April 2005 (Volume 16 Number 7) About the Quill
In This Issue
President's Message: April Showers Bring May Flowers...
In addition to flowers, May also brings the STC's 52 Annual Conference. President Opal Gamble attended last year's
conference and has some words of wisdom about why you should try to attend this
event. 
Upcoming Events
There's a lot happening in April: a general meeting in Guelph, a council meeting, and two Webinars. Get all the details; you don't want to miss out on the chance to learn and network.
Advertising
Whether you have an event to promote or you are promoting your services, you
have the option of advertising in the newsletter. Read this article to find out
how.
The Rockley Group Content Management Workshop Series Is Coming to Toronto
Content Management is a hot topic and learning about it is close at hand.
Find out what The Rockley Group has to offer.
De-mystifying the Peer Review Process: My Experiences as a Peer Reviewer
As technical communicators, we may have informally reviewed each
other's work. Find out about the formal peer review process at the IEEE
PCS.
Tech Writers Defy Winter's Worst at Annual Wine and Cheese Event
Our wine and cheese general meeting is always a great success. This
year was no exception for those braved the weather to take the
opportunity to network with other technical communicators.
Presenting the Heidi Thiessen Memorial Awards
While everyone is a winner for taking part in this competition, there are
only a select few who actually win the awards. Read about the individuals who
were the top three participants.
Taming the Toddlers on Your Team
Most of us have experienced the "joy" of working with someone who
seemed a little "childish". Elaine Garnet, our CIC-SIG Co-ordinator,
got permission from Lois Raats to reprint her article that appeared in The Record.
Council Meeting Recap
Take a quick look at what was discussed and decided at March's council meeting.
Council Nominations in Full Swing for Spring
It's that time of year to celebrate the change in seasons and to think about
the new council year. Learn what opportunities are available to you.
View from the Other Side...the other side of birds, Manchester, and language
Although England is small in size compared to Canada, there is still lots to
learn about this country from one of our former members who is living in
Sheffield.
South of the Border
A Canadian technical writer provides her insight into living in the United
States on topics such as Vermont, knowledge about Canada, and the separation of
church and state.
A Brief Introduction to Technical Communication in Healthcare
There are technical components to everything and healthcare is at the
forefront of technology. One of our members writes about documenting the
technology in this field.
Certification in Editing
If you have ever thought your editing skills are great and you would like to get certified, then this is the article for you.
Membership News
Find out what's old and new in membership news.
Letter from 2005 Nominating Committee Candidate, Lori Klepfer
With the elections close at hand, read one candidate's letter that is
requesting your vote.
The Editor's MessageSpring is in the air, and many of this month's contributors have obviously noticed. The articles contain references to birds, melting snow, greenery, and flowers. Spring helps us to wake up from what feels like a type of winter slumber. It's a time to try and find opportunities to learn so that we can continue to grow in our profession. There are lots of opportunities to learn in the pages of this newsletter. Being a Volunteer Having worked on this newsletter for nearly two years, I can definitely say that I have learned a lot—from the topics covered in the newsletter, to finding resources for topics, to learning the fine art of HTML. The great benefit of our chapter is the great mixture of people who have a range of skills to match. No volunteer is alone, because there is always someone you can contact for assistance. I could never have done this newsletter without my team of experts. Think about volunteering, because the person you help could be you. American vs. BritishThere is so much conflict in the world that it would be hard not to let a little conflict into our newsletter. Every month Nancy Halverson shares stories with us about what life is like for her in England. A little closer to home, Diane Russell shares her stories about life in the United States. Add a question about spelling to this mixture (American, British, or a combination of the two), and you have the ingredients for hours of discussion...especially when you are technical communicators. Since we can't all be together to enter into the spelling debate. Consider answering the poll on the home page of our Web site. In the mean time, remember to read Nancy's and Diane's articles for some background information. Be Careful What You Wish ForAfter a slow start to the number of articles for this month's issue, word of mouth (and my e-mails) identified the need for articles, and my inbox "runneth" over (I don't know the past tense of runneth). You have to love the people in our group; they spring into action with the click of a mouse button. I used all the articles in this issue, so I will be looking for new ideas for the next issue. I don't want to max out the same people, so I would love to hear from you too. Remember, if you have visited a good Web site or read a good book that relates to what we do, then I want to hear from you. If you would like information about something that you haven't seen in the newsletter, I am always open to new ideas.
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Creating and supporting a forum for communities of practice in the profession of technical communication