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The Australian Society for Technical Communication (Victoria) is a non-profit organisation for professionals involved in the communication of technical information.
The organisation was formed to provide members with professional development opportunities, and to increase public awareness of the profession.
ASTC News
Welcome to 2012!
This year is shaping up to be another busy one, whether you're on full-time staff or a contractor, there's lots to do! But more of that soon - keep an eye out.
New! Next Bi-monthly Presentation, Thursday 1 March 2012, Swinburne University, Hawthorn - Any colour... so long as it is black
Our guest speaker will be Tony Self and his topic is Any colour... so long as it is black
Abstract: Henry Ford revolutionised car manufacture when his production line replaced the method where cars were hand-made by artisans. Famously, Henry Ford offered the Model T in “any colour... so long as it is black”. There are parallels in technical communication. Many technical communicators are still clinging to hand-crafted documentation, creating custom layouts and “tweaking” formatting, when new modular methods are vastly more efficient. The age of offering documents in any “colour” the customer wants is over. And just as car manufacture has long since moved to automation, technical communication too must embrace automation, with XML providing the technology platform to make this possible.
Bio: Tony Self has worked as a technical communicator for almost 30 years, with the last 20 of those years specifically in the areas of online help systems, computer-based training, and electronic documents. In 1993, Tony founded HyperWrite, a hypertext and technical documentation company based in Melbourne, Australia. The majority of his work involves providing online and Internet strategy advice, innovative solutions and specialised training for customers in Australia and other parts of the world. Tony also lectures in the Technical Communication program at Swinburne University in Melbourne, and holds a Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning and a Graduate Diploma in Technical Communication. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators (UK), a member of the OASIS DITA Technical Committee.
Meeting Location: We are now meeting at Swinburne University in Hawthorn, room AS 324. You can find the location in your Melways on map 45 F9 (enlargement on Map 581)
Please note: The doors open at 6:20pm and the talk starts promptly at 6:40pm.
Cost: ASTC (Vic) members free, Others $5
Swinburne University discontinues Technical Communications course
Swinburne University has announced that the Graduate Diploma of Social Science and the Graduate Certificate of Social Science (Technical Communications) is to be discontinued from the end 2011. Swinburne University staff have not made any statements of their reasons for the discontinuation.
If you're a current student, please contact the faculty/course administration to get the latest details.
It is disappointing for all the technical authors out there to see this situation arise. It is hoped that the course shall be offered in another form, possibly by another institution.