I haven’t yet announced the topic for the September meeting, but will shortly once we gather a few more details. However, for the October meeting, we are doing something a little different, and we will need various participants. I am calling this the “Documentation Show and Tell Night.”

The basic idea is to share with others how your company does documentation. Surely you’ve wondered how companies in the area deliver their help. Do their guides look like yours? Do they deliver online help like you do? What tools do they use? And how similar are their methodologies and procedures?
 
In this company “show-and-tell” night, tech writers from a dozen different companies in the area will explain their deliverables, the tools they use, their procedures, and any special challenges they face. The writers will show samples you can view.
 
Each writer will give a brief 5 minute explanation, and then we will end with a 20 minute discussion about best practices. You can ask questions, get ideas, and share information.
 
This is the ultimate opportunity for collaborative professional sharing. You can come and see if your company’s practices are progressive or outdated. Are you in the dark ages with your documentation, or are you head and shoulders above every one else
Obviously in order for this meeting to be successful, we need 12 different writers from different companies willing to share. This is why I’m sending out an email to the listserv — to solicit volunteers. If you are willing to share your documentation on this night, October 5, please reply to this email and let me know. I will then give you more specific details. (Even if you are just tentatively thinking about it, please reply for more details — you won’t have to commit.)

Thanks,

Tom