When people think of standards and other specifications, they often get the impression that it’s a rigid world and a tough subject to grasp. But if you take a closer look, you’ll discover some extraordinary topics and the standards that go with them. From time to time, we’ll therefore be sharing insights from the quirky side of the standards world in this blog [...]
A note before we begin: This text is not intended as binding legal advice, but rather reflects the author’s personal opinion, based on researched court rulings and laws on the subject. What does the term “disclaimer” mean? The term “disclaimer” is derived from the English verb “to disclaim,” which means “to deny” or “not to acknowledge.” Disclaimers are often found in the legal notice [...]
Technical documentation requires not only expertise but also a great deal of creativity—otherwise, how could solutions be found amid the hectic pace of everyday editorial work? Today, we’re opening the door to the private poetry workshop of an editor who, as she told us, “finds that writing nonsense in the evenings is the best way to relax.” Enjoy! An informational poem by a technical writer known to our editorial team [...]
The 28th M.Sc. class of the “Technical Communication” program reports on its tour of the Phoenix-West steel mill. It stands majestically across from the tecteam building: the Phoenix-West steel mill. As early as our first week of in-person classes in June, the silhouette of the long-closed steel mill captivated us, the students of the 28th M.Sc. class. As part of our “Technical Communication” program, we [...]
Safety is an important topic in technical documentation. Writing safety instructions is part of the daily grind for technical writers. But let’s take a broader view. The topic of safety is everywhere these days. But what exactly is safety? Are there natural limits to safety, and is safety always a good thing? Or is the [...]
"Do you still write by hand, or do you type?" … asked the FAZ in an article dated January 14, 2015, which discussed new curricula for Finnish elementary schools. Minna Hermann, who developed the guidelines at the Finnish Ministry of Education, believes that for many children, it is so tedious to write individual letters by hand on paper [...]
Good editing tools aren't always easy to find, and sometimes you have to look in a different niche. That's why, when it comes to hardware, I didn't find what I was looking for among Office products, but rather among so-called "gaming gadgets." As a technical writer, I always strive to use the right tools to optimize my daily workflow. On the software side, I use tools such as [...]
