Category Archives: Documentation

“Guest Host” newsletter editor

A piece of my recent handiwork: http://www.oldnorthknoxville.org/newsletter/Jun2010/letter6_10.pdf. I was asked to help out, so over the weekend put this newsletter together, including creating the composite logo by blending the circle and the rooftops. Not too bad for a ham handed graphic arts attempt.

The previous newsletter editor was suddenly no longer available to do it, so the Old North Knoxville neighborhood president asked for my help. I had done the newsletter for four years from 2002 to 2006, so I knew most of the drill. She supplied a large share of the photos and copy, though there were also many of my photos (mostly of people at volunteer events) that I supplied along with the write ups.

I also converted the photos from color to black and white since the newsletter is going to be printed and mailed to about 800 households in the Old North Knoxville neighborhood. And I did the layout.

It’s not bad for a rush job. The neighborhood has not had a newsletter since November 2009 and they usually come out 6 times a year. That’s why this one was 8 pages instead of the normal six.

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Filed under Documentation, newsletter, Old North Knoxville, writing

A pat on the back

I meant to post this early, but time and the holidays got away from me. But now I am. In the overall scheme of things, it is a small item, but an appreciated one. This is a certificate of appreciation from the company I worked for for seven months in 2009, doing contract work, C.J. Enterprises. It says, “In appreciation for outstanding commitment, contribution and most of all for being a team player. December, 2009.” It was a pleasant surprise when it arrived in the mail. I had no idea it was coming.

Certification of Appreciation

Certificate of Appreciation

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Filed under certificate, Documentation, technical writing, writing

Manual or Guide

A member of a technical writing discussion group asked if the term should be Manual or Guide for user documentation.

In my experience, both Guide and Manual have been used to mean the same thing. Often, a shortened version is called a “guide,” while the larger, longer manual is called a “manual.”

However, to me, the more important distinction is whether the documentation is a reference manual (or guide) or a how-to manual (guide).

The difference is that a reference manual tells you what features/functions are available, but not necessarily how to engage those features/functions. A how-to manual tells you how to engage at least some of the features/functions available.

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Filed under Documentation, technical writing