Resources
Professional Societies
The following websites provide a wealth of technical and writing resources:
- Society for Technical Communication (STC)
- North Bay STC
- American Society of Indexers (ASI)
- Golden Gate ASI
- North Bay Software and Information Technology Industry Forum (SofTECH)
STC Presentations
Write Quick's writers are active in the STC, including giving presentations:
- Automated API Documentation and a DoxyS Case Study, STC-Berkeley
- Tech Writer's Toolbox of Tips & Tricks, STC-North Bay
- Automating API Documentation, STC-San Francisco
Productivity Helpers
In today's fast-paced workplace, tech writers can't afford to waste a moment. Fortunately, there's a world of inexpensive (and free!) tools that streamline repetitive tasks, improve your computer's performance, and maximize the functionality of existing software applications.
Here are a few of our favorites.
Desktop Utilities
- AutoRead—Automatically marks Outlook email messages as read; ideal when you use rules that automatically move received messages to particular folders.
- TaskArrange—Freeware that lets you rearrange the buttons of the Windows taskbar.
- PrimoPDF—Free PDF creator, ideal to recommend to Sales, Marketing, and Engineering teams.
Microsoft Word Add-Ins
- Remove Hidden Data—Permanently remove hidden data and collaboration data, such as change tracking and comments, from Microsoft (XP, 2003) Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files.
- Word Redaction v1.2—Hide text within Microsoft Office Word 2003 documents. You can mark text to redact and then create a new, redacted version of the document in which the marked text is replaced with a black bar that cannot be converted back to text.
- Classic Menu for Word 2007—Bring the classic menus and toolbars of Word 2003 to the ribbon of Microsoft Word 2007.
Adobe FrameMaker (7.2) Plug-Ins
- PageLabeler—Transfer FrameMaker page numbering styles to PDF files.
- IXgen™—Easily manage indexing and marker maintenance.
- CleanImport—Before importing formats, delete a document's current formats to leave a "clean" template.
Adobe InDesign (CS3) Plug-Ins
- Cross-References—Inspired by FrameMaker's cross-references, enables you to include cross-references in any format.
- InFlow—Turn any master-page text thread into an autoflow text thread, and automatically create new document pages so that text can flow automatically.
- CtrlChanges—Revision tracking, similar to the familiar Microsoft Word Track Changes. Track all text changes in a document, and display added or deleted text in the Layout view.