Printed in the November/December 1998 issue of the IEEE Professional Communication Society Newsletter. By Elizabeth Weise Moeller

As we've all seen, the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) can be a blessing or a curse-depending on how you choose to use it. Over the next few issues, I'll discuss ways to use the Internet and WWW to your benefit and ways to design web sites that others can use beneficially. To begin, there are some wonderful mailing lists and WWW sites useful to technical communicators.

Mailing lists are essentially a giant distribution list. A person sends an electronic message to "the list" and it is distributed to all who subscribe. Very often, to prevent unwanted messages (i.e. make money fast, etc.), only those who subscribe to the list are permitted to send messages. Lists are regulated by topics and often have a moderator. In some cases, all messages are automatically sent to the list and in others, the moderator approves each message before it is forwarded to the list. In both cases, it is the moderator's job to monitor the list and make sure people remain "on topic."

The largest mailing list is techwr-l (members are affectionately referred to as "techwhirlers"). Over 3,500 technical communicators discuss a range of issues such as software problems, organizational structure, workplace issues, vendors and much more. Not to worry, the list only generates between 75 and 100 messages per day. There is also a digest version available, which sends one large message containing the day's mail. To subscribe send an email message to listserv@listserv.okstate.edu with the following:

subscribe techwr-l [your name]

You will then receive a message asking you to confirm your subscription. Once confirmed you will be sent listserv information (how to post, how to unsubscribe, how to receive the digest, etc) and the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for the group.

For a list of other technical writing mailing lists, visit http://pip.dknet.dk/~pip323/ufm/maillist.htm, where Peter Ring has compiled information on lists from everything about technical writing, usability testing, and electronic media to specific product information (i.e. Adobe Photoshop or Corel Ventura).

 

World Wide Web Sites

Often described as an online brochure, a web site provides a clean way to view information on a number of different topics. Web sites are also flexible enough to provide more information than a simple brochure. Many companies provide detailed technical support, feedback mechanisms, and fun and games to attract visitors and to keep them coming back. The "toys" (i.e. movies, animation, sounds) are not important. What is important is a clean, easily navigated design and good content.

Good places to start are society web sites. PCS has its own web site (http://www.ieee.org/pcs), providing contact information for AdCom members, information about chapters, membership, upcoming events, and previews for IPCC. The Society for Technical Communication's (STC) web site provides similar information about STC. You can find it at http://www.stc-va.org. In addition, http://www.stc.org provides regional and chapter information for the STC.

Next come the compilation web sites-web sites that provide links to other sites as well as information for technical communicators. The people who bring you the techwr-l list also maintain a web site to support the list and its members. Techwr-l (http://www.raycomm.com/techwhril) provides summaries of discussions on techwr-l, a contractor database, and other Internet resources specifically geared toward technical communicators.

The Mining Company (http://www.miningco.com) "mines the net" and provides guides in over 500 different interest areas. Their technical writing interest guide (http://techwriting.miningco.com) provides basic "what is a technical writer" information as well as job listings, the latest in online publication styles, a chat area, and electronic newsletter, among many other things.

The Internet Resources for Technical Communicators site (http://www.interlog.com/~ksoltys/techcomm.html), maintained by Keith Soltys, provides links to a number of different sites, including, book and reference sources, copyright and intellectual property information, desktop publishing, language use, WWW publishing, and markup languages.

There are literally hundreds of web sites devoted to specific issues and items important to technical communicators. Here's just a quick sampling:

• One of the best usability web sites is Jakob Nielson's web site (http://www.useit.com). He provides a bi-weekly column on web usability issues, recommended books, and recommended links. His bi-weekly column touches on issues such as web style sheets, the top ten mistakes, why frames re bad, and web management.

• For those looking for clip art or graphics, visit Barry's Clip Art Server (http://www.barrysclipart.com), which provides hundreds of free-use clip art images and a number of links to other clip art servers.

• Web designers should like Web Pages that Suck (http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com). This site takes a serious look at problems with today's web sites. Very often, these problems are generated by those trying to create the "coolest" site on the web.

  
  
• Contractors have their own place on the web. The Contractor's Site (http://www.tdandw.com/index.html) addresses issues that technical communications contractors face on a daily basis-everything from working with agencies to non-compete agreements to IRS regulations.

Finally, search engines and internet directories can help you find more information. An upcoming column will discuss these in more detail. However, for an immediate look at how they work, visit Search Engine Watch (http://www.searchenginewatch.com). This site is designed for people who design web sites AND people who use search engines. It is a good resource for those who want a better understanding of the whole search engine process.

The Internet and the World Wide Web provide numerous opportunities for technical communicators to research ideas, pose questions, or just take it all in. Used wisely, it can be your greatest resource.

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