English 421Y - Technical Writing Online

Try to finish these by Wednesday, April 30th, and email them to me.

The Project Three Posting Checklist is updated in the calendar.

For the Peer and Project Evaluation, instead of a form, you'll write me a 300-500 word memo with headings and sections that evaluate and reflect on these topics:

• early project documents (proposal, individual usability study, group usability)
• final deliverables (user documentation, multimedia presentation)
• revision process
• group dynamics and individual ratings

Please post any questions in a comment below.

Post your questions for April here. Thanks,

Kevin 

After the chats, I think everyone understands the project better. I will summarize my responses here. This has been a good exercise in using Web 2.0 and in dealing with pofessional clients that are sometimes vague and slow to respond. (This is the first time I've used this project, so it is hard to anticipate questions and concerns.) Categories have also been updated. If you haven't already, please send me your group name so I can add it to the Project Three Groups category.

Here are some links to readings to facilitate group projects in Project Three. Wikipedia has a good page on Web 2.0. Also, Google has many Web 2.0 options and services if what is below doesn't pique your interest. Feel free to add new comments with other relevant links.

Content Management Systems, Blogs and Wikis

One of the easiest applications of Web 2.0 is in content management systems (CMS), like this website (drupal), Facebook, MySpace, Blogger, and WordPress. These easy-to-use web interfaces are providing many small businesses and other small entities with a professional web presense.

1. Consistency is one of the most important aspects of technical writing. You want to have a consistent design and use typography, headings and spacing in the same way throughout a document. Writing style and tone must also be consistent, especially in group work and writing, so that sentences, verb choices and word choices are similar throughout.

2. Use Active Verbs instead of Passive Verbs and Voice. Avoid verbs like is, was, are, were, has, had, have, do, did, can, could, will, etc. Also avoid starting sentences with pronouns like there, this and it.