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As the Web becomes more and more popular, “techie” ways of thinking will become less remote and more and more mainstream. So, what can be done to ease the conversion into a world where RAM, Gigabytes, open-source, and technical terms like these become as common as “hello” and “goodbye”?

The answer is simple: learn to do some technical writing! It is not that bad. In the early 1990s, I was basically a computer teacher in Brazil who focused on teaching high-school students how to use MS-DOS, MS-Windows, FoxPro and Visual Basic. Interestingly enough, it was not the software that was hard for my students, but rather the technical terminologies! But I worked patiently with my students and over time, they become quite proficient with technical terms.

I believe the same can be inferred for those of you who come from non-technical backgrounds. You need to “convert” to a technical “terms” world. But you can do it slowly and in ways that will ease the transition into an everyday vocabulary where you will soon recognize technical words that describe a software application you are using or the configuration of your portable, or laptop computer. Believe me, it can be done

The following list includes ten (10) “killer” or “surefire” technical writing tips that should help everyone eventually be able to read and then write about technical things:

1. Subscribe to a Technical Journal of some kind. It doesn’t matter if it is PC Magazine, or a business magazine. As long as it has some short technical articles, read them and if you have the time, re-write the articles for yourself to get the feel of writing about something technical.

2. Look up unknown words. Just like learning a foreign language, learning to read and write technical terms involves recognition and understanding. See if you can use the new word in a few different sentences to prove to yourself that you *got it*.

3. Get yourself a legitimate copy of Microsoft Word. You don’t need the full Office suite, just MS-Word. It is getting better and better with each release. I currently use MS-Word 2007 and it is tremendous for all of my word processing and writing needs. For those of you only interested in open-source, then get yourself Open Office.

4. Get yourself a good diagramming program like MS-Visio. Technical documents are best complemented with a nice diagram or image to offset the heavy technical language that is being used. If you meet Technical Writers who currently write for the computer industry, for example, they will surely recommend that you master diagramming to enhance the quality of your documents.

5. Polish up on your language skills. If English is not your first language, then please get yourself a good English course, especially with a writing component. Most technical documentation is written in English, so if your basic grammar skills are good, then you will be better able to understand what has been written. You can then even translate the text with greater efficiency to your native language.

6. Keep it simple. As you write about technical things - software programs, legal rulings at a local courthouse, or how to build a lawnmower from scratch, use simple language and focus on specific items and details. Do not get caught up in being funny. This can make the reader suffer even more. Just be straight and to the point with your explanation about the procedure.

7. Use sizeable margins. As a Technical Writer, I like to have margins at least one inch on all sides of my text so that others can edit with greater ease and also book bindings don’t end up hiding text, especially text in the left side of the document for right pages and text on the right side for left pages.

8. Back up your work. After you have completed your technical document, save it to TWO locations. First, save it of course to your hard drive. Then, save it either to a network drive or to a flash drive of some kind. There is nothing more frustrating than losing a document that you worked hard to produce.

9. Get a Technical Edit. After you write your technical document, see if you know someone who also knows the subject matter. Perhaps they can proof your document and make sure you have not incorrectly interpreted some concept.

10. Get a Non-Technical Edit. After you write your technical document, you still want to make sure your language skills are strong and understandable, even though you may have worked really hard to incorporate many technical terms and concepts. Remember, strong grammar and document presentation are always welcome “shells” for technical documents of all kinds.

All The Best, Keith

Tags: Writing //