One glance at the topics in this newsletter will tell you that technology features strongly in every technical communicator’s life.  We act as interpreter between expert and user, transforming highly-technical information into more digestible task-sized morsels. We use technology every day to extract, structure, write, re-use, re-purpose and publish content.  And we are constantly looking for information to help us understand our world and work more effectively within it.

At the annual strategic planning session, topics around tools and technology appear frequently on the list of events suggested for the coming season.  So, this year the chapter will present a new series of free, vendor-sponsored chapter events under the broad banner of “Tools and Technologies”.  The first event in this series is ‘‘A DITA Primer’, presented by Bluestream Database Software Corp. on 27th February and online registration is now open. If you have any comments about this new series or would like to suggest a topic for future events, please contact me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

February also brings us our first professional development event of the year. Manuel Gordon will present a one-day workshop entitled ‘Writing SDKs and APIs’ on 24th February.  Come along and learn all about this highly sought-after skill set.

Also during February, the chapter will continue to roll out the new CMS technology that drives our new web site.  This month we will implement the communication module,which will enable us to manage our mailing lists more effectively.  We will use current member information to recreate our chapter information, Coast Lines, and Job bank mailing lists, so please remember to renew your membership by February 15th, 2007, and make sure you choose to be a Canada West Coast chapter member. Incidentally, the renewal deadline to be able to vote in stc.org and chapter elections is 28 February 2007.

If you are currently studying technical communication, I encourage you to look into the various scholarships available at both the chapter and international level.  The deadline for applications is 15 February, 2007.

I look forward to seeing you at one of the chapter events this month!
Odile