This document provides a summary of Edward Tufte's criticisms of PowerPoint presentations as outlined in his book "The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint". Tufte argues that PowerPoint encourages simplistic bullet points that do not show relationships between ideas and limits content to around 40 words per slide. This "PowerPoint style" conceals the structure and assumptions of an argument. Tufte cites the Columbia shuttle disaster reports as an example where PowerPoint may have obscured important technical details. He believes presentations should provide more context and detail to enhance understanding, rather than focusing on minimalism and decoration. The article recommends Tufte's book for further discussion of his views on optimally presenting information graphically.

1. February/March 2004 Vol. 38, No. 4
On Attending the STC Annual Conference—A Virtual
Discourse
by Steve Lungren
he 2004 STC Annual
Conference is coming to
Baltimore, MD,
May 9-12, so there may
not be a better
opportunity for you to
attend this international
affair. With
approximately 400 members, our
chapter should be well represented in
Baltimore. STC-PMC is even chartering
a bus to take you there!
Are you someone who’s never been
to the STC Annual Conference, or
haven’t been to one recently? Maybe
you’re wondering why you should
attend, or how to prepare if you do go.
What can you expect to gain from your
conference experience?
Technical communication
professionals from across the country
and around the world participate in the
STC Annual Conference, and a
generous group of them have provided
us with their thoughts on these
questions. Discover what they have to
say about their conference experiences
in this virtual conversation...
Why do you attend the STC Annual
Conference?
Barb Zeller, East Wayzata, MN—
“This is the best/most inexpensive way
to receive training in the tools I use, and
the practices of technical writing. It is
also a good way to learn about
advances in technologies. We often
become insulated in our own little work
environment and are unaware of what
is going on outside our world. It is also
good for networking.”
Lou Martindale, Tampa, FL—“To
educate myself on the latest practices, to
network with my peers, to view award
winning samples of documentation, and
to obtain information on various
products in the marketplace.”
Gretchen Stahlman, Fairport, NY—
“I attend because it's my best avenue of
learning new things about technical
communication and because I get to
hobnob with my fellow tech writers.”
Rhonda Bracey of Perth, Western
Australia—“Professional development,
networking, training, keeping up to
date with what's happening, getting
exposure to things I don't always get to
do or try out in my daily work.”
Katie Roberts, Cincinnati, OH—
“One good thing is the price to attend—
it is usually much less than other
conferences that the engineering and
sales/marketing group attend.”
Barbara Komp, Evanston, IL—“I'm
a lone writer and the conference is one
of my opportunities to get feedback
from fellow writers. Each year the
conference has a different flavor and the
topics in the tech sessions and the
opening/closing sessions provide me
with more insight into my chosen
field.”
How do you prepare, and how do you
choose?
The three-day Annual Conference
includes hundreds of presentations,
with multiple sessions held at the same
time; it can be difficult to decide which
ones to attend.
Barbara K.—“I spend enough time
before the week reading the schedule,
highlighting the sessions that seem
interesting, reading about the
(Continued on page 8)
In This Issue
Features
1 On Attending the STC Annual
Conference—A Virtual Discourse
2 2003 STC-PMC Online
Communication Competition
5 Information Modeling QuickStart
Seminar
6 Going to the STC Annual
Conference?
Columns
2 Editor’s Voice
3 President’s Podium
4 Book Review
6 Employment Committee
7 Member Spotlight
10 Crossword Puzzle

2. NEWS & VIEWS 2 February/March 2004
Editor’s Voice
It’s Your Turn...
What an Opportunity!
by Lori Corbett
Hey y’all, it’s that time
of year again. “What
time?” you ask. Listen
as I tell you the how to
ensure STC-PMC
remains vital and
beneficial for all our
members.
All “healthy” STC chapters hold
annual elections for open offices.
Usually, these elections are held in the
early spring to coincide with the STC
elections. This way, all newly elected
officers can attend the leadership sessions
at the STC Annual Conference.
“What does this mean to me?” you
might ask. Perhaps you’ve been a
member for several years, attend the odd
monthly meeting, maybe even attended
the chapter’s annual conference or the
STC Annual Conference. But I’m willing
to bet that YOU have ideas or glimmers
of ideas that could greatly benefit the
chapter’s members.
I’m happy to report that Steve Lungren
(our conscientious treasurer) has agreed
to continue in his leadership role for
another year. This leaves the following
positions available for this coming year’s
elections:
❏ President
❏ Vice President
❏ Secretary
❏ Nominations
Think about it. It’s your turn to get
involved and help lead the STC-PMC as
we morph into the future of technical
communications.
C’mon; what are you waiting for? If
you’d like more information before
“throwing your hat into the ring,” feel
free to contact me or any of the current
office holders.
If after reading this editorial, you feel
you are not quite ready to hold an elective
office, consider working on a committee.
The following committees are all actively
seeking additional members:
❏ Meetings
❏ Conference
❏ Employment
❏ Newsletter
Now is the perfect time to take
opportunity by the horns and increate
your involvement in our chapter. ■
Newsletter Staff
Managing Editor
Lori Corbett stcmember@comcast.net
Layout Editor
Rose Marie Sosnowy (610) 792-4031
Associate Editors
Al Brown (856) 222-7427
Rebecca Richardson
rebecca.one@verizon.net
Mary Shaw mary@ladywriter.net
Contributing to this Issue
Jill Cassidy (215) 590-9815
Giacomo DeAnnuntis jobs@stcpmc.org
Zsolt Olah idesign@vizitime.com
Gloria Reisman (610) 660-5118
Lois Shank lbshank@ptd.net
Mike Sharp (610) 854-2141
Submissions and Reprints
You may reprint original material
appearing in News & Views, as long as you
acknowledge the source and author and
send us a copy of the publication
containing the reprint.
ISSN 1078-9952. News & Views, published
six times per year, is the official publication
of the Philadelphia Metro Chapter of STC.
We encourage letters, articles, and other
items for publication. Note: By submitting
an article, you implicitly grant a license to
this newsletter to run the article and for
other STC publications to reprint it without
permission. Unless otherwise noted,
copyrights for all newsletter articles belong
to the authors. The design and layout of
this newsletter are copyright STC, 2003.
Address submissions or comments to Lori
Corbett, Managing Editor, News & Views,
834 Westridge Drive, Phoenixville, PA,
19460, phone (610) 382-8683;
email stcmember@comcast.net.
Toolbox
We produce News & Views with Frame-
Maker 6.0 and Acrobat 6.0 on various
Pentium computers.
News & Views
2003 STC-PMC
Online Communication Competition
Congratulations to Award Winners: Award certificates will be distributed
at the STC-PMC Conference on Saturday,
March 20th. Thank you to this year's
judges.
This year, we exchanged entries with
STC's Middle Tennessee Chapter (MTC)
for judging.
These judges reviewed the entries from
MTC:
Also, STC-PMC extends a thank you
to Laura Liles of STC-MTC. Laura
coodinated the review of Philly Metro’s
entries by the Tennessee judges. ■
Karen McArthur and John Ward,
Unisys, Award of Excellence for
Unisys Storage Sentinel Demo
Emily Shoup and Beth Bornhoeft,
Unisys, Award of Excellence for
Word-CBA Help
Diane M. Wylie, TA Instruments,
Award of Merit for
TA Instruments QDMA Online Help
Jane A. Phillips, Price Systems, L.L.C.,
Award of Excellence for
PRICE TruePlanner Help
Marc Green Steve Lungren
Rob Wolfe Todd Cameron
Alison Sudhalter Brian Winter
Becky Worley Donn DeBoard

3. February/March 2004 3 NEWS & VIEWS
President’s Podium
Opportunity Is Knocking
by Nad Rosenberg
hat an opportunity—
two excellent
technical
communications
conferences in our
own backyard!
Our Chapter’s Conference
First, there is our chapter’s annual
conference, Morphing into the Future
with STC, in Great Valley on March
19th, which will feature a keynote
address by internationally known
speaker, Ann Rockley. This will be
followed by a full day of interesting
sessions and panel discussions. (For more
information about the chapter’s
conference, see our chapter’s web site
www.stcpmc.org.)
The Society’s Annual Conference
Then, there’s the Society’s annual
conference, Navigating the Future of
Technical Communication, which will be
held in Baltimore from May 9–12. In less
than two hours (by car, bus, or train), you
can arrive at what is probably the world’s
largest international technical
communications’ conference.
The conference hasn’t been this close
to us in years. And that fact alone should
provide a major incentive for you to
attend. The minimal travel expenditure
should make it easier to convince your
management that you need to go to this
conference—and now’s the time to start
lobbying for it—if you haven’t done so
already. (For an inexpensive way to get to
the conference, check out the article
entitled, “Going to the STC Annual
Conference?” on p. 6.)
For those of you who have never
attended the Society’s annual conference,
you are in for quite an experience! First of
all, just seeing thousands of people from
all over the country—and all over the
world—who are working in the same
profession you are is amazing in itself.
Then, when you start talking to these
people, you realize they have many of the
same experiences, issues, and concerns
that you do. In addition to being
incredibly validating, meeting all of these
fellow technical communicators often
provides you with new solutions and
creative ideas. And of course there’s the
added benefit of striking up friendships
with professional colleagues around the
globe.
Then there’s the job opportunity angle.
The Society’s annual conference always
includes a booth with late-breaking job
postings. Further, you can network with
thousands of people, some of whom may
keep you in mind for that next opening.
Best of all, there are the sessions—
more than you can imagine. Probably
your greatest challenge in Baltimore will
be choosing which sessions to attend.
(For a list of all sessions and information
about the conference, go to http://
www.stc.org/51stConf/index.asp). You
will also have the opportunity to see
many new products and services
demonstrated at the vendor exposition.
Why You Need To Attend
What you can learn at these two
conferences more than justifies the cost of
admission. If you haven’t done so already,
it’s time to write that memo to your
management requesting their support for
your attendance at these outstanding (and
very close) professional events.
So good luck and I hope you’ll come
over and chat with me in Great Valley in
March, and then in Baltimore in May. ■
Chapter Officers
President
Nad Rosenberg (856) 848-6593
Vice President
Sheila Marshall (610) 933-9573
Treasurer
Steve Lungren (267) 620-2421
Secretary
Jill Cassidy (215) 590-9815
Immediate Past President
Jeff Stein (856) 728-1254
Region 1 Director/Sponsor
Jon Baker (978) 443-3049
Chapter Committee Managers
Employment
Giacomo DeAnnuntis (215) 482-1255
Programs
Gloria Reisman (610) 660-5118
Julia Margulies (610) 397-2448
Membership
Mike Sharp (856) 854-2141
News & Views
Lori Corbett stcmember@comcast.net
Nominating
Mike Sharp (856) 854-2141
Web site
Lois Shank lbshank@ptd.net
Online Competition
Donn DeBoard (484) 595-6216
Marc Green (610) 358-0631
Brian Winter (610) 640-4200
Address correspondence for the
Philadelphia Metro chapter of STC to
STC-PMC, P.O. Box 60069,
Philadelphia, PA 19102-0069.
Mission Statement: Designing the Future
of Technical Communication.
The Society for Technical
Communication (STC) is an organization
dedicated to advancing technical
communication. Membership is open to
those employed in, interested in, or
concerned with the profession of technical
writing, publishing, or associated
disciplines. Contact STC at 901 N. Stuart
St., Suite 904, Arlington, VA 22203,
(703) 522-4114 or http://www.stc.org.
STC-PMC Leadership
Society for Technical
Communication
“For more information and a list of all sessions at the
STC Annual Conference, go to
http://www.stc.org/51stConf/index.asp”

4. NEWS & VIEWS 4 February/March 2004
Book Review
The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint
by Al Brown
dward Tufte is the
conscience of our
profession. He is also its
gadfly. In a series of
brilliantly reasoned and
exquisitely produced
books, Tufte has argued
that simplicity does not
equal clarity; that showing numerous
relationships among data ensures
objective conclusions; and that at its best,
presenting data graphically can make
relationships
clear without
sacrificing
important
detail. In his
lecture closing
the STC Conference in Anaheim,
Professor Tufte railed against what he
calls “operating system imperialism,” the
tendency of an electronic document’s
navigational system to overwhelm the
screen and leave little space for content—
what he refers to as resolution.
In his latest work, Tufte draws a bead
on Microsoft PowerPoint. It seems as if
everyone from elementary school pupils
to CEOs are using PowerPoint to produce
reports, sales pitches, and presentations
of all kinds. And they all use the same
prepackaged templates, regardless of the
topic.
As Tufte sees it, the style of
PowerPoint favors bullet points, which
do not show logical relationships among
data, and severely limits the number of
words on any given slide (information
module?). It discourages the use of
paragraphs, and even complete sentences;
these, of course, include the syntax, the
connective tissue of language that
expresses relationships among ideas. As a
result, information presented in
PowerPoint style conceals both the causal
assumptions and the analytical structure
of an argument. Furthermore, the
emphasis on backgrounds, logos, clip art,
and other forms of decoration—what
Tufte refers to as PowerPoint Phluff—
reduces the amount of space available for
information on a slide. Typically, only
30% to 40% of the space on a slide is
devoted to unique content; the average
PowerPoint slide contains only about 40
words.
As an example, Tufte turns to the
destruction of the Columbia space
shuttle. Boeing engineers prepared three
reports on possible damage to the
shuttle’s wing in PowerPoint format
before the disaster. He analyzes a key
slide on a
two-page
spread,
pointing out
its
ambiguities
and lack of analysis: “In the reports,
every single text-slide uses bullet-outlines
with four to six levels of hierarchy. Then
another multi-level list, another
bureaucracy of bullets, starts afresh for a
new slide. How is it that each elaborate
architecture of thought always fits exactly
on one slide?” The Columbia Accident
Investigation Board also pointed out that
it frequently received PowerPoint
briefings from NASA officials instead of
technical papers.
For Tufte, the issue is what he calls
resolution and others call granularity: the
amount of information that can be
conveyed in a single graphic image or
page. As he puts it, “The quantity of
detail is an issue completely separate from
the difficulty of reading. Indeed, at times,
the more intense the detail, the greater the
clarity and understanding—because
meaning and reasoning are contextual.
Less is a bore.”
The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint
provides a good introduction to Tufte’s
thought on the presentation of
information in graphic form. You'll find
it very much at odds with the
assumptions behind such current trends
as single sourcing and John M. Carroll’s
idea of minimalism in technical
communication, as laid out in The
March 19. Information Modeling
QuickStart Seminar. For details about
this STC-PMC sponsored one-day
seminar, see the write-up on p. 5.
March 20. Morphing into the Future
with STC, our annual conference.
One-day event, beginning with a
keynote address by Ann Rockley.
Come join fellow technical
communicators for a day of learning
and networking. Listen to keynote
speaker Anne Rockley, of the Rockley
Group, talk about the future of
technical communications and our
changing role in corporate america.
For more information and to register,
visit our website at www.stcpmc.org.
April 15. Contracting Panel. What’s
contracting really like in the year
2004? If you have become a
contractor by default (i.e. laid-off from
your job) or chosen the contracting
lifestyle, come share your lessons
learned, war stories and your wisdom
with members! We are looking for
panel members who can present
some real world experience.
Managers who have hired contractors
are also welcome to describe the keys
to successful contracting. To be on
the panel or to recommend panelists,
contact Gloria Reisman at 610-660-
5118. Gloria@reisman-consulting.com
May 8–9. STC Annual Conference,
Navigating the Future, in Baltimore,
MD. Join us on the bus as we travel to
and from the STC Annual Conference.
For more information about the bus,
see the article on p. 6.
STC-PMC Calendar
(Continued on page 5)
. . . the average PowerPoint slide contains
only about 40 words.

5. February/March 2004 5 NEWS & VIEWS
February 27–28. The Atlanta
Chapter STC will hold its annual
regional conference, Currents, at
Mercer University in Atlanta, GA.
Topic steps include learning new skills
and tools, contracting, satisfying
users, education/professional
development, and management. For
more information, contact Cheri
Crider at ccrider@optionsoftware.com
or visit the Atlanta chapter’s Website
at www.stcatlanta.org.
February 27–29. The American
Society for Information Science (ASIS)
will hold its Information Architecture
Summit 2004—Breaking New Ground,
at the Hilton Austin Hotel, in Austin,
TX. For more information, contact
ASIS at (301) 495-0900 or visit their
Website at www.asis.org.
March 26. The Rochester Chapter
STC will hold Spectrum 2004 at the
RIT Inn and Conference Center in
Rochester, NY, with the theme, “Back
to the Future.” For more information,
contact Denise D. Pieratti at
pieratti@rochester.rr.com or visit their
Website at www.stcrochester.org.
March 28–April 1. The American
Chemical Society will hold its 227th
National Meeting in Anaheim, CA. For
more information, contact ACS at
natlmtgs@acs.org or visit their
Website at www.chemistry.org.
STC and Related Events
Around the World
Information Modeling QuickStart
Seminar
Penn State Great Valley Campus—March 19, 2004
Sponsored by the Philadelphia Metro Chapter of the STC
Ann Rockley's Information Modeling QuickStart is a one-day workshop designed to
teach you the skills of information modeling. Information modeling is a key component
of any successful unified content (single source) strategy. Information models formalize
the structure of your content, providing the framework upon which the unified content
strategy is based. You will learn how to create XML-ready models.
Learning materials, lunch, snacks, and a copy of Ann Rockley's new book on content
management, Managing Enterprise Content: A Unified Content Strategy, are included in
the registration fee.
To register, access the registration form at www.rockley.com and follow the links to
the registration form. ■
You will learn
❏ The business reasons for adopting a
unified content strategy
❏ How to create information models
❏ Top-level and in-depth information
analysis
❏ How to identify different types of
reuse
❏ How to create:
1) Information product models
2) Element models
3) Structural reuse maps
4) Content reuse maps
5) Metadata
Objectives
At the end of this workshop you will
be able to:
❏ Analyze your content
❏ Develop information models
Who should attend
❏ Writers
❏ Editors
❏ Publishers
❏ Information Architects
❏ Software Developers
❏ Business and IT Managers
Cost
Registration for this intense one-day workshop is $400.00 per student. If two
or more students register from the same organization, they get a $50 discount
per student.
Nurnberg Funnel. Tufte favors high-
resolution media, such as the printed
page, maps, and 35mm photography over
the low resolution of the computer screen
as embodied in web sites, and—of
course—PowerPoint presentations. If this
booklet leaves you hungry for more, I
highly recommend that you dig into
Tufte’s three books: The Visual Display of
Quantitative Information, Envisioning
Information, and Visual Explanations
(see the November 2000 issue of News &
Views for a review). Like all first-rate
teachers, this Yale professor will
challenge what you think you know.
Edward R. Tufte, The Cognitive Style
of PowerPoint. Cheshire. CT.: Graphics
Press LLC, 2003. ISBN 0-9613921-5-0.
Paperback, $7.00. Available from the
author at www.edwardtufte.com. ■
The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint (Continued from page 4)

6. NEWS & VIEWS 6 February/March 2004
Going to the STC
Annual Conference?
by Steve Lungren
The STC-PMC charter bus to
the STC Annual Conference in
Baltimore, MD is confirmed.
We'll simply split the cost among
the participants. The more folks
who join us, the lower the price.
Depending on the number of
participants, the cost will range
from about $18 to $35. Watch
the chapter website for more
information and to reserve your
seat.
The STC-PMC bus will depart
at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 9,
2004 from Plymouth Meeting. (If
anyone has a contact name and
number at the DoubleTree Hotel,
please send that info to Steve
Lungren(slungren@dellmail.com),
because we would like to meet the
bus there. Otherwise, we’ll meet at
the Plymouth Meeting Mall.)
Figuring that the trip down is
only about two hours (especially
on Sunday morning), the bus will
drop us at the Baltimore
Convention Center, probably
between 9:00 and 9:30.
At the end of the conference,
on Wednesday, May 12, the STC-
PMC bus is scheduled to depart
from the Baltimore Convention
Center at 4:30 p.m., returning to
Plymouth Meeting.
I hope that everyone can make
the trip! ■
Take the Bus with Your
Fellow STC-PMC
Members!
Employment Committee
Status Report
by Giacomo DeAnnuntis
ith the beginning of
the new year, I
thought it would be
valuable to review
how well the
“Careers” function
of the STC-PMC
Web site is serving
our members and the business
community. We listed ten jobs during the
second half of last year; two of them are
still open.
The employment committee contacted
the remaining eight companies that had
listed jobs or contract openings to see if
our site was helpful. Here are our
findings:
❏ Two positions were filled by STC-
PMC members.
❏ One position was filled by a candidate
who already worked for the company.
❏ Four positions were filled by
candidates who learned about the
openings from other sources.
❏ One position was moved to Omaha,
Nebraska, where it was filled by an STC
member there.
It would be nice if I could report that
all positions were filled through our
listing service. However, the placement of
two members out of eight openings in a
world filled with powerful and well-
known competitors, such as Monster,
CareerBuilder, and Job Circle (not to
mention the very difficult job market),
indicates that we are providing a service
that can only increase in value as the
economic climate improves. Asked about
the value of placing notices on the
STC-PMC Website, two managers stated
that the STC-PMC Website listings were
helpful in obtaining contacts from
candidates with the required
qualifications. Asked if she would place
notices of future openings with the
STC-PMC Website, one manager replied.
“Absolutely!”
As we continue to post openings that
can be filled by local chapter members,
please be sure to mention that you saw
the notice on our Website when applying
for these positions. Our goal is to
become the first place that companies
send their technical writer listings and the
first place that chapter members look
when they search for their next job or
contract.
Finally, I want to thank Lois Shank for
getting job notices posted on the Website
as quickly as I have been getting them to
her.
Would you like to help work on the
Employment Committee? If so, please
contact me at (215) 482-1255. ■
STC MEETING EVENT RECEIPTS FOR ALL
EVENTS ARE SELF-SERVE FROM THE
CHAPTER’S WEBSITE:
http://www.stcpmc.org

7. February/March 2004 7 NEWS & VIEWS
Member Spotlight
Barrie Byron—Making Her Presence Known
by Jill Cassidy Rolette
ou just never know
what a day will hold,
what news a phone
call or email will
bring, or who you
might meet. Not too
long ago I was
performing the
routine task of sending out what I refer
to as an “email blast” to notify
STC-PMC members of an upcoming
meeting. folks respond with questions,
address changes, requests to be
removed from the distribution list, or
even the “Out of Office” auto-
response. This one particular day, I
had a response that was so upbeat and
friendly that it took me pleasantly by
surprise. Barrie Byron, a new chapter
member (new to our area), has a
vitality that comes through even the
coldest digital medium, and I knew I
just had to introduce her to the entire
chapter via the “Spotlight.”
Currently residing in Lawrenceville,
New Jersey, Barrie originally hails
from the land of sunshine and citrus,
Palm Beach County, Florida. Since
arriving in New Jersey, she has worked
at a software company in Mount
Laurel, served as a part-time
instructor for Penn State’s Professional
Studies in Technical Communication
program, teaching Technical Writing
onsite at a corporate location, and
now works at a software company in
Princeton. She comes from an
extensive background in
communication, having graduated
from the University of Florida College
of Journalism and Communication.
Using her experience to work with
weekly and daily newspapers and
fishing magazines, Barrie quickly
turned her career interests to
production. She learned pagination
technology, which allowed her to
become an applications specialist in-
house, then eventually began working
for a publishing technology vendor.
Barrie earned many globe-trotting
miles as she “supported the installation
and production use of pagination
equipment in small to medium-sized
newspapers around the world.” In
order to have the chance to become
more familiar with her home
environment, Barrie opted to write
training materials and user manuals
for the same equipment
she supported.
While pursuing her
technical
communication career
in Palm Beach, Barrie
decided to join the local
chapter of STC in 1997.
She cites “STC name
recognition” as well as
very reasonably priced
conferences as a few of the greatest
benefits of membership. The story
doesn't end there. Barrie did not just
become a quiet member of STC,
casually attending one or two meetings
and passively reading the newsletter.
No, she became president of the Palm
Beach chapter, as well as holding the
posts of Program Committee manager
and Public Relations liaison. Again,
not one to do anything half-way, not
only did Barrie serve as Palm Beach
chapter president, but with some
incredible teamwork involving the
other chapter leaders, the chapter
earned the 2002 STC Chapter
Achievement Award of Merit, one of
her most memorable STC moments.
Barrie is no stranger to award
ceremonies: she also earned awards in
the Florida Technical Communication
Competition (FTCC) and served as a
judge in 2002 and a judge team leader
in 2003 for the STC International
Online Communication Competition
(IOCC).
Since Barrie has many years of
valuable technical communication
experience from which she can draw, I
asked her to reminisce a bit about the
field at the time she started and the
changes she has witnessed. With the
jest that such questions tend to “date
the old-timers,” Barrie good-naturedly
responded. She remembers the “first”
PC and using paper tape, typesetting
on a Harris 2200 computer with an
online display and no memory. (This
dramatically enhanced her
typing skills!) One of her
first publishing jobs was
developing photo typesetting
film on a coffee warmer!
Barrie advanced
technically at lightning
speed, moving from XT
terminals to PCs, then
working with Reveal Codes
while writing documentation
in WordPerfect, moving on to
templates in MS Word, and then to
being one of the first to use RoboHelp.
Barrie notes that the required “skill
sets for technical communicators have
expanded to include industry and
publishing technology as well as
information development and writing
skills.” She sees technical
communication continuing to advance
during the next couple of decades,
becoming an even more “attractive
and credible profession.” She suggests
keeping our STC memberships current,
continuing our professional
development, and keeping our tools
sharp as ways to reap the benefits and
compensation of technical
communications’ growing popularity.
I asked Barrie what she most
wanted her technical communication
students to grasp from her classes. She
responded that one of the most
important facets of technical
communication she can impart to her
students is the need to perform
audience analysis in order “to
successfully fulfill a specific
(Continued on page 11)

8. NEWS & VIEWS 8 February/March 2004
presenters, generally planning out my
week—to get the most out of the
conference. I try to find sessions that
meet my needs for my job. And then I
select a few that are of personal
interest, where I think I need to
increase my knowledge.”
B.J. Foster, Worthington, OH—“I
choose one track (such as usability) for
most of the sessions. Then I mix in a
few sessions that look fun or that I
think will further my career but not
necessarily help in my current job.”
Kathryn Bine, Fairfax, VA—“I look
for speakers who I know are good, and
if the topic is even slightly interesting I
go to that session.”
Amy Himes, Lansing, MI—“I go
along with certain categories, such as
usability or training, but I like to mix it
up at times. I also like to go to a
session I consider ‘just for me’ each
day, such as public speaking or career
planning, etc.”
Gretchen—“I generally look over
the sessions when the first program
comes out but then I don’t decide what
I'm attending until the day before the
sessions.”
Rhonda—“When I get the
preliminary program, I go through it
and mark the sessions I might like to
attend. I also look for presenters.
Some are great and it’s worthwhile
attending their sessions, even if the
content may not be exactly what I
want. When I register, I go through the
actual program and mark the session
possibilities—I usually end up with
three to six choices for most time slots,
then try and prioritize these. On each
day, I check the program before getting
to the venue—and sometimes find my
priorities have changed as a result of
discussions with others over a meal or
whatever. Prior to the session, I take
another quick look and make up my
mind there and then. I'm very much a
smorgasbord conference goer!”
Barb Z.—“I make sure to select
sessions from each stem—I mean,
Tools, Technology, Writing, etc., so
that I get a mixture of the types of
sessions. I always select three sessions
per time slot so that I have backup if
my first choice is not what I expected.
My overall goal is to pick up info on
issues I am currently having at work.
By this, I mean—if I am starting a new
job that entails policies and
procedures, I will concentrate on
sessions related to that. If I am
beginning to use a new tool, such as
FrameMaker, I will try and select
sessions that will help me use the tool.
If the company I am working for is
reorganizing, laying people off, I will
focus on career-building sessions. I
purposely go with a different goal each
year. I also include one session that is
strictly for fun—like the panel on
mystery writing.”
Lou—“If I am selecting topics I am
not familiar with, I try to select
multiple sessions from basic to more
in-depth on that topic. If I am selecting
a topic I have some familiarity with, I
try to select a more advance/detailed
session on that topic. The motivating
factor is to make myself a more
valuable employee (job security). My
goal is to choose sessions that my
employer will see as beneficial to the
company. To emphasize that benefit, I
provide a written review of my
activities when I return to work. This
also helps when I ask for conference
expense to be included in the annual
budget.”
What do you expect to gain from the
conference?
Gretchen—“My only goal is to
learn something, anything. Sometimes
I can tell in advance what I'll learn,
other times I'm surprised by it.”
Barb Z.—”I expect to learn new
things, meet new people, bring back
ideas and renewed enthusiasm for this
profession.”
Bruce—“I hope to gain two things:
anything that might help me be a
better writer, and anything that might
help me with a current or future
project.”
Kathryn—“Confirmation that I am
doing a good job, ideas for doing a
better job, and options for expanding
my knowledge and skill set. I also
expect to put faces with names I know
from reading topics in the industry.”
Barbara K.—“I expect to meet
fellow writers, pick their brains about
their career and their work, hear new
ideas, expand my knowledge base.”
What was the best part of your
conference experience?
David Dick, Brussels, Belgium—
“It's always wonderful to meet friends,
meet new friends, to say ‘hello’ to
acquaintances, to learn about trends in
technologies and professional
development.”
B.J.—“The best part is spending
time with other writers and finding out
about what they do. It really does
recharge my love of this career.”
Amy—“The best session I attended
was Jean-luc Doumont's
Understanding Visual
Communication. Although time was
limited, Doumont succeeded in helping
you see the world slightly differently.
His presentation was wonderful and
engaged the audience.”
Barb Z.—“The best parts are the
new things I learn, and the people I
meet.”
Gretchen—“The best part is always
the people I meet.”
Bruce—“The best part was meeting
other writers and discussing problems.”
Rhonda—“Meeting people whose
names you know well, but who you've
never met in person.”
Was there anything unexpected that
you were surprised to discover at
the conference?
David—“I was surprised to learn
how many people attended the
conference at personal expense
because the information and
networking is important to their
personal and professional
development. And how many people
are out of work and looking
(desperately) for employment.”
Rhonda—“Not especially, though I
was pleasantly surprised how casual
On Attending the STC Annual Conference—A Virtual Discourse (Continued from page 1)
(Continued on page 9)

9. February/March 2004 9 NEWS & VIEWS
the dress code was, and how friendly
and human the ‘gurus’ are!”
Has your conference experience
directly benefited you on the job?
Barb Z.—“Yes. It helps in my
performance reviews because I always
come back with some ideas on how we
can do things better and share these
ideas with my group and
management.”
David—“Yes, by seeing what I
should be doing and why, and meeting
professionals who can explain how
and why.”
B.J.—“I am single sourcing my
documents and on line help as a result
of the conferences. The conference
gave me the basic information I needed
to go out and learn more about
‘chunking’ and single sourcing. I really
believe that this has improved the
quality of my documents and I can
now quickly create custom documents
as our customer’s need them.”
Bruce—“It recharged me as a writer
and it provided me some new ideas on
how to organize projects.”
Rhonda—“What it has given me is
the impetus to try new things to
enhance the experience of the
enduser.”
Barbara K.—“I brought back ideas
I could implement almost immediately.
My boss was very satisfied with that!”
Lou—“Yes. I have made friends
who I can contact for help in solving
on the job problems. I brought back
information and learned tips and tricks
that help in the day-to-day
performance of my job. Attending the
conference helps lend creditability to
my position. I am seen as an expert in
my company because it is known that I
attend STC functions.”
What advice would you give to
someone who is attending the
conference for the first time?
David—“Advance planning is
essential to get budget approval (if not
self-employed) or to save money to
attend the conference. I travel from
Europe and I need to decide to attend
the conference in November to get the
best rates for travel and hotel.”
B.J.—“Decide if you are going to
pursue one track or just sample
sessions from many different tracks. If
you think you will attend a future
conferences, I would sample different
tracks and different types of sessions
(lectures, panel discussions) the first
year. In subsequent years, you will
probably find yourself picking one or
two areas and focusing on them, and
you’ll find you enjoy certain types of
sessions and not others.”
Amy—“I recommend taking
advantage of networking opportunities
by attending the networking lunches
and going out with groups of people to
discover the city. Don't be shy!”
Lou—“Have a good idea of what
sessions you plan to attend. Study the
pre-conference material... The most
important advice is if you are going to
ask your employer to pay the cost of
the conference, ask before the annual
budget is finalized. Be prepared with a
justification.”
Gretchen—“Talk to everybody!
You never know what kind of
interesting people you'll meet.”
Kathryn—“Figure out what your
interest areas are; now figure out who
the best speakers are in that subject
area. If you don't understand the
presentation, or if you are falling
asleep, or the presentation doesn't
cover what you wanted, then leave and
find a session that is useful to you.
Don't be too sensitive about the
speaker's feelings!”
Barb Z.—“Take advantage of all
the networking opportunities. Expect
to experience both excellent
presentations and poor
presentations—and everything in-
between. Go with an open mind. Have
fun.”
B.J.—“Don’t try to do everything.
The days are long and exhausting, and
you need down time. Do not try to
attend every luncheon and every
evening event. Try to plan one social
event with other writers who share
common interests (for example, the
Lone Writers dinner).
Rhonda—“Be flexible in your
choices, dress comfortably (you will be
sitting all day), wear comfortable shoes
(some venues are very far from each
other), attend at least one conference
lunch—you will meet lots of people
you've never met before and will learn
a lot!”
Barbara K.—“Have a back-up plan;
don't be disappointed in whatever
happens, volunteer for what ever you
can, meet people, go to the evening
affairs, go to the luncheons, and if you
can, plan to meet with people from
outside the US. They have a totally
different take on the profession.”
B.J.—”Talk to people. Talk to
people. Talk to people. Everyone is
friendly. Everyone is interested in how
your job compares to theirs. Everyone
is curious about what problems you
face compared to the problems they
face.”
The Voice of Experience
For a thorough guide to preparing
for the STC Conference, see Joe
Morton’s article Get the Most From
Your Next STC Conference, in the
February 2003 issue of the STC
Huntsville/North Alabama chapter’s
newsletter Pen and Brush. Joe’s
excellent guide provides tips for
planning hotel and travel reservations,
registration options, networking, and
workshops to help make your STC
Annual Conference experience
productive and enjoyable. (http://
mortonweb.uah.edu/EHTjobs/
penbrushv43i4.pdf or http://www.stc-
na.org/ > Newsletter > February
2003). ■
Editor’s note: Steve Lungren, STC-PMC
Treasurer, has attended the last two STC
Annual Conferences in Nashville and
Dallas. This article contains quotes from
friends and professional acquaintances he
met at those conferences.
On Attending the STC Annual Conference—A Virtual Discourse (Continued from page 8)

10. NEWS & VIEWS 10 February/March 2004
Crossword Puzzle
by Zsolt Olah
ACROSS
1 Harper’s bird to kill
9 Small land surrounded by water
10 James Bond’s double digits
11 European Union Center at the University of
Pittsburgh
13 International Standard of Anything
15 Spot color
18 Formal objection taken in the course of an
action or a proceeding
20 Santa’s exclamation
21 Maybe a PR text that just simply can’t get
hyper
22 Vowels have two of them
23 World data on education by UNESCO
25 Poe’s pet
27 Sweden’s two letters in an Internet address
28 EI
29 U.S. Peace “...”
30 SSS
31 “...” Salvador
32 EV
33 Permission to travel
35 Peru’s two letters in the Internet address
36 Cop who detects
38 Extensive enterprise under a unified
authority, which, as it seems, sooner or
later is prone to fall apart
40 KRL
41 Method of invocation. At least in Java
42 Not so intellectual way of exhibiting a vocal
request for repeating or clarifying a piece
of verbal information
44 Sugar Bowl loser backward
45 Neutron’s nihilist buddy
DOWN
1 Marine mines cleaning tool in Windows
2 Operation system
3 Stereotipical character behavour
4 The guy with the “cockoo’s nest”
5 Word with negative attitude
6 Desert near Mongolia
7 To moisten or soak in order to separate
fibers
8 Duke’s female partner
12 Former name of the second most watched
numbers after the stock market
14 Human milestone in a document’s life-
cycle
16 Exhibiting a lover’s yearning
17 The “...”daga are one of the original mem-
bers of the Iroquois confederacy
19 Emotional organ liquid
24 Situation with two choices. Hard choices.
26 VPVE
29 Currency in Ghana. (If you have no idea
consider this the mixed letters of “number
cube.”)
30 Physical worker with drunken reputation
34 Mummers’ move.
37 Age of constant love and hate. Parents
beware!
39 Secret code. Da Vinci didn’t have one
43 Masculine, singular person
1
M
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I S L E
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O T C H
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E X C E P
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H Y P E
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V O W E L
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D E
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C O R P S
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S S S
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E L
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S A T
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P E
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D E
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E M
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P I R E
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K R L R
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R M I
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U O I
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A N T I N E U T R O N
We extend a warm welcome to new
chapter members who are joining STC
for the first time, rejoining, or have
transferred from another chapter.
November
❏ Peter W. Brakhage
❏ Kevin R. Hughes
❏ Jason A. Jenkins
❏ Chris Mills
❏ Karen C. Brothers
❏ Valerie G. Sponaugle
❏ Patrick G. Stephens
December
❏ Matthew J. Harris
❏ Elizabeth J. Haserick
❏ Shari C. Coleman
❏ Jeffrey T. Brennan
❏ Thomas A. Cook
New Senior Members
❏ Jeffrey T. Brennan,
❏ Marianne Johnston
❏ Robert A. G. Montgomery
❏ Valerie G. Sponaugle
❏ Rachael C. Buckley
❏ Deidre M. Kwiatek
❏ Jane A. Phillips
❏ Deborah J. English
❏ Steve A. Lungren
❏ Samuel A. Sokolik
At the end of January, the chapter
membership was 410.
Membership Update Guidelines: Not your typical
crossword. Some of the
definitions maybe be vague,
associative, even funny. A single
word CAPITALIZED (e.g., across
32) is your guide. Use it ‘as is’.
Puzzle solution on p. 11

11. February/March 2004 11 NEWS & VIEWS
STC Annual Conference
May 9–12, 2004
Baltimore Convention Center
A grand opening reception on Sunday
night opens the conference on a
festive note. Three days of sessions
cover everything from the nuts and
bolts of management, writing, and
editing, to the latest trends in tools,
usability, and information design.
A fourth day (May 13) presents half-
day or full-day post-conference
workshops and tutorials covering the
same range of topics in greater detail,
at an additional charge. See the STC
web site (www.stc.org) for details.
Puzzle Solution
Navigating the Future of
Technical Communication
1
M
2
O
3
C
4
K I
5
N
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G B I
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R
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D
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I S L E Y
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O O L L
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E U
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C
N L
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I S
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A
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R
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B
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L
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O T C H
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E X C E P
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T I O N C
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H O
S R
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H Y P E
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L
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V O W E L
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W
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D E I
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R A
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V E N B
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S E
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E I
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T
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C O R P S R
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S S S
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E L I
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E V T
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V I
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S A P
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T
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P E H
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D E
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T E C T I V E
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E M
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P I R E F
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K R L
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I R
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R M I U P
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K
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U O
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Y I
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M
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A N T I N E U T R O N
information purpose.” If her students can
find answers to the following questions:
who are we writing for? what do our
readers need to know? how will they read
the information? then they will be able to
develop useful information.
Barrie, when not busy with some aspect
of technical communication, is very active
acclimating to her new surroundings. She
wants to be prepared as a knowledgeable
tour guide for visiting family and friends,
hence she has been taking the time to get
to know our area's local attractions. She
is enjoying a renewed interest in the
Revolutionary War, and feels that she is
definitely learning more now than she did
while in school! To coincide with her keen
interest in her surroundings, Barrie has an
innate love of all things outdoors,
including hiking, birding, and biking.
Growing up with a commercial airline
pilot for a father, Barrie has traveled her
entire life and found that, as a result,
building new friendships and learning new
things are some of her favorite pastimes.
Her zest for life is both enthusiastic and
infectious!
My hope for you all this year is that
you will take the time to get to know your
fellow STC members. Like Barrie, so
many of you have such rich experiences, as
well as a wealth of information to share
both personally and professionally. We
look forward to getting to know you in
2004! ■
Note: Barrie has offered to host a “Dinner at
the Diner” event in the Princeton, NJ area.
This is a chance for members to informally get
together outside of our regularly scheduled
meetings, in areas that might be more
convenient to them. Please contact Barrie at
barriebyron@comcast.net if you are interested
in meeting her in Princeton!
Barrie Byron—Making Her Presence Known (Continued from page 7)
STC-PMC ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Morphing into the Future with STC
Saturday, March 20th, 2004
Penn State Great Valley
Safeguard Scientific Building
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Continental Breakfast and Lunch Included
TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL SESSIONS ■ NETWORKING
VENDORS ■ RAFFLE PRIZES ■ MORE
STC Members $50 Nonmembers $75

12. Newsletter Address
News & Views
Lori Corbett
834 Westridge Dr.
Phoenixville, PA 19460
stcmember@comcast.net
First Class Mail
NEWS & VIEWS 12 February/March 2004
Upcoming Meetings
The information in the following table was correct at the time News & Views was published. Be sure to check the web site
(www.stcpmc.org) for details and to check for late-breaking updates to the schedule. For all Thursday meetings, reservations
are due by the Monday before the meeting. Note that the Conference in March will require special registration.
Date Meeting Topic Location
February 19,
2004
Back to School: Local Area Technical Writing Programs Philadelphia University
March 19, 2004
Information Modeling QuickStart Seminar
Special Registration Required
Penn State University, Great
Valley, PA
March 20, 2004
STC-PMC Annual Conference—Morphing Into the Future with STC
Special Registration Required
Penn State University, Great
Valley, PA
April 15, 2004 Contracting Panel TBD
May 9—12, 2004
STC Annual Conference
Special Registration Required
Baltimore, MD
May 20, 2004 Content Management presented by Cheryl Lockett Zubak Doubletree, Plymouth Meeting PA
June 1, 2004 Authorit Workshop presented by Cheryl Lockett Zubak TBD
October 9, 2004 Philadelphia Mural Tour Philadelphia, PA
A Look Inside...
❏ Thinking about attending the STC Annual
Conference in Baltimore. Read Steve
Lungren’s interview of attendees at
previous conferences on p. 1.
❏ Check out the list of winners in the 2003
STC-PMC Online Communication
Competition on p. 2.
❏ The editor speaks on p. 2.
❏ President Nad Rosenberg talks about a
couple of interesting opportunities on p. 3.
❏ Read a review of Ed Tufte’s book, “The
Cognitive Style of PowerPoint,” by Al Brown
on p. 4.
❏ Check out the seminar offering,
Information Modeling QuickStart, sponsored
by the STC-PMC chapter on p. 5.
❏ Giacomo DeAnnuntis reports on the
work of the employment committee on p. 6.
❏ Meet Barrie Byron in Jill Cassidy
Roulette’s latest Member Spotlight on p. 7.
❏ Test your crossword puzzle skills in Zsolt
Olah’s latest presentation on p. 10.
Deadline for next issue: March15