Category Archives: Basic

Point

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Point is an extension for Google Chrome and allows a user to easily share links or segments of website content with other Gmail users without needing to sign into their email account.

Technical communicators would benefit from Point in situations that require collaboration such as team projects at work or in school, as the extension streamlines the content sharing process by eliminating the need to open new tabs.

More information is available on the extension’s website, and once Point has been installed, there is an intuitive how-to process in order to teach new users how to optimize Point.

http://www.getpoint.co

Snagit

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Snagit is a screen capture and screen recording software.

How it is useful to technical communicators:

Snagit allows technical communicators to develop graphic content.  Snagit uses a scope view when taking a screen shot to help ensure the user has the exact image desired.

Users can also edit the image (crop, resize, dpi, etc.) within the application once the image is captured.

Where you can learn more about it: 

Snagit

Other software like it:

Gimp

MS Paint

Paint.net

Snipping Tool

Jing

DITA

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DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture) is an XML markup language created by IBM and used by many technical communication groups.  DITA content is most often created as a task, concept, or reference topic.

How it is useful to technical communicators:

DITA is useful to technical writers and their businesses because it allows for single-sourcing and content reuse.  DITA also allows the writer to focus solely on the content as formatting is determined by the output format.

Where you can learn more about it:

What is DITA and why should you care?

Learn DITA on Your Own

Oasis

DITA Open Tool Kit (for creating DITA outputs)

Other software like it:

Adobe Framemaker

PureText

Link

PureText is a program which removes formatting from webpages and other documents to paste as plain text without going through Notepad.  This program does not install and is easily started from whereever the user has placed the file by double-clicking on the icon.

How it is useful to technical communicators:

Many a times we need to copy content and paste it to our workspace. In order to remove formatting we need to copy and paste it first to a notepad and then to our workspace. PureText saves this time. Instead of copying it on to another editor we can simply use a different key press combination to paste text which is cleared for formatting.

For applications like Microsoft Word an Adobe Framemaker, where formatting takes a little more time, PureText comes handy as it pastes content with the formatting style which exists on the line that it is pasted to.

Where you can learn more about it:

PureText

Other software like it:

Ditto
CopyQ

oTranscribe

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oTranscribe helps users transcribe audio recordings into text by combining an audio player and word processor onto a single webpage.

How it is useful to technical communicators:

Transcribing audio files can be a time-consuming process, but oTranscribe makes it easier by enabling users to listen to audio files and type at the same time. Users no longer have to juggle multiple windows to switch from listening to word processing.

Where you can learn more about it:

oTranscribe website

Other software like it:

Alternatives to oTranscribe involve the simultaneous use of a word processing program like Microsoft Word and an audio player program such as Audacity or iTunes.