The results from STC-Montreal’s member survey are in. The survey was performed in December 2009, and polled the membership about their expectations of STC.  The information gathered and comments provided will help us in developing the programming for the year ahead. If you have additional feedback, please post a comment in the box below this article.

Please note: the raffle prize will be awarded at the next STC-Montreal event (date TBA).

Results

SURVEY RESPONSES  [44 completed the survey.]

1.    Are you currently an STC member?
Yes    65.9%    (29)
No    34.1%    (15)

2.    Do you read the Technical Communications or Intercom magazines?
Yes    63.6%    (28)
No    36.4%    (16)

3.    If you are currently a member, are you also a SIG member?
Yes    52.3%    (23)
No    15.9%    (7)
N/A    31.8%    (14)

4.    Have you ever attended an STC international conference?
Yes    38.6%    (17)
No    61.4%    (27)

5.    Have you attended a local STC event in the last year?
Yes    65.1%    (28)
No    34.9%    (15)

6.    If you are currently a member, does your employer subsidize your STC membership?
Yes    25.0%    (11)
No    38.6%    (17)
N/A    36.4%    (16)

7.    If you are currently a member, do you intend to renew your STC membership for 2010?
Yes    36.4%    (16)
No    25.0%    (11)
N/A    38.6%    (17)

8.    Would you be willing to pay a substantially lower membership fee for access to local events and content only?
Yes    79.1%    (34)
No    20.9%    (9)

Section 2 of the survey invited respondents to provide general comments about membership-related issues, most of which are are posted below.  Among the top concerns: the cost of membership and the value provided by the STC parent organization.

Comments

1.    Value I receive from the parent is limited to occasional searches for techcomm articles, competitions, and single-source sig. Don’t have to be a member to be involved in competitions. I have attended local seminars, and usually go to presentations and social events. Not entirely sure if I want to give up my membership to the parent, but it seems that supporting the parent reduces monetary support to the chapter, and the chapter gives better value. So the best arrangement would be membership in SIG and chapter without membership to parent. I would like seminars to be on weekends rather than on weekdays. (Not that my company would not let me go, but I’m usually just too busy to miss a couple of days of work.) Also, I cannot see going to an STC conference, they are much too expensive.

2.    From what I have seen, STC-Montreal brings together a core of generous, like-minded individuals dedicated to sharing their experiences and promoting technical writing in the area. STC-Montreal provides valuable resources for beginning and established technical writers. The workshops and social gatherings connect otherwise isolated freelancers. I’ve had little real exposure to STC, but what I’ve heard does not inspire confidence.

3.    I think the STC HQ does not support the chapters. I would like to see more financial support for the local organization. I think STC-Montreal does a fine job of “surviving” without the the support of STC HQ and can do even more.

4.    More training opportunities.

5.    Very happy with local chapter, good events, good network. Would like to see more talks from members outside of Montreal chapter (if they are in town)

6.    I enjoy reading your STC-Monteal website. For the local chapter, I would like to some more information about how to improve writing skills and grammar for technical writers. For the parent organization, I wouldn’t change anything.

7.    I would like to see some events held in Quebec city. OR
I would like to see more events held in Montreal on Saturday to have more time for travelling from Quebec.

8.    I rely on STC to help maintain my tech writing skills and knowledge up to date through publications and, to a lesser extent, through SIGs. STC Montreal has many interesting conferences, workshops etc – however, I live in Quebec City and find it hard to make time to attend activities in Montreal. Being part of STC is more important than STC Montreal, I’m sad to say. Already my employer has remarked for the previous 2 membership fee renewals that the fees were rather high. So this year, unfortunately I’ll probably renew only with basic membership and not added costs to be part of STC Montreal. I’m not happy about this situation because I know STC Montreal relies on a critical number of members to balance the budget and survive. However I can’t do any better this year, nor can I at the time afford to pay the extra cost myself.

9.    An STC-Montreal newsletter with relevant articles on topics of interest, especially information that is relevant to Technical communicators in Canada. More seminars or mini-conferences given during the day as opposed to short presentations in the evenings. Although this is not strictly an STC-Montreal concern, it would be great if we could have a Canadian salary survey since the STC only provides US data in their salary survey.

10.    2010 fees are way too high.

11.    I live and work in Quebec City. It could be nice to have some events here…

12.    I am a medical writer, and I’ve been subscribing to STC-Montreal’s RSS feed for about a year now. I’ve attended several workshop’s hosted by the STC, most recently, 8-Step Editing, which was fantastic. I’ve considered becoming an STC member, but to be honest, as a recent grad, the membership fee is a little daunting, especially since I’m not exactly a technical writer in the first place. A lower fee for access to local events would be a perfect fit for me.

13.    STC Montreal is strongest at organizing social events. Wish STC had more programming for experienced members.

14.    Question 7 didn’t offer an ‘undecided’ option. I’m seriously questioning the value I receive from both the parent and the local organizations.

15.    Re: Question 8. It is not clear whether it applies to STC members (i.e., people who answered Yes to Question 7) to non-members, or both.
This is a tiny window. There is hardly room to express an opinion on the weather! I am very satisfied with the local chapter, its activities, and its leadership. I am baffled by the international leadership’s disinterest in chapters, and concerned by its suicidal strategies. You can’t build an organization around online communities: no one will pay hundreds of dollars to join a forum, when they can find free ones elsewhere. Yet, for many years, people have paid well over a hundred dollars, essentially for access to the local chapter.

16.    I like the local chapter, and regret that STC Headquarters doesn’t support it well.

17.    HQ can go to the Devil. I am willing to write a procedure to aid them.

18.    I think that a renewal is underway which is very interesting and refreshing. I don’t give a hoot about the parent STC organization and am happy that the Mtl chapter is finding its footing to perhaps standalone some day.

19.    I am sick and tired of them lobbying for US-centric concerns. I don’t feel the Chapters receive enough funding from the Head Office.

20.    I haven’t attended many events so can’t really say, except that I’ve found the seminars useful and the social events fun and good for networking.

21.    I’ve been a member for two years now and I don’t have any major complaints. However, I would like to see the local chapter offer more workshops on current authoring tools used in technical communication.

22.    Lower fees to make it possible for free-lance people to join.

23.    Information on technical communication in the aerospace industry

24.    STC-Montreal has almost invariably impressed me as well-organized, with a competent and welcoming membership and useful events, usually even for soft-core borderline-technical writers. I am not sure, however, what advantage Montreal members gain by affiliation with the U.S. STC — except use of the logo and possibly job bank breadth? From what I’ve seen on its website, the U.S. STC seems to be reducing affiliation benefits. Might membership fees be more reasonable (for those of us without an employer to pay them) if the Montreal chapter went independent and a chunk of them didn’t go into U.S. coffers? Also, on several occasions I’ve wanted to join via the web site, only to find that it wasn’t possible for (ironically) “technical” reasons. Not a big issue, but a bit unexpected. I’d like to see, as a non-member who might become a member, mention in the STC-Montreal emails of the number and type of Montreal-area opportunities currently being announced in the job bank. That could be an inducement to joining if the number of announcements is significant. Last, for at least one event this year, parking (on a hockey evening) was so scarce that I chose to continue on home. I often come by métro, but sometimes that isn’t possible, and it would be nice if event announcements included parking advice. Anyway, thanks for all the hard work making STC-Montreal as good as it is!

25.    Free publications in pdf – More training sessions on more technology subjects, not only software – International Adoption of the TW BOK     [Body of Knowledge]

26.    I’ve enjoyed and benefited from interesting local courses and events. However, between higher STC membership fees for 2010 (already high for a freelancer) and minimal job-bank opportunities, this writer won’t be renewing. I would love to keep taking local courses. I don’t feel I get any benefit from the parent organization.

28.    Meetings on the weekend so members who live outside of the city could attend. At the moment, the last VIA train from downtown leaves at 1815.

29.    What can I say that you do not already know? About Questions 6 and 7: In the past, I paid for it myself. This year my new employer will pay for it or for a prof. membership of my choice (and independent STC Montreal would not cut it though as it will have to be a long-established and recognized organization). I am still conflicted as to what to do.

30.    STC international: not of much use to me; would rather pay-as-I-go for training webinars, etc. STC-Montreal: like the people and the dedication; makes more sense to have a local group like this since our job markets are not as mobile as that of the US; STC-Montreal needs improvement, but given its size and know the good intentions of the execs, I think it’s a good little organization.