Plain Words Articles

The articles below cover everything from becoming a technical author and writing a winning CV, to Web design and creating Online Help. They’re all written by our experienced consultants and will provide you with insider hints and tips that could make all the difference!

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Click on any of the subjects above that interest you, or scroll down the page to check out all the articles available.

Help

• Help Tools – which is best? A look at the giants – RoboHelp, ForeHelp, Doc-To-Help
• Help Formats – discover the differences between HTML Help, Pure HTML and Java Help
• Designing On-Line Help – the main goal of a help system is to provide useful help information and get the user back on track as fast possible…

Writing & Documentation

• Intellectual Property Rights – all about copyright, patents, trade marks, and design rights
• Creating Adobe PDF Files – the low-down on turning your documents into PDF
• Word Grammar Checker – how to set it up so you get the most out of it – and discipline those annoying green squiggly lines!
• Large Documents in Word – how to create and manage them
• Gunning’s Fog Index – how to tell if your writing needs ‘de-misting’

Web

• Web Design (1): Layout – successful websites use certain layouts for maximum psychological effect – find out what they are
• Web Design (2): Readability – simple text formatting keeps your website fast loading and helps make it sticky
• Web Design (3): Best HTML Editors – the low-down on Dreamweaver, FrontPage, Hippie 98, and others
• Search Engine Tips – optimise your web pages and get a good listing on the search engines

Electronic Publishing

• Single Source publishing – the pros and cons
• XML Briefing – XML in brief

Translation & Localisation

• What’s the difference between translation and localisation? – Converting your documentation into other languages demands more than straight translation, it requires a good knowledge of culture and customs...

CVs

• How To Write A Winning CV – discover the basic rules of thumb that make up an interview-pulling CV
• Power Words – to help you write a winning CV…

Interviews

• How to be Successful at Interviews – tips to help you get that job
• Search Tools – to help you research the companies you plan to interview with
• Psychometric Testing – what it involves and how to make the grade

Technical Writing

• Becoming a Technical Writer – you can make it with or without qualifications – but you need a savvy approach…