You Can Re-use Your Content!

Are you tired of writing the same content, over and over again, simply because you can't locate the right version for your project? Have you suffered the pain of discovering that you've just spent two hours writing a product description that someone else wrote last week? Reuse is the answer.

"Reusing content is efficient for tech writers, the companies they work for, and their users," says Pamela Kostur, a partner at Parallax Communications in Toronto. "When you reuse content instead of rewriting or replicating it, duplications and inconsistencies are eliminated. Content is written once and used wherever it is required."

Kostur points out that while the benefits of content reuse are obvious, implementing it is another story. A recognized content management expert who has presented at several conferences in the U.S., Kostur will describe the benefits of writing for reuse and the process of planning and creating reusable content at the STC Southwestern Ontario Education Evening on December 1 at the University of Waterloo (Room TBD), from 6:30 to 9:00 pm (Doors open at 6:00).

The evening includes a presentation on content reuse in MS Word by Bryan Lynn, a founder of ThirtySix Software in Indianapolis. Lynn will demonstrate SmartDocs, an MS Word add-in that integrates the power of content reuse in the Word environment, and uses Microsoft SharePoint to centralize the storage of reusable content and configure reusable content metadata.

The event concludes with a hands-on Smart Docs training session conducted by Front Runner Training of Toronto, a recognized leader in technical communication training. Front Runner has been a Microsoft and Adobe training provider for over 10 years.

"Members who want to attend in person should register early because I think it will be a sell-out, but we are providing space for all by offering it as a webinar as well," says Fei Min Lorente, President, Southwestern Ontario STC. "This is a very timely topic, and we are fortunate to get experts of this calibre to share their knowledge with us."

Keep an eye on our Events Calendar for more information, or contact Fei Min Lorente.