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Browse: Home / Social Documentation

Social Documentation

The Strategic Technical Communicator: An Open Letter to the CEO

The Strategic Technical Communicator: An Open Letter to the CEO

By Mark Fidelman on November 23, 2010

Dear CEO: I am here to help.  I represent the customer’s best interest when using our products and services.  I am her voice. When the company hired me as a Technical Communicator I was under the impression that my representation of the customer mattered.  That I would be given the authority along with the responsibility […]

Posted in Trends & Concepts | Tagged docs, letter to CEO, Social Documentation, Technical Communication, technical communicator | 1 Response

It’s Not Your Product, Your Documentation Just Sucks

It’s Not Your Product, Your Documentation Just Sucks

By Mark Fidelman on November 17, 2010

Do we really have to wade through your 400 page text-based manual you’ve posted online in order to find out why an error keeps us from using your software?  Worse, when we finally find the answer it’s incomplete.  So what do we do? A Google search and find the answer elsewhere. Really? Aren’t we done […]

Posted in Application Software, Featured Posts | Tagged bailie, Community News, content strategy, documentation, enterprise 2.0, rahel, scott abel, social, Social Documentation, technical communicator, tom johnson, Tristan Bishop | 1 Response

Delivering Happiness Through Social Documentation

Delivering Happiness Through Social Documentation

By Mark Fidelman on September 16, 2010

User Manuals Are Dead So why are they still being produced?  What value are they providing your customers?  User manuals today are the marketing equivalent of mailing out company brochures.  Utterly useless.  Static HTML and PDF based user manuals aren’t much better.  They haven’t evolved or kept pace with even the most rudimentary corporate websites.  […]

Posted in Application Software, Featured Posts | Tagged enterprise 2.0, lithium, mindtouch, Social Documentation, telligent, user guide, user manual | 2 Responses

Why Product Documentation Needs to be More Like a University and Less of a Textbook

Why Product Documentation Needs to be More Like a University and Less of a Textbook

By Mark Fidelman on July 6, 2010

If you want to learn how to program software for the first time would you read an outdated textbook or attend a Computer Science class?  Would you go at it alone or involve your peers?  Would you teach yourself or use an expert guide or teacher?  If like me you answered each question with mostly […]

Posted in Marketing | Tagged Social Documentation

5 Critical Questions to Determine if Your Product Documentation is Strategic

5 Critical Questions to Determine if Your Product Documentation is Strategic

By Mark Fidelman on July 2, 2010

“You’re letting the barbarians control the information about your product.” If you listen to most so called social media guru’s they’ll tell you that resistance is futile. Embrace sites like YouTube, Yahoo Groups, Industry Forums, Product Review sites and other online destinations that are discussing your product or brand without your participation.  But why let […]

Posted in General | Tagged Social Documentation | 1 Response

The Top 10 Best Technical Documentation Sites of 2010

The Top 10 Best Technical Documentation Sites of 2010

By Mark Fidelman on July 1, 2010

We polled over 300 Technical Communicators to determine the best documentation sites on the web.  If you’re looking for the best product or service documentation sites, look no further than the sites below. The winner, Microsoft was chosen by Technical Communicators due it’s great search capabilities, product coverage is excellent and it’s easy to use.  […]

Posted in Marketing | Tagged Social Documentation

6 Ways Smart Technical Communicators Will Become Invaluable

6 Ways Smart Technical Communicators Will Become Invaluable

By Mark Fidelman on June 29, 2010

Would you use Microsoft Word to build your organization’s website? If you don’t use Microsoft Word to build your website then why do you use it to build content for your online product documentation?  According to our survey ,  56% of Technical Communicators use Word.  Why? Because it’s easy to use.  But it’s not an […]

Posted in General | Tagged enterprise 2.0, Social Documentation

Stop Wasting Money on Community Building – 5 Powerful Reasons to Use Social Documentation Instead

Stop Wasting Money on Community Building – 5 Powerful Reasons to Use Social Documentation Instead

By Mark Fidelman on June 1, 2010

Every major brand is struggling to launch a community site around their company’s products. Maybe it’s an indirect community that you hope brings traffic and future sales, or maybe it’s a community about your product that has been designed to increase sales.  But unless you are a very big brand with a passionate following (e.g. […]

Posted in Enterprise | Tagged curate, enterprise 2.0, getsatisfaction, house of social documenation, Social Documentation | 3 Responses

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