Vadim Rozanov, Intel Corporation

March, 2019

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Keen on Programming? Techie-minded?

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But also interested in foreign languages?

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Ever Thought of Becoming a Technical Writer?

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Why not? Because of this?

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Or this?

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Or because you have no idea about Technical Writing?

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What is technical writing?

Technical writing is any written form of writing or drafting technical communication used in a variety of technical and occupational fields.

Technical communication is any form of communication that exhibits the following characteristics:

communicating about technical or specialized topics, such as computer applications, medical procedures, or environmental regulations

communicating through technology, such as web pages, help files, or social media sites, or

providing instructions about how to do something, regardless of the task's technical nature

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What Do Technical Writers Do?

Technical Writer is a professional writer who produces technical documentation to help people understand and use a product or service.

Technical writers explain technologies, processes, and products in many formats, including print, online, and other electronic means.

They develop and present information that help in solving a particular problem or making a specific decision.

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Mixing up Translator and Technical Writer Jobs

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Nature of Job

Determine the needs of end users of technical documentation

Organize and write supporting documents for products

Study product samples and get clarification with product designers and developers

Use photographs, animation, drawings, diagrams, and charts that increase users’ understanding

Work on product/documentation usability and analytics

Write Search Engine Optimized (SEO) website content, blog, press releases, articles

Promote the gadgets, software applications, or products of the company

Gather appropriate feedback from customers, designers, and manufacturers

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Intel IAGS-ISC-SPS Information Development

Mission: Enable and ensure professional, timely, and high-quality documentation

for software products at Intel.

Rich expertise in working with both large, regularly shipped projects and small project teams.

Online documentation deployment

Extensive doc usage data collection and analysis

Tools and Infrastructure for consistency and efficiency:- Resource site for all Intel- Document Templates- Information Architecture and Writing Guidelines- Product Doc Specs- Legal resources- Process BKMs- Editing Services- and more…Content Creation, Publishing, and Management Solutions:- Tool BKMs- IPIX (Intel Product Information XML -CMS)- Web publishing technologies- Collaborative authoring with Git/Markdown/etc.

User-centered documentation for software products:- Getting Started pages and guides- Tutorials- User Guides- Reference Guides- Cookbooks, etc.Integrated into IDEs: - (Visual Studio, Eclipse)Published online (Intel® Developer Zone and Open source) - Optimized for searchEmbedded into the UI:- Message Catalogs- Embedded help text

What We Do

13Intel Confidential - Do Not Forward

Authoring->Publishing->Deployment Solutions

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Who We Are

Expert Team:

• Fully support funding business units, and stretch to enable others

Efficient Tools:

•Drive standards for efficiency, but continuously refine them to address new products and requirements

Optimized Processes:

• Streamlined for established products (Parallel Studio/System Studio), light-weight and dynamic for evolving products

What We Strive For:

Make Content an Asset:

•High quality content = high value content

•Deliver high-value content to

•drive customer satisfaction

• improve perception of company/product

•Provide world-class UX with online content (ex: MSDN)

•Use data to assess doc usage trends, identify gaps, and drive improvements

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Key Skills of a Technical Writer

Facility with technology, technical acumen

Ability to write clearly and concisely

Talent in showing ideas graphically

Patience and persistence in problem-solving/troubleshooting

Ability to interact with subject-matter experts

No academic program for technical writers in Russia. The professional requirements and qualifications for the Technical writers are regulated by the Professional Standard 06.019.

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Other Roles/Job Titles

Instructional Designer

Technical Editor

Content Writer

Information Developer

Usability Analyst

Information Architect

Documentation Specialist

Technical Publications Manager

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Industries that hire technical writers

High tech, Software in particular

Finance

Medical/Health Care

Manufacturing

General Business

Academic

Non-Profit

Why Technical Writing?

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Unique Experience of Mediation between Product Developers and Users

High Demand

Financial Security

Ample Opportunities for Advancement and Growth

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Importance of Technical Documentation

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The Future of Technical Writing

The US Department of Labor projects the field of technical writing to continue to grow through the year 2020.

In the US, many technical writers have college degrees or certificates in technical writing. Some have training in fields of engineers, computer science, advertising, marketing, or web design.

Recent trend – Technical Writing focusing on API is on the rise.

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Elements Involved in API Writing

Writers spend time understanding the source code

Writers communicate closely with developers

Writers create end-user documentation for the product

Writers produce a variety of doc types – installation guides, quick start or getting started guides, developers guides, programmer manuals, API reference documents.

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What kind of person is the best fit?

– A most harmonious one!

Who enjoys a happy marriage of the two halves of the brain

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Check Your Inclinations

Learn the operation of the internal combustion engine and try to write a brief article about it.

Write a story for your granny dwelling on a sophisticated device from the area you are well familiar with.

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Beyond Technical Writing Career

Freelancer, Tech Writing agency

Project Management, Marketing, Executives

Senior Writer, Manager

Analyst

Editor

Trainer

Instruction Design Work and Teaching

Media, Consulting

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Recap: Technical Writing in India

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Technical writing is hard but… not harder than programmer’s job

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Recommended Resources

Kirill Maslinsky, Yandex – I’m a Technical Writer – YouTube presentation -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djnzua4C3ss&t=875s

Intel All – Intel IAGS-ISC-SPS Info Development Resources -https://sp2010.amr.ith.intel.com/sites/SSG-ProductDocumentation/SitePages/Home.aspx

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Acknowledgements

Online publications and resources:

Wikipedia

Yandex Hyperbaton TW Conference materials

Oregon State University

TechTotal Soft Systems Private Limited

WordDeNovo Tech Solutions Pvt. Ltd (summary video)

and a number of anonymous web publications

Thank you!

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Backup

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CVCG InfoDev Content Development

Re

lea

ses 400+ plus

product releases supported in 2015

Do

cum

en

ts

* 300+ on IDZ

* 200+ into product builds

* 25+ docs translated

UI

Me

ssa

ge

s 100+ message catalogs reviews per release

Write Once, Use

EverywhereReuse

Automate manual

processesAutomation

Drive standards

and compliance

Governance

Co

lla

bo

rati

on • IT (CMS)

• DPD

• DRD (IDZ)

• WindRiver

• XLSoft (translation)

Scope

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CVCG InfoDev Content Development

EfficiencyWrite Once,

Use Everywhere

ReuseAutomate

manual processes

Automation

Drive standards

and compliance

Governance

• Single sourcing• Customized Outputs • Examples:

• Language, OS, Product specific outputs from common sources

Scripts to• Process and Build docs• Update contentExamples:• Fully tested code samples• Automated updates to reflect

6,000 removed functions

Doc standards • Driven by product/UX

requirements • Periodically reviewed and

updated to address new needs • Enforced by tools, peer

reviews, and discipline

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CVCG InfoDev Tools and Process

XML/Content Management

System

Desk-top Publishing Tools

Docs

GSGs Installed for Offline Use

Published on IDZ for Online use

+ IDZ

Future (Potential)

SourcesProduct Build System

Current

Information Developers

SoftwareDevelopers

Sophisticated Tool Chain to Develop Content

Docs post-processed for deployment

Docs delivered for online/offline use

Integrated into products & Post-

processed for Web

Legal Disclaimer & Optimization Notice

Optimization Notice

Intel’s compilers may or may not optimize to the same degree for non-Intel microprocessors for optimizations that are not unique to Intel microprocessors. These optimizations include SSE2, SSE3, and SSSE3 instruction sets and other optimizations. Intel does not guarantee the availability, functionality, or effectiveness of any optimization on microprocessors not manufactured by Intel. Microprocessor-dependent optimizations in this product are intended for use with Intel microprocessors. Certain optimizations not specific to Intel microarchitecture are reserved for Intel microprocessors. Please refer to the applicable product User and Reference Guides for more information regarding the specific instruction sets covered by this notice.

Notice revision #20110804

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Software and workloads used in performance tests may have been optimized for performance only on Intel microprocessors. Performance tests, such as SYSmark and MobileMark, are measured using specific computer systems, components, software, operations and functions. Any change to any of those factors may cause the results to vary. You should consult other information and performance tests to assist you in fully evaluating your contemplated purchases, including the performance of that product when combined with other products. For more complete information visit www.intel.com/benchmarks.

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