Human Factors

By Kathryn Poe, Associate Fellow

Welcome to the Human Factors column. My intent is to talk with some of our senior members and officers so you can get to know them and they can share with you. LSC has a plethora of folks who have been in technical communications for some time. We have seen major changes in technology, expectations, and direction since we started and here is our chance to communicate some of that to you. As I like to tell the newbies I meet, if I can keep you from stepping in a few of the potholes I have found, it is worth the effort.

By way of exposition, I will ask one of our veteran LSC members the same questions each month and her or his answers will appear right here. Please feel free to send your ideas and comments to me at kpoe@ursaminorservices.com to make this information more useful to you.

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Getting to Know Darice Lange

Job Title: Manager, Online Communication

What do you actually do?

Analyze development tasks and their impact on our current documentation, make changes, document new features (2-3 a release), organize reviews, Q/A documentation, CM changes, generate CDs of final software product. My documentation is provided as Windows help files (in the process of converting all to HTMLhelp) and as PDF versions of that help. I'm currently the lone writer for the company.

What hard skills have you found most useful and how do you continue to cultivate those skills?

• The ability to work on multiple projects at one time.
• Manage by documenting the tasks done and that still need to be done.
• Lists, lists, lists :)

Do you consider yourself a guru at any particular subject?

Windows help files and RoboHelp

What is the greatest benefit of being an STC member?

• Ability to access training on topics specific to technical writing.
• Ability to meet folks who deal with the same issues and tools that you work with every day.
• Through SIGs, ability to request answers to specific questions in your specialty - even if you only need a reminder.
• Ability to have someone who understands what you do. :)

Why have you stuck around so long? What's kept you here?

As the years have gone by, STC has provided me with news regarding new technologies and suggested changes in process. Even if I did not need the information at the time, it has always been valuable to have further down the road.

What positions in LSC and STC have you held?

None but I judge competition entries each year.

How have you benefited from volunteering?

I have done several presentations at the local and international level. Through these I've shared my ideas and picked up ideas from others on how to refine my processes even further.

Advice/Thoughts on STC for Newbies

How can I get involved and if I do, what’s in it for me?

Attend meetings and/or join a SIG. You'll get out of STC what you put into it. If a volunteer opportunity comes up that is of interest to you, jump right in.

• Meetings, even on topics you don't think you'll be interested in can provide background to help you. Even if you don't implement someone else's whole solutions, portions can help you simplify your day-to-day tasks.

• SIGs provide a wealth of information on topics more specific to your specific job. Setting up a separate folder where SIG e-mails are sent can help you manage the traffic, or you can subscribe to get a daily message with that day's messages.

How do I meet/recognize senior members?

If you attend meetings, you'll start recognizing folks who regularly attend. Not all will be senior members, but if the same folks speak up and provide feedback, you can be pretty sure that you've spotted one! Also at local conferences, many of the presenters are senior members. When in doubt, ask.

Do senior members/council members really want to talk to me?

Always! :)

Folks who are just starting out have fresh new ideas of how to look at information. Talking with new members helps the rest of us get out of the "We've always done it this way" rut. We can also provide information about methods/processes we have tried that didn't work, and why we think it didn't.

Can STC really help me find a job?

Yes. I know several folks that have gotten a job through STC or STC contacts. I've been lucky. In 29 years of technical writing I've only had three jobs. With each, I have found a new position before I left (or was asked to leave) my current position.