Learning the Lingo

Django, java script, spider, bot, cold fusion, AVI, DVI, Python, Linux…English please?! I felt like I was learning another language when I started working in an office with web programmers. I considered myself a fairly technology savvy person; I could operate both a PC and Mac, I knew how to create a PDF from a word document, and I was even competent in Adobe Photoshop and InDesign. The feelings of computer literacy were quickly squelched when I started my job. The constant use of unfamiliar terms was intimidating. I was hired as a technical writer, and although I know how to write, I felt completely lost because I didn’t have a clue what I was writing about.

This seems like this is a common situation for technical writers. We are hired to write about extremely specialized areas of information, and in order to write about it we must first understand it. Even though I am not a web programmer I quickly found I would have to learn the language and terminology associated with the profession in order to do my job. Every chance I have I ask my co-workers about a particular term or concept. They are kind enough to give me explanations and examples. Simply learning the terminology and lingo has helped me to quickly grasp a basic understanding of the field. My writing has improved as I understand the subject matter and audience more, and am able to effectively communicate with my co-workers. I am still a writer, but hopefully I am a writer who is at least slightly competent in web programming lingo.

You've Got Mail...Enjoy it While it Lasts

The other night I was watching You've Got Mail with my roommates. It didn't occur to me how old the movie was until I saw the bulky laptop and heard the dial tone to connect to an AOL chat room. When i think of how much technology has evolved it amazes me, yet that movie wasn't made that long ago. You've Got Mail released in 1998, which means that twelve years ago email and chat rooms were a novelty. Excitement and frenzy were created over the three simple words(or four if you count the contraction), "You've Got Mail."

Now email seems laborious and clunky with Facebook, Twitter, and Google Wave. The whole world can know what you are thinking in a matter of seconds, so why wait minutes to send an email? I can access any information through the internet, yet I am impatient when my browser takes more than ten seconds to load. If I can't watch a video instantly on YouTube I wonder what's wrong with my connection. I don't think we take enough time to appreciate the progression of life. Consider the idea that you can find the answer to almost any question through Google, or ask yourself, "What would I do if didn't have internet access for a month?" Instead of constantly wondering what will come next, I think I will take a minute to appreciate everything that's around me because in a couple of years I might be mocking today's technology.

Making room for deep thought

I have been using this blog mostly to highlight my public relations work. However, I also want to use it for personal writing. My roommates and I are often having a conversation when someone says, "Hey guys so I was having this thought today..." That person will then go on to share their epiphany for the day. One of my friends has dubbed these times "deep thought" moments. Have you ever had a time during the day when you think about something on a deeper level? Instead of blindly fumbling through the day on autopilot, you find deeper meaning and purpose that motivates and enriches your life. As weird as this sounds I love these moments. They are so enlightening. Oddly enough I experienced such a moment the other day in the bookstore. I was buying a birthday card for my cousin, and I was at the cash register when one of the employees asked me, "What's the best thing that has happened to you today?" A blank stare of stupidity answered her question as I racked my brain for something to say. "Well let's see...I woke up late and then I went to work for four hours and now I am on lunch but I am about to go to work for another four or five hours; none of that sounds very exciting," I thought to myself. I then thought of the moment I had a couple minutes earlier when I found a card that reminded me of an inside joke with one of my best friends. I literally, and no not figuratively, laughed out loud in the card section and then picked up the card, bought it, and sent it to my friend. As I stood in the bookstore, I realized that I don't think of the "best things" in the day nearly enough. Usually I am too busy focusing on the everyday mundane things. After my short conversation with that bookstore employee, my afternoon was considerably better as I thought of the small things that were good that day. Now I try to ponder on that question when I think my day is awful, "What is the best thing that has happened to you today?"

Photoshop work on two photos

These are two sports photos of my brother I wanted to enhance.






This is what they look like after I cropped, changed the size, adjusted hue and saturation, and adjusted the coloring.

Writing Effective Resumes

Resumes are an essential component of the job interviewing process. The resume is the interviewing committee's first impression of you as the potential employee, and should reflect your skills and abilities. The major tips given by professionals and websites suggest a couple basic guidelines to ensure resume success.

Keep it on one page
Even if you have extensive experience, employers usually don't want to look at more than one page. A person will spend an average of 15 seconds looking at a resume. Therefore, you want to put as much relevant information on one page as possible.

Maintain a consistent voice
Many times I have read resumes that change voice. They start out in present tense with, "I am writing," and then later down the page change to "I wrote." Keeping the resume in the same tense and voice throughout the resume helps to avoid confusion and allows for easier reading.

Keep it simple
More is not always better in a resume. You want to highlight your achievements, but don't overdo it. The design shouldn't be distracting from the actual content of the resume, and large blocks of text look foreboding the unattractive to the reader.

Photoshop Images