by Gordon -

The Death of Tradition

Job titles are one thing, but what do you actually do? Are you a 'traditional' Technical Author or a modern technical communications professional? Is there a difference? I think there is, I think there is a distinction between the two although I'm not quite sure where that line is drawn and, as with most things

by Gordon -

Reflection

It seems like no time since I was looking forward to the summer. The holiday in Singapore was months away, Pedal for Scotland was a spot in the distance and ohhh yes I was gonna get so much done. In the past I think I'd now be sitting here saying "Christ, it's almost November, what

by Gordon -

Content Strategy is easy

Why are we still banging on about Content Strategy? Is it really that hard? A strategy shouldn't be that tricky to formulate, especially as it's concerning an area of expertise for many us, after all it's only content, right? It's not like it's something new that none of us know anything about? So why is

by Gordon -

What is your job title?

In the past I've held the following positions: Technical Administrator Technical Writer Documentation Specialist Technical Communications Manager Publications Team Leader The first three have similarities as they were all grounded in the production of technical documentation. The latter two are essentially the same thing, leading a team of technical writers producing technical information. None of

by Gordon -

The single customer view

I just found this sitting in my drafts folder. The company name has changed (we are now Kana Software) but the premise is the same. Interestingly, the parallels between our thoughts on customer service and the thoughts in tech comms of better integration within a support system (providing information as part of call deflection) are

by Gordon -

The Five Year Plan

It's a common question during interviews, "Where do you see yourself five years from now?". At that point some people will talk of how they want to have progressed in their career, have learned and expand their role, be able to look back with a sense of achievement and look forward in a clear direction.

by Gordon -

One day I might learn

Like many people, I like to ponder self-improvement, how I will read more books, learn to play the guitar, exercise more and invest in myself more than I have. However it seems that deep down I'm actually not that bothered, that I must be happy enough with where I am in my life at the

by Gordon -

Finding Ada

This should be easy. I work in a software company, I've only ever worked in software companies so, in honour of Ada Lovelace Day (what do you mean, who?) I should be able to join in "sharing stories of women — whether engineers, scientists, technologists or mathematicians — who have inspired you to become who you are

by Gordon -

Finding Ada

This should be easy. I work in a software company, I've only ever worked in software companies so, in honour of Ada Lovelace Day (what do you mean, who?) I should be able to join in "sharing stories of women — whether engineers, scientists, technologists or mathematicians — who have inspired you to become who you are

by Gordon -

On pedantry

I start this blog post with an admission and an apology. Admission: I am a manager, I don't spend a lot (any) of my time writing technical content these days. Apology: One of my weakest areas is in the intricacies and 'correctness' of grammar. * That said, there is one thing that continues to frustrate

by Gordon -

Where I am at

I cannot believe I've not written about my trip to Singapore! And I'm not going to, as I've yet to post my photos to Flickr so I'll wait until I've done that. That said, I've been busy since I got back, spending a few days in Newcastle at a conference, and the rest of the