Intercom: March 2010
Intercom, the magazine of the Society for Technical Communication, is published to provide examples and applications of technical communication that will promote its readers' professional development.
What We Can Learn From Our Failures/Mistakes: Technology Failures, Research Failures, Career Failures
Nonmembers May Now Subscribe to Intercom
STC’s Board of Directors has authorized subscriptions to be sold to nonmembers beginning in 2010. The cost to subscribe is $195 for addresses within the United States. A postage differential fee is added to subscriptions to Canada ($205) and other countries ($230). Please complete the Intercom Subscription Form 
and email to Kevin Cuddihy.
Full Download
- Regular PDF of the Complete March 2010 Issue
Flipbook PDF of the Complete Issue
- Flipbook PDF of the Complete March 2010 Issue
For basic instructions on how to view the Flipbook PDF, read the Viewing Instructions
“I just love Intercom being online! I think I just read more in one issue in ten minutes than I have ever in a paper copy. . . . It was so easy to flick through, zoom in, and move around the page. Really great work.”
—Sonja McShane, Member
Feature Articles
- Making Lemonade From a Layoff
- By: Rachel Houghton, Member
- Layoffs are all too often a fact of life in today’s economy. Your actions after a layoff can go a long way toward making sure you not only spend a short time on the sidelines but also stay sane while there. Houghton uses examples from experience on how to best navigate your way through a layoff into your next job.
- Writing in Type: The Art of Choosing Typefaces that Work
- By: Michael Opsteegh, Senior Member
- Typography has a dramatic effect on readability. Which typeface is best for your needs? How can you balance readability and legibility? Opsteegh discusses kerning, spacing, x-heights, fonts, styles, and more to show you how to put your best type forward.
- Responding to Accusations of Corporate Wrongdoing: How Technical Communicators Can Help
- By: Emil B. Towner, Student Member, and Heidi L. Everett
- When a corporation is accused of wrongdoing, its response is of utmost importance. What media? What methods? What means? Towner and Everett explore how technical communictors can use their experience and expertise to be of great assistance to their companies in these situations.
- The Bucks Stop Here: Your Technical Communication Business
- By: Suzanne Guess, Senior Member
- Guess uses personal anecdotes from her years as a business owner to provide five lessons she learned the hard way on running a technical communication business.
Departments
- F.Y.I.
- F.Y.I.
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- Check here for upcoming events of interest to technical communicators.
- Off Hours
- Super-Heroes, Spaceships, Spies, and Talking Cars
- By: Alan J. Porter, Senior Member
- What does it mean when you have “Pop Culture Historian“ on your business cards? Enter the world of Alan J. Porter and find out.
Society Pages
- Society Pages
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- Read all about the 2010 Summit in Society Pages, including a preliminary schedule by date and time, preconference education opportunities, details on the current rate, and what you can find on STC’s conference website.
- Exhibitor Directory
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- Over two dozen exhibitors will be present at the 2010 Summit to showcase the latest and greatest in the technical communication field. Find out who will be where and what they have to offer.
Columns
- Social Media Insights
- Why Social Media is So Wonderful
- By: Rich Maggiani, Fellow
- What is it about social media that is so appealing? Maggiani talked to a number of colleagues and fellow technical communicators to find out how they are using this new medium of communication.
- Business Matters
- The Goal Is to Get it Right, Not to Be Right
- By: Elizabeth (Bette) Frick, Associate Fellow
- Frick outlines various ways to reflect on your mistakes and use what you learn to improve your business. By admitting these mistakes, you avoid repeating them.
- Beyond the Bleeding Edge
- Mistakes from the Edge
- By: Neil Perlin, Fellow
- Even those on the bleeding edge make mistakes sometimes. Perlin discusses three mistakes specific to new technology and advises how to avoid these pitfalls.
- Advancing Your Career
- Resume Secrets That Might Surprise You
- By: Jack Molisani, Associate Fellow
- Molisani gives 10 secrets about your resume and its potential audience to help you target it better and get more interviews.
