STC headquarters—is opening a dialogue with established and newly formed student communities. Through a survey of students and advisors, we will identify the major struggles that student communities face, and determine how the Society can help.

As an example of the commitment of senior STC leadership to assist the student communities, task force member Steve Skojec, STC’s director of community relations, is currently working successfully with certain student chapters that lost their tax-exempt status to help them regain their good standing with the IRS. And another task force member, STC treasurer Aiessa Moyna, is committed to helping student communities develop annual budgets so they can receive funding from the Society.

A key part of the strategy for the Student Outreach initiative is forming mentoring partnerships between student and professional communities (both geographic and SIGs). The experience and advice from the professionals synergizes with the fresh ideas and enthusiasm of the students to benefit not only the student chapters and other STC communities but also the Society as a whole. It is a win-win-win situation, and both the task force and the CAC are committed to help establish and sustain such partnerships.