Actually, not quite. Like a superhero returning more powerfully from a brush with the end, STC-Montreal will be transformed.

Harold Quesnel reports on Manny Gordon’s “Technical Writing 101″ workshop, and says it was an educational and exciting experience.

The Technical Writing 101 workshop was a success thanks to teamwork on part of our volunteers, says Manuel Gordon. Will you be the one to help our team with their next success?

Robert MacIsaac illustrated with a sobering barrage of practical advice that there’s a lot to consider before you throw off the shackles of the 9-to-5 job and strike out on your own as a freelancer. Read the full review.

Being able to package a lot of information into a compact and easily-absorbed visual is a particularly valuable skill. But since tech writers are primarily word people, not graphic artists, learning how to conceptualize effective infographics is a bit like learning to speak a new language.

STC recently issued the 2009-2010 Salary Database, and the web site Writers UA has published some of the salient details. Find out how much you’d earn in various US states.

Some pics from our gathering at Le Cabaret on September 27, 2011. Thanks everyone for coming!

A little song to liven up your Friday.

This practical session on June 29 will teach you about scenarios—what makes an effective scenario, how to create scenarios, and how to employ them to develop an information strategy.

Thanks to technology, many technical communicators can work remotely at least some of the time. Learn how to deal with the challenges with this live Web seminar on Wednesday, 8 June, from 1:00-2:00 PM.

What do technical communicators need to know about information security? How can they leverage and use social media safely and effectively?

Jim Royal discusses the ePub format for ebooks: what is epub; how to get starting making epub files; what tools to use; and how to gt started distributing them.

The April issue of Intercom is free online. Share the link with friends, coworkers, and colleagues in the tech comm world.

The current flow of content in the Information Age is overwhelming our ability to process it successfully. Join STC and Donn DeBoard on Thursday, 28 April from 4:00-5:00 PM for the webinar Personalization: The Social Architecture for Information.

Explore “Life in the Vortex” with Ray Gallon’s webinar taking place Thursday, 14 April, from 4:00-5:00 EDT.

An automated workflow can make life easier for everyone. Join Gabriele Schillinger and Joanne Liguori on Wednesday, 13 April for a demonstration of how to use an automated workflow application for request, review, and approval.

This webinar details how a global shipping company made the shift from standard to single source documentation development. Thursday, 7 April, from 4:00-5:00 PM EDT.

A gregarious and diverse crowd packed out the venue to hear veteran technical editor Poppy Quintal demonstrate what sets her ilk apart as a special breed.

Careful planning and upfront analysis can ensure that conversions from one format to another will go quicker and easier than if you just practice “ready, fire, aim.” Join Ed Marshall and STC on Wednesday, 6 April for a look at on the best practices that apply, regardless of the tools involved.

STC Rochester presents this full-day conference with presenters speaking on topics of interest to everyone from instructional designers and information architects to technical writers and editors. Special discount for STC-Montreal members.

Join Ben Colburn on Thursday, 17 March, from 4:00-5:00 PM EDT (GMT-4) for the live web seminar Single Sourcing Sans a CMS.

What is open source and why should you care? Find out which tools are free to own, free to use, free to share in this webinar on Wednesday, 16 March, from 1:00-2:00 PM EDT.

In the aftermath of a magnitude 8.9 earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Japan, the urgent need for humanitarian aid is becoming more clear with every passing hour.

This seminar will cover the issues involved in slow adoption of documentation by end-users, and methodologies to encourage documentation use. Thursday, 10 March, 4:00-5:00 PM EST

Berry Braster will explain the benefits of Controlled English —a method of writing that makes technical English easy to understand. Wednesday, 9 March, 1:00-2:00 PM EST..

Andy Gural served up a bellyful of juicy tips during his dinner presentation “How to Ensure You Market Yourself Badly”. Photos from the event and presentation slides.

Former STC Montreal president, Manuel (Manny) Gordon has been elected as a Fellow of the Society for Technical Communication (STC).

So, you’ve taken the plunge — you’re a freelance editor. But the waters are not as smooth as you might like. Elizabeth d’Anjou shares her own experience on making your editing business successful and enjoyable. Registration discount for STC-Montreal members!

Do you tend to ramble? This webinar on February 3 will analyze and discuss real-world examples of top-notch communicators emphasizing an important point in just three sentences.

STC Toronto is offering a free webinar on DITA, Tuesday, February 1st, 2011 from 8PM to 9:30PM. The first topic: Quark’s XML Author.

STC announced by email that Society President Michael Hughes has resigned. Hillary
Hart becomes President and will serve in the position through her elected term (May 2012).

STC describes in more detail its plan for the revitalization and renewal of STC.

“Creating Visual Help and Training Using Adobe Captivate” on 25 January followed by “Freelance vs. Captive: Making an Informed Decision” on 26 January.

STC India posted a pair of intriguing articles on its web site about the benefits and challenges of moving to Canada and entering the workforce here.

Can adopting DITA and a CMS allow you to create dynamic, multi-modal training? Find out in this webinar on January 12, 2011.

It doesn’t do you any good to create a document or training course that could save the company if nobody knows about it. Learn how to show your worth with this webinar on Wednesday, 5 January.

STC is re-evaluating the publication method and availability for Intercom and Technical Communication, considering semi-open, and completely open strategies.

Captivate helps you create training “movies” and eLearning inexpensively and quickly. Join Neil Perlin for a free webinar on Wednesday, December 8.

STC-Montreal needs your input to plan workshops for the coming year. Take our short survey!

Is your fear of public speaking hurting your career? Do you want to overcome this fear? Join Barrie Byron for the live web seminar on December 1, 2010

STC has announced the 2011 slate of candidates for Society office.

STC Toronto’s tech writing competition is now open, and you’re invited.

The November 2010 workshop, “Content and Form: Writing with Reuse in Mind” was a tremendous success. Included here are all the presentation slides, and some additional information from Saul Carliner.

Doc managers struggle to measure the productivity of team members. How can you tell which writer is overloaded and which could take on more? Join STC and Juliet Leckenby on Wednesday, 17 November, from 1:00–2:00 PM for an insightful webinar.

STC’s Certification Committee met in Fairfax, Virginia, last weekend for further discussion and planning for certification. Steven Jong (chair of the certification committee) sat down for a short video interview.

Did you know that STC has 21 Special Interest Groups (SIGs)? Join STC Carolina for a free webinar on Thursday, 18 November for a quick, don’t-blink-or-you’ll-miss-it information blitz.

“Hey, we bought a CMS, let’s put some content into it!” Is this really content management? Join STC and Pamela Kostur for a lively presentation on Wednesday, 10 November, from 1:00-2:00 PM EST.

STC Vice President Hillary Hart took a closer look at the results of STC’s Brand Perception Survey.

Miscommunication in the workplace can occur when face to face, and the risk is even greater with virtual teams. This webinar on November 3 can help people who work in virtual workplaces.

This workshop reviews the theory and practice of focus group methods and shows how technical communicators can best use them. Wednesday, 20 October, 2010.

Andy Gural has been elected President of the Montreal Chapter of STC, while Everett Larsen has been elected Secretary-Treasurer.

It’s time for STC-Montreal’s election for members of the administrative council. The polls are open. If you’re a member, vote today!

This is STC-Montreal’s annual call for candidates for the elected positions on the Chapter’s Administrative Council. Close of nominations is Friday, April 22, 2011, to be followed by the election.

Five volunteers were presented with Chapter Recognition Awards for their service to the community of technical writers at the STC-Montreal banquet in June.

Outgoing STC-Montreal President Everett Larsen says that despite the financial woes of the parent organization, STC-Montreal looks forward to a new season.

The 2010 election of the STC-Montreal Chapter Administrative Council closed at 9 pm, 7 June 2010. As all positions were uncontested, the election process was a simple ratification by Montreal Chapter STC members.

Voting for the 2010/2011 STC-Montreal Administration Council has begun.

The candidates for the 2010/2011 season are Charles Roburn, Rolf Hecken, and Lydia Shuster.

How does a person with expertise in other fields get started in technical communication?

Two questions for STC-Montreal: One about writing grant proposals; a second about finding an expert in embedded indexing.

Today’s question to STC-Montreal is about choosing the right tool for high-end publishing work.

A bevvy of questions about technical writing, information architecture, and jobs in Montreal.

Where in Montreal is FrameMaker training offered?

A reader asks moving back to Montreal: What do I need to know about the job market here?

A reader asks: Are there any courses or certificate programs that could be taken to become an official Technical Writer?

A reader asks about the best way to update a batch of RoboHelp projects.

A reader asks which skills are most valuable in the current job market.

A reader asks how to price freelance writing services in different markets.

What’s the best way to trim the size of images in a Word document?

A reader asks how best to write instructions for taking things apart while respecting recycling and toxic hazard laws.

A reader asks: Is there anything better than old-fashioned CHM files or PDFs?

Reader Leanne Tonkin asks us how to find reputable online technical and medical writing courses. Have a suggestion? The comments are open for your input.

Setting out as a freelancer can be fraught with financial uncertainty. Financial expert Robert MacIsaac gave us the straight dope about how to plan a freelance career. Download the podcast.

Members of STC-Montreal’s volunteer committee held a teleconference to discuss future plans for STC-Montreal’s educations events. The entire conversation has been podcasted.

Andy Gural delivered a lively presentation about how technical writers can learn to make use of infographics.

Kirsten Weisenburger explains how to combine principles of technical and marketing writing. Download the slides and podcast.

Jim Royal discusses the ePub format for ebooks: what is epub; how to get starting making epub files; what tools to use; and how to gt started distributing them.

Real-world companies have started to use virtual worlds such as Second Life to improve their corporate communications. Is this science fiction, frivolous gaming, or the next place where you will encounter your audience?