STC Suncoast

Summary:
Who - Kristi Leach
What - Flare
When - Thursday, August 7 at 6:30 PM
Where - Holiday Inn Express, 3025 North Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, Florida 33607
Cost - $10 for chapter members; $15 for guests

Details:
Kristi Leach works as a technical communications specialist for SCC SoftComputer in Clearwater. The SCC Tech Comm team began implementing Flare as their help-authoring tool in November 2007. They also decided to begin single-sourcing using their Flare projects. Most of the team had no experience building help systems. They have since produced several help systems and user manuals using Flare, documenting their processes as they go, which has made it easier for each successive team member to launch his or her first Flare project. Kristi has a B.A. in Creative Writing from Eckerd College.

Here are some useful links for technical communicators:

• Society for Technical Communication
• Orlando STC Chapter
• Dictionary.com
• The Content Wrangler

Summary:
Who - All STC Members who belong to the Suncoast Chapter
What - Annual STC Suncoast Planning Workshop
When - Saturday, August 26 at 2:00 PM
Where - Panera Bread, 1914 4th St N, Saint Petersburg, FL 33704
Cost - Free

Details:
Every year the chapter holds an annual planning meeting to chart the direction for the chapter and plan events for STC Suncoast members and the public. All STC members who belong to the Suncoast Chapter are invited. This year we will be discussing chapter business and begin planning for the FTCC competition in 2008. Join the chapter leadership in discussing these topics, and let us know what is on your mind.

Summary:
Who - The Suncoast Chapter Leadership
What - Suncoast STC July Meeting - "Suncoast STC 25th Anniversary and Website"
When - July 3rd at 6:30 PM
Where - Holiday Inn Express, 3025 North Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, Florida 33607
Cost - $10 for members; $15 for guests

Details:
Our meeting on July 3, 2008, will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Suncoast STC chapter. Bring your ideas, files, and photos, and put your stamp on the STC Suncoast Website while we meet.

Summary:

Who - Pam Tremé
What - Suncoast STC June Meeting - "Single Sourcing Online Help to MS Word Documents″
When - June 5th at 6:30 PM
Where - Holiday Inn Express, 3025 North Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, Florida 33607
Cost - $10 for members; $15 for guests

Details:

Have you figured out how to get your online Help files into a printed document? We’re talking the nuts and bolts of what you have to do to online text to make going to print a success. If your answer is “No,” then we have the presentation for you.

Join us Thursday night as Pam Tremé walks us through what she does to her online Help files to single source them to print. Pam routinely single sources her RoboHelp files to MS Word documents. In this practical presentation, Pam offers advice and provides insights gained from her many years of successful single sourcing.

Speaker Bio:

Pamela Tremé works as a technical writer for Syniverse Technologies and is a senior member of the Suncoast chapter of the STC. For the past six years, Pam has used RoboHelp to produce online Help files and to single source her Help file to MS Word documents. Pam has a B.A. in English from USF and she is an active member of the Suncoast chapter.

Summary:

Who - Pam Tremé
What - Suncoast STC June Meeting - "Single Sourcing Online Help to MS Word Documents″
When - June 5th at 6:30 PM
Where - Holiday Inn Express, 3025 North Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, Florida 33607
Cost - $10 for members; $15 for guests

Details:

Have you figured out how to get your online Help files into a printed document? We’re talking the nuts and bolts of what you have to do to online text to make going to print a success. If your answer is “No,” then we have the presentation for you.

Join us Thursday night as Pam Tremé walks us through what she does to her online Help files to single source them to print. Pam routinely single sources her RoboHelp files to MS Word documents. In this practical presentation, Pam offers advice and provides insights gained from her many years of successful single sourcing.

Speaker Bio:

Pamela Tremé works as a technical writer for Syniverse Technologies and is a senior member of the Suncoast chapter of the STC. For the past six years, Pam has used RoboHelp to produce online Help files and to single source her Help file to MS Word documents. Pam has a B.A. in English from USF and she is an active member of the Suncoast chapter.

New Website Platform

The entire Suncoast STC chapter website is now managed with Drupal, a content management system and web development tool. Website development remains underway.

In February, members formed a Web Team to specify website requirments, implement features, and create content. Several meetings have been held, and a Web Team workshop is planned in August, with details to be announced soon.

The popular job listing information is slated for release as a members-only job listing prior September 1, 2008. Meanwhile, any new job postings that are received from companies or individuals are sent via e-mail to the STC Suncoast membership list.

For more information about Drupal, see www.Drupal.org.

Letter from the Editor
Some members may recall receiving a paper-copy of WriteUp, the STC Suncoast chapter newsletter, in the mail, or later editions by e-mail. In recent years, the newsletter melted into the website, the blogs, and the RSS feed. Beginning in 2008, members began to asked for a more traditional newsletter. The chapter leadership is dedicated to introducing the Suncoast STC newsletter as a separate page on the chapter website this year. WriteUp has a home again.

As we bring the chapter newsletter back from a Web 2.0 blog into a more managed, yet online, format, your contributions are vital. To submit an article or suggestion, please send a message to openbooksource@hotmail.com.
For newsletter guidelines and objectives, the following STC documents are available online:
• Rules for the STC Newsletter Competition and
• "Managing Chapter Newsletters" from The Chapter Handbook, AD-49-2000.
Other Florida Communication Events
At the Winter Park Civic Center on Tuesday, August 19, 2008, the STC Orlando chapter meeting will feature the "Washlines XIV" presentation that was seen by STC conference attendees in Philidelphia this year. For event details, see the meeting page for the Orlando chapter.
Copyright is held by the writer. WriteUp invites writers to submit articles to be considered for publication. Note: By submitting an article, you implicitly grant a license to WriteUp to publish or post the article and for other STC publications to reprint it without permission. In your cover letter, please let the editor know if this article has run elsewhere, and if it has been submitted for consideration to other publications.

For upcoming STC Suncoast event details, see the events page or events calendar.