Coming Events

by Peter Szabo, Program Manager

If you have any questions about upcoming chapter events, or if you have a suggestion for a meeting topic, feel free to e-mail Peter Szabo (Program Manager).

For details about our chapter's events for the rest of the year, as well as last minute updates or additions to the schedule, be sure to check our local STC chapter calendar.

September 7, 2004
General Meeting: The Terrible Truth About Tutorials

Join Peter Vogel as he reveals the ugly truth about tutorials: you write them as contracts (the user does this, the system does that) but users read them as cookbooks (oh, I can get the system to do something starting with these directions).

In this interactive session, you’ll see:

• how tutorials work,
• what the key features of tutorials are,
• how you can create great tutorials,
• what tutorial formats are available to you, and
• how to pick the right tutorial style for your audience.

Along the way, Peter will also look at work procedures and Standard Operating Procedures.

Oh yeah, and we all get to play with Lego, too!

So don't miss out on the fun and frivolity of our first general chapter meeting of the year.

The Place To Be

This month's meeting is in Room 1304, Davis Centre, University of Waterloo [map].

The doors open for networking at 6:30 p.m.; the meeting begins at 7:00 p.m.

About the Speaker: Peter Vogel

Peter Vogel (MBA, MCSD) is a principal in PH&V Information Services, which specializes in system design and development for systems that use Microsoft systems. Peter has designed, built, and installed intranet and component-based systems for many major corporations across North America.

In addition to being a developer, Peter also writes extensively. His book on object-oriented development, The Visual Basic Object and Component Handbook (Prentice Hall), is one of the best selling books on object development in Visual Basic 6. Peter's articles have appeared in every major magazine devoted to Visual Basic-based development and can be found in the Microsoft Developer Network libraries. He has also done extensive technical writing for Microsoft, including much of the documentation around XML in Office 2003, and has acted as editor for several technical books.

Peter teaches extensively throughout the world, primarily for Learning Tree International. Peter has written several courses for Learning Tree International, including their technical writing, Web application development, and ASP.NET courses. Peter also presents at conferences around the world where he is frequently rated the best speaker at the conference.

STC Remote Seminars

Your local STC chapter is starting out the year by offering you not one but two STC seminars in September, and they're both FREE to STC members and only $35.00 each for non-members. Attend either one or both, and upgrade your Web page design skills.

Both seminars will take place from 12:30 to 3:00 p.m., at CheckFree i-Solutions, 455 Phillip Street in Waterloo. Check out our STC chapter Web site for more details.

September 15, 2004
Cascading Style Sheets:  Learning the Basics (Part I)

In Part I of this two-part seminar, presenter Char James-Tanny introduces Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), including:

• a review of prevalent myths concerning CSS,
• examples of sites that use CSS to dramatic effect,
• information about how CSS standards were established,
• instructions on how to build a basic CSS file, and
• a discussion on block and inline elements.

September 29, 2004
Cascading Style Sheets:  Creating Layouts Without Tables (Part II)

During Part II, presenter Char James-Tanny builds on information from Part I and shows a sample CSS for a basic page. You'll learn:

• how to customize pages with divs, spans, and classes,
• how structured, semantic, and physical authoring affect your pages, and
• how to position elements on the page.

The seminar will also discuss lists as navigational devices and how you can style the lists for different effects.

September 21, 2004:  Council Meeting

6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Seminar Room at Grand River / Stanley Park Community Library, 175 Indian Road, Kitchener.

All members welcome—help your chapter by becoming a volunteer!

RSVP to Opal Gamble by September 20.

October 5, 2004
General Meeting: Developing a Coaching Style of Management

Are you a manager, or a leader? Or are you a team member who wants to improve your leadership skills? To be truly effective, any decision-maker must not only manage tasks, but also effectively lead and influence people. Coaching skills can take a manager from good to great by enabling him or her to fully engage the mind and heart of each team member in the service of the team’s vision and mission.

In this seminar, we will introduce coaching as a tool that can be used to foster team alignment, engagement, and learning. We will then explore the 3R’s of the coaching leadership style: ability to Relate, to Resolve, and to Respond and develop Response-ability in others. This seminar is appropriate for anyone who wants to understand how to increase the effectiveness of their team or their overall leadership potential.

The Place To Be

This month's meeting is in Room 1304, Davis Centre, University of Waterloo [map].

The doors open for networking at 6:30 p.m.; the meeting begins at 7:00 p.m.  

About the Speakers:  Lois Raats and Debra Bannister

Lois Raats MEd and Debra Bannister MBA PMP are principals at Meta Team Solutions: an end-to-end consulting, coaching and training company whose sole purpose is to help leaders and teams succeed.

Over the last 20 years, in a variety of settings, Lois has helped over 2500 individuals and teams to achieve results by leveraging their strengths and abilities. As an employee assistance counselor and coach, she has been afforded a unique window on the lives of individuals and organizations from all sectors, including insurance, healthcare, banking and financial services, government, manufacturing, transportation, high tech, and retail. Lois combines deep insights with pragmatic tools and techniques to help people move forward in achievable and sustainable ways.

Debra has over 20 years of experience developing, leading and coaching high performance individuals and teams within the Service, Software, Healthcare and Manufacturing sectors to ensure the best talent is optimized and retained, and that the business goals are met. She is also a corporate trainer and part-time lecturer at Wilfrid Laurier University and specializes in Interpersonal Business Communications and Organizational Development.

About Peter Szabo

Peter has been a technical writer in one form or another for ten years. For the past five years, Peter has worked for CheckFree i-Solutions, a software firm in Waterloo, and is currently the Manager of Technical Publications. Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Peter moved to Guelph in 1997, where he currently lives with his wife, Irene, and six-year-old son, Taylor. He is working on his first feature-length screenplay.