Do cave paintings reveal the origins of the Health and Safety user manual?

Recent investigations into the famous Lascaux cave paintings in France suggest the images might actually be the first ever Health and Safety manual. This discovery could mean the professions of both Technical Author and Health and Safety Officer began significantly earlier than is commonly believed. A paper released today by Professor Miriam Webster of the Université de… Read more »

Book review: Confluence, Tech Comm, Chocolate

I was sent a review copy of Confluence, Tech Comm, Chocolate: A wiki as platform extraordinaire for technical communication, by  Sarah Maddox. It’s about using wiki technology for developing and publishing technical documentation, using the Confluence platform, the emerging trends in the creation of User Assistance and, in places, chocolate. The book is aimed at three… Read more »

Training workshop on using the iPad (and other tablets) as a documentation device

We’re considering running a training workshop on how to use the iPad and other tablets as a device for delivering documentation. The primary focus will be on the iPad, but we can also cover what’s possible on Android tablets. If there is sufficient interest, then we’ll run a course. We’ll cover items such as How… Read more »

Book review:”The Content Pool”

I was sent a review copy of Alan J. Porter’s latest book, The Content Pool: Leveraging your company’s largest hidden asset. It’s a well written book that’s ideal for anyone who is uncomfortable about the way their organisation creates and manages its written content, as well as anyone who simply wants to manage their content in… Read more »