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Why Details Matter in Technical Writing

Why Details Matter in Technical Writing. Little things that make a big difference. Why Do I Insist Details Matter?. I’m Anal Retentive? I’m Too Picky? It’s My Personal Opinion? I’m a Hard Teacher? I Want to Make You Miserable? I’m Just Making up Stuff?. The Answer Is….

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Why Details Matter in Technical Writing

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  1. Why Details Matter in Technical Writing Little things that make a big difference

  2. Why Do I Insist Details Matter? • I’m Anal Retentive? • I’m Too Picky? • It’s My Personal Opinion? • I’m a Hard Teacher? • I Want to Make You Miserable? • I’m Just Making up Stuff?

  3. The Answer Is… NONE OF THE ABOVE!!!

  4. Details Matter Everywhere! • Programming JavaScript • Updating Financial Reports • Baking a Cake • Jumping a Dead Car Battery • Preventing Computer Viruses

  5. Programming JavaScript • If you leave a “}” or a “=“ out of a script… • <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript"><!—function popitup(url) {newwindow=window.open(url,'name','height=200,width=150'); if (window.focus) {newwindow.focus()} return false; } var newwindow = ''; function popitup(url) { // --> </script>

  6. Programming JavaScript (cont.) • You might see this…

  7. Programming JavaScript (cont.) • Instead of this:

  8. Updating Financial Reports • If you place decimals incorrectly… 12.11 1.211 121.1 -------------

  9. Updating Financial Reports (cont.) • You might see this… 12.11 1.211 121.1 ------------- 134.421

  10. Updating Financial Reports (cont.) • Instead of this: 12.11 12.11 12.11 ------------- 36.33

  11. Baking a Cake • If you add 1t of baking powder instead of 1T in a recipe… • Amaretto Sponge Cake • Ingredients: • 3 tablespoons butter or margarine • 1T baking powder • 1 large egg • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour • 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese • 3/4 cup granulated sugar • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour • 3 large eggs • 1/4 cup amaretto liqueur

  12. Baking a Cake (cont.) • You might get this…

  13. Baking a Cake (cont.) • Instead of this:

  14. Jumping a Dead Car Battery • If you clamp the red (+) cable onto the black (-) post...

  15. Jumping a Dead Car Battery (cont.) • You might get this…

  16. Jumping a Dead Car Battery (cont.) • Instead of this:

  17. Preventing Computer Problems • If you forget to protect your hard drive… • Scan for viruses • Turn your firewall off • Give out your password • Open suspicious e-mails • Let dust build up in the vents

  18. Preventing Computer Problems (cont.) • You might get this…

  19. Preventing Computer Problems (cont.) • Instead of this:

  20. So What Did We Learn? Every discipline has rules!!!

  21. What Kinds of Detail Matter in Technical Writing? • Accuracy of Information • Consistency • Formatting • Styles • Graphics

  22. Accuracy of Information • Ensure the steps or procedures in a process are in an exact order. • Ensure the system you describe works the way you say it does. • Ensure the information you share is well researched.

  23. Consistency • Consistency is a critical concept in writing, especially technical writing. • Consistency of naming conventions • Consistency of formatting & style • Inconsistency can confuse your reader.

  24. Consistency (cont.) • Examples of inconsistent naming conventions: • an item • A 2nd item • A third item. • item 4 • Item #5 • Print dialog box • Print Screen • PrtScrn • Thumbnail • Icon • email • E-mail • Email • Internet • net • Web site • website

  25. Consistency (cont.) • Examples of consistent and inconsistent formatting & styles: Consistent Inconsistent • Heading 1 • Heading 2 • Body text • Heading 1 • Heading 2 • Body text • Heading 1 • Heading 2 • Body text • Heading 4 • Body text • Heading 3 • Body text • Heading 3

  26. Formatting • Formatting creates: • Distinct styles for each element of your document. • Formatting keeps: • Style elements consistent throughout a document. • Formatting establishes: • A relationship between subject.

  27. Formatting (cont.) Formatting elements include: • Headings (H1) and Subheadings (H2) • Body Text • Bulleted Lists • Tables • Headers and Footers • White Space • “Note!”, “Caution!” or “Warning!” Boxes

  28. Styles: Personal Style Style: noun [stahyl]: • Style is a particular, distinctive, or characteristic mode of action, appearance or manner of acting.

  29. Styles: Personal Style (cont.) • Compare this style…

  30. Styles: Personal Style (cont.) …to this style.

  31. Styles: Personal Style (cont.) • Just as physical attributes and mode of dress give a person a different look, feel or image…

  32. Styles: Text and Typeface • …dressing up your text gives it a different look, feel or image. • Bold it • Italicize it • Give it some …….. space • Give it some COLOR • Differentiate your text levels: Headline Level 1 Headline Level 2 Headline Level 3 Body Text • Use Microsoft Word to help you define common text styles that create your distinctive design.

  33. Styles: Microsoft Word Styles • Are a set of stored formatting commands you can use repeatedly throughout a document • For example, you can define a style for headings that is left-justified, bold, blue, 18 pt. font, with a 1.5 border • With a mouse click, you can apply formatting characteristics to selected text all at once instead of one at a time • Used to “tag” or identify parts of a document • You can create unique styles for each type of text in a document (headings, body text, captions, etc.) • You can easily revise a style and automatically update all occurrences of that style throughout a document • Allow you to customize the look/layout of a document

  34. Styles: Writing Style • Your unique writing style is defined by: • The way you use metaphorical expression, words, grammar and punctuation, etc. • But in the corporate environment, your writing style must mesh with others by: • Modifying your personal style to match your company’s style guide conventions and corporate image. • Writing in the corporate voice using standard abbreviations, verbiage, and term usage.

  35. Graphics • Just as text and writing styles make your document unique, graphics alter its mood and appearance. • Graphics can: • Give a specific, consistent look to your document • Break up the monotony of straight text • Emphasize important information • Appeal to right-brained users • Convey quantitative relationships (percentile rankings, trends, etc.) • Communicate internationally

  36. Graphics (cont.) • Use graphics to: • Show how something looks or is constructed • Show how to do something • Explain how a process works • Show how something is organized • Help the reader find specific facts • Show relationships • Make a persuasive point

  37. Not to beat a dead horse but...

  38. Details… DO MATTER!!!

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