Cherryleaf has been working on a project which shows people how to teach non-readers to read. We’ve been working with Elizabeth Ainley, who has written a book, go for it!, which can be used to teach illiterate and/or dyslexic adults. Elizabeth asked Cherryleaf to help her re-write the existing instructions aimed at the adult coaches who will be using… Read more »
Tag: Technical Writing
Why “What are good and bad examples of technical writing?” is a difficult question to answer
There’s an interesting discussion thread in the ISTC’s discussion forum regarding good and bad examples of technical writing. Incoming ISTC President Alison Peck has been asked by a researcher for a radio programme if she could provide some examples of technical writing: “well done, badly done and particularly innovative or strange”. As it’s a radio… Read more »
What would life be like if there were no instruction manuals you could read?
Illiteracy is, sadly, something that can greatly affect people’s lives. According to The Literacy Trust, less than one per cent of adults in England can be described as completely illiterate and approximately 16 per cent as “functionally illiterate”. There are various articles on the Web that indicate how people live with their illiteracy: They depend on… Read more »
Writing troubleshooting topics
It’s a fair bet that the introduction of the new Troubleshooting information type into the DITA 1.3 technical authoring standard will affect how all Technical Authors write troubleshooting topics, regardless of whether they use DITA or not. That’s because the proposed elements for troubleshooting topics make good sense, and it offers a standardised approach to writing… Read more »
Technical writing career paths in the UK
Here are the slides on “Technical writing career paths in the UK”: [slideshare id=20870657&doc=technicalwritingcareerpathsintheuk-130509103535-phpapp02] Thanks to everyone who contributed.