Message from the President 

President’s Message February 2010: Renewal, change and opportunities

Eagranie Yuh

Welcome to our new chapter members, and welcome back to renewing members.

As I write this, it’s the Year of the Tiger and the 2010 Winter Olympics have started in Vancouver. It’s a time of renewal, change and opportunities. Since my last message, we’ve held three well-attended program meetings, two excellent professional development workshops, and have been doing all kinds of work behind the scenes to continue to bring you value for your membership.

Here’s an update for you about what we’ve been up to.

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Meeting Reviews

January Program Meeting - Yoga, MOSAIC, and a raffle

Pam Drucker

The January program meeting featured yoga, a brief talk on mentorship, and a conference raffle winner.

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November Program Meeting: Doug Burns “Having It All”

Mary Metzger

The November 2009 program meeting featured Doug Burns, life and business coach, who presented “Having It All,” a guide to achieving personal and professional goals.

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September Program Meeting: Social Media

Mary Metzger

Social media marketing consultant Darren Barefoot introduced principles to keep in mind for companies using social media and networking.  There are pitfalls as well as advantages.

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 Featured Article 

2009-2010 Technical Publications Competition

Pam Drucker

The finalists for the chapter’s 2009-2010 technical publications competition are announced.

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Elections for National STC Officers

Mary Metzger

Elections for STC officers begin on 9 March 2010.  Members will be selecting the Secretary, three Directors, and two members for the Nominating Committee.  Members whose dues are paid by 28 February 2010 may vote.

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Our Chapter Makes Its Case at the 2009 Writing Matters Conference

Rob Hughes

Rob Hughes discusses the 2009 Writing Matters Conference held at Douglas College.  The day’s events included a presentation by STC West Coast chapter president Eagranie Yuh who highlighted the chapter’s professional development, learning, and networking opportunities.

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 Viewpoints 

Interview with writer and editor, Margaret Shaw

Mary Metzger

Coquitlam-based writer and editor, Margaret Shaw, has many types of projects in the works, including technical writing assignments.  Her most recent project involved creating a procedures manual for a municipal department.

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Have you updated your graphic skills lately?

Steve Bain

If you’re like most technical communicators, you likely take pride in your ability to use the written word to clarify life’s ambiguities. But words alone seldom communicate as effectively as visual elements do. Just ask any Egyptian historian. Pictures bridge communication barriers where words often fall short. The global reach of today’s communication makes adding images more important than ever.

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Cloud Computing - The New Wave of the Future?

Karen Cooper

Cloud Computing stores data remotely so that it is accessible from any computer.  Security and privacy safeguards, software documentation, and technical issues need to be addressed but Cloud Computing holds great possibilities for technical communicators.

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Google Wave

Mary Metzger

Google Wave is an open source program that operates on your browser and enables synchronous communication among users.  It was announced on September 30, 2009 and includes a variety of applications.  A large-scale launch is anticipated in March, 2010.  Google Wave could significantly enhance the work of technical communicators.

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