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Chapter 3 Technical Writing and Electronic Technologies

Chapter 3 Technical Writing and Electronic Technologies. Technology is any implement that helps perform a task, from sticks and stones to modern computers. Computer Technologies. Inevitable and necessary in workplace writing Influential in producing and disseminating information

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Chapter 3 Technical Writing and Electronic Technologies

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  1. Chapter 3Technical Writing and Electronic Technologies

  2. Technology is any implement that helps perform a task, from sticks and stones to modern computers

  3. Computer Technologies • Inevitable and necessary in workplace writing • Influential in producing and disseminating information • All documents depend on them • All workers depend on them • Many to choose from for different tasks • Involved in the Problem-Solving Approach

  4. Different Programs for Different Documents • Word processors • Web-authoring software • Graphics and imaging software • Desktop publishing software • Help authoring tools • Single sourcing programs

  5. Word Processors • Can revise, edit, correct, and change documents • Use templates and style guides • Create tables and columns • Use multiple windows • Can be used to find and replace words and phrases • Can be used to share and collaborate at various stages

  6. Web-Authoring Software • Used to design, create, and maintain websites • Uses graphics, images, sounds, links • Use HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) in the background • Uses WYSIWYG for ease of composition

  7. Graphics & Imaging Software • Creates new images • Edits and crops existing images • Masks portions of images • Modifies and cleans up images • Creates text and logos, drop shadows, and effects • Develops diagrams, charts, and tables

  8. Desktop Publishing (DTP) • Combines features of word-processing, web-authoring, and graphics and imaging software • Renders the whole publication, including text, images, and other visual elements

  9. Help Authoring Tools • Create and organize information to help guide readers through a process, problem, application, program, product, or website • Prioritize and sequence help information so users follow it logically on various systems • Create glossaries, appendices, and tables of content to organize and prioritize information • Create and use a variety of navigational aides, such as forward, back, and home buttons

  10. Single Sourcing Software • Stores one version of the information to use in multiple documents • Is similar to help authoring software • Saves time and money, eliminates errors, and improves consistency

  11. Communicating & Collaborating • The Internet • Email • The World Wide Web • Electronic Messaging • Video Conferencing • Groupware

  12. The Internet • Is a huge network of interconnected computers • Facilitates most workplace communication • Is a generic name for multiple modes of communication

  13. Email • Is the most widely used tool for collaboration and communication today • Delivers 35 billion messages per day • Carries attachments, like word processing documents • Provides a conduit for listservs and newgroups

  14. Netiquette —The Informal Rules of the Internet • Choose an appropriate email address • Use an appropriate subject line • Respect others’ bandwidth • Lurk before you leap • Polish your writing

  15. Netiquette Continued • WATCH THOSE CAPS • Use attachments appropriately • Back it up and save it • Remember: when it’s out there, it’s out there

  16. The World Wide Web • Web pages stored on servers, written in code, and accessed through a web browser • A large portion of the Internet • The primary medium through which technical information is published, transmitted, archived, and accessed today

  17. Electronic Messaging • Is synchronous communication through short text-based messages • Is used for short discussions, follow-ups, and immediate questions • Can be used to facilitate group discussions

  18. Videoconferencing • Allows participants to see and hear one another • Allows individuals at different locations to interact in real time • Is not as convenient as text-based messaging, since hardware, software, and bandwidth can be problematic and expensive

  19. Groupware • Brings together many of the features of videoconferencing, document sharing, and the WWW in one package • Allows secure and private file sharing • Uses whiteboards to “draw” on a screen that everyone can see, regardless of their location • Manages lists of contacts, group members, or collaborative teams

  20. The Future • Wireless • Allows remote connections • Bandwidth and connection speed • Allows for more sophisticated documents • Ubiquity • More integrated, transparent, and portable • Price • Cheaper, more powerful computing

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