When I sit down to pay bills tonight I will be renewing my membership to the Society for Technical Communication (STC). There were major changes in the dues structure this year, including a change to a la carte benefits that resulted in a rather hefty price increase. It’s been a couple of years since I worked for an employer that picked up my STC dues, but even though I’m currently underemployed, I’m still renewing my membership. Here are my reasons why.

Job Bank
When you’re looking for work you need to remember that the candidate screening process is a two-way street. Companies are weeding out candidates that are a poor fit for the job, and likewise, you should be weeding out companies that are a poor fit for you.

If a company lists an opening on the STC job board, I can be pretty sure that they already know that a TW is not an administrative assistant. I won’t have to spend my interview explaining what a technical writer can do for them. Instead I can focus on what *I* can do for their company. I’ve had bad jobs and bad bosses before, and have reached the point in my life where no amount of money makes up for a job that I can’t stand or is so stressful that it affects my health. I’m looking for work that I will enjoy and where I can make a contribution. As Whitney Postus recently posted, “Life is too d*mn short to spend it on things that don’t twirl your beanie.”

Job Definition
The STC has been working with the BLS since 2007 to update its definition of the technical communications profession. “Having the US Bureau of Labor Statistics recognize technical writers as a profession distinct from all other writing professions independently confirms STC’s claim that not all writers can do technical writing,”

This is a huge win for the STC. Previously the US Department of Labor put all writers in the same category. Technical writers were lumped in with playwrights, novelists, journalists, and poets. Yes, some writing skills are universal, but novelists don’t need to know CSS. And Playwrights don’t tend to use writing tools like AuthorIT, Flare, FrameMaker, or RoboHelp. And poets definitely don’t need to know DITA or XML. The list of additional skills that may be required by technical writing is long, and probably fodder for another post.

Salary Survey
When I first made the career change to technical writing, the STC Salary Survey was invaluable. Having salary data broken down by zip code was very helpful, since I live in MA, where the cost of living is higher than in other parts of the country. However the STC has changed how they collect salary data, and the jury is still out on whether or not the new survey is as useful as the old one. If I decide that it isn’t, I may have to resort to using salary.com or glassdoor.com when researching salary data.

Local Chapters / Networking / Workshops
I happen to live in an area that gives me access to two different STC chapters. I am within a half hour of both the Boston Chapter and the New England chapter (which tends to meet in NH), which gives me double the networking and educational opportunities. The local chapters put together workshops that often end up being very timely and helpful. I picked up tips at one workshop that made me look like a hero back at the office the very next week.

Intercom
I really enjoy having articles about technical writing delivered to my door, wrapped up in a shiny pretty package. I like to leave them lying around on my desk at the office, to read on those days when I’ve got writer’s block, but need to do something productive. Yes, I could read it on the Web, but I’m more likely to read it as hardcopy. And it’s hard to leave browser bookmarks lying around so that your coworkers see that you belong to a professional organization.

Special Interest Groups
I’ve been a member of the STC since 2001, and in that time I’ve been a member of a variety of different SIGs: Indexing, Instructional Design, Single Sourcing, Lone Writers. I joined the Lone Writer’s list when I was still a member of a doc group, and they are one of my more educational and entertaining mailing lists. Definitely worth the pittance that is charged for SIG membership. This year I plan to sign up for the following SIGs:
• Consulting and Independent Contracting
• Emerging Technologies
• Lone Writers

The STC Needs Support in Times of Crisis
I’ve seen moments of crisis like this in my hobby organizations, where members want to flee what they see as a sinking ship. But leaving is not the way to change an organization. Unless the change you want to see is that the organization withers and dies. There are many talented people out there agitating for change in the STC. I want to give them time to make their changes so that the organization can continue to attract newer, younger members.

And I need to recognize that I get out of the STC what I put into it. I tend to lurk my SIG mailing lists. I need to start posting more frequently, to give back to the SIG communities. I’ve also started attending my local chapter meetings again. I’d love to participate in the competitions, but unfortunately they happen in the fall, when my weekends are completely booked with other activities. But since I cannot participate as a judge, I will start working again towards the goal of entering my work as a participant. Years ago I submitted one of my first projects and received some very useful feedback.

Professional Organization
And I have my own personal reason for continuing my association with the STC. Before I was a technical writer I was a secondary school English teacher. When I started my second year of teaching I was strongly “encouraged” to join the teachers’ union. Joining was technically voluntary, but in reality, it was socially unacceptable to be a non-union member in our district. The only reason I’d avoided the peer pressure during my first year was because everyone knew I was planning a wedding, and union membership dues were expensive.

The word “union” means blue-collar workers to me: seamstresses, hotel chambermaids, electricians, plumbers, etc. When I worked briefly for UPS in college, I was a member of the Teamsters union. While there are white-collar professions, like airline pilots, that have unions, most of the professions that require a college education are represented by a professional organization, not a union. I know it is mostly semantics, but it always irked me that teaching, a career that requires a minimum of a Bachelor’s and usually a Master’s degree, is represented by a labor union and not a professional organization.

So I’m thrilled to finally be working in a career that has a professional organization. And even with the increase, my STC dues are cheaper than the initiation fee that I paid to join either the teachers union or the Teamsters. While I know this may not be an argument that sways anyone else, it has some very powerful symbolism for me and the way I think about my chosen career.

*****

Other folks who have blogged their thoughts on STC membership

Paul Pehrson – The STC Crisis: the Take of a “Young” Writer

David Farbey – Does the STC Deserve to Survive?

Reprint of Monique Semp’s letter on the Lone Writer’s SIG

“Last STC buses tomorrow” – Straits Times head line 4th December 1971.
38 years ago on this day 5th December is the last day of operation of once the biggest and oldest bus company in Singapore. At midnight 5th December 1971, the last bus of Singapore Traction Company (STC) service 143 rolled back into the depot at 1205am.
It was announced earlier that the company will cease operation due to mounting financial losses. The entire fleet of 407 buses and its routes will be distributed to the other three bus companies : Associated Bus Service, Amalgamated Bus Company and United Bus Company.
At 6am next morning, the entire fleet of buses left the depots at MacKenzie Road and Upper Aljunied Road for the last time and assembled at the carparks at National Stadium where the buses will be transferred to the three companies. The carparks were to be used as the temporary depot until the three bus companies can find more depot parking places for their expanded fleet. This was the scene at the National Stadium:

On the night of 5th December, a large number of STC bus crews did not even to bother to report for work. The STC services were in total chaos, half the number of trips were cancelled.
There were no STC bus services on Sunday 6th December. Commuters will have to make do with the bus services operated by ABS, ABC and UBC.

This is just a short post. I had the opportunity to give a presentation to the Montreal chapter of the Society for Technical Communication on all that I have learned over the past few years regarding getting feedback in the world of documentation.

I am always impressed with just how much technical communicators know and understand about what it is they do and how really to communicate in so many different media. And I was happy to see how feedback was something that interested them. I can only hope I did a decent job of portraying my experiences and knowledge in the company I work for. And I hope it wa useful and relevant to them.

I am always keen to get feedback on my feedback knowledge and hope to learn even more as I go on with this topic.

Hay una linea muy estrecha entre el dolor y el placer, y en las relaciones amorosas, mucha gente cree que una relación sin dolor no vale la pena. Para algunos el dolor implica evolución, pero como saber donde empieza el dolor evolutivo y el dolor dañino? Si seguimos caminando por esta línea seremos masoquistas? y como saber cuando en una relación ya es suficiente?. – Carrie-

Nunca he conocido un hombre que sea malo en la cama, y le vaya bien en la vida.-Samantha-

Las relaciones consisten en una comunicación madura y sincera.-Miranda-

El unico lugar donde se puede controlar un hombre es en la cama, si les diéramos mamadas continuamente, dominaríamos el mundo.-Samantha-

No hay mucho de donde elegir, de solo agitar un bolso Fendi, te caen arriba 5 idiotas.-Samantha-

Acaso las relaciones son solo una gran partida de ajedrez, estrategias, ataques,contraataques, todo para desequilibrar a tu rival hasta que consigas la victoria.Existen las relaciones sinceras ? O se tiene que jugar para que una relación funcione?- Carrie-

Los locos y los feos  son los mas buenos en la cama.-Samantha-

El amor verdadero es aquel que manifestamos cada día, y en cada lugar, no se trata de conocer el mundo o a cuanta persona se te ponga enfrente, se trata de descubrir alguien que  aunque no lo entendamos, de una vez tengamos química.-Carrie-

A veces malinterpretamos el significado del amor, cuantas parejas se casan jurandose un amor eterno y son las primeras que se dejan, tienes que poder ver a la persona que estara contigo en cualquier momento no en una oportunidad. No tienes que buscar nada, solo llegará.-Miranda-

Callie Cline has been workin hard this past month , shes putting out some fun and fabulous pieces, not to mention her wonderful Winter Magic Sim! Its like a fairy tale if you have not been over I suggest you go! Its filled with awesome finds, decorations everything you can think of to make your Christmas special.

Shes created some fun leggings to Cal Gals, what ! *gasps* you’re not a Cal Gal ogez …. we need to fix that NOW from her profile “my group is “caL gaL” join the greatest group of “gaLs” in SL… we have the best time and spread the ♡ ⓛⓞⓥⓔ ♡… (search, groups, caL gaL)”. Seriously I have been a Cal gal soon after joining SL , and you never know when that chat box will open and party will break out ! JOIN !

OK lets see the leggings , 1st my fav pair hands down …

caLLie cLine knit leggings – mustard stripe ( This flavor are a free gift with purchase of a phat pack). There are 2 packs one lights and one darks , there is a pink pair also a free gift with purchase)

caLLie cLine knit leggings – mustard stripe
Nicci Chau’s olive tinsel tanktop
AOHARU_WALK_MoutonBoots
“NINIKO”BIG SHIRTS

FS Skin – Kimberly Tan (Abyss)
(Dahlinks) Silent Night Evening Start Belly Chain – Diamond
exile Voodoo champagne
=HooT= Starry Eyes (BrightBlue-M)
caLLie cLine knit leggings beige

caLLie cLine knit leggings beige
Kyoot – Holiday Wynter Scarf
*Fishy Strawberry* Oversized Cardigan Brown
!STC Suede Boot Coffee

caLLie cLine – knit leggings in plum

magi take cardigan [ purple ] 
caLLie cLine – knit leggings in plum
VANS  [ TNY ]

Rebel Hope Frilly Socks

Poses : Diesel Works new SHAKE

Last Wednesday’s STC meeting got me thinking about my writing style again.  While I’m always writing, it’s not a linear progression from spec to outline to topics to completed project. 

Until I started working in an Agile environment, my progress on a project went something like this:

1. Read the design specifications and functional specifications.  Try to get an idea of what features were being built.  If I was very lucky, the specs would include a use case, describing what the customer wanted the software to do.
2. Count up the number of new applications, tabs, subtabs, actions, dialog boxes, buttons, etc.  This is usually the point when I could start estimating doc effort, as each feature and/or task will usually result in at least one new topic, with a small fudge factor added to cover additional concept or reference topics that might be required.
3. Generate an outline based off the projected UI features.  Each tab or subtab generally gets a concept topic.  Each action, button, or dialog box usually gets at least one task topic, and sometimes two (as in “creating a widget” and “deleting a widget”).  Estimate the number of concept tasks for toolbars, types of widgets, possible widget statuses, commands, etc.
4. Start writing procedures.  Open this, select that, enter something, click save.  If I’ve got a well written spec I can often start on a draft before the software is even coded.  Sometimes you can write a complete draft of procedure before the software is even stable.  But it’s more likely that I’ll end up writing a partial procedure with the first several steps of a draft procedure then write myself a note that “Click X and what happens next? Software crashes as of Build# on Date ##/##/##.” 
5. Next I generally add reference material.  Depending on the software, it might be documenting toolbar buttons, icons, commands, possible statuses, etc.
6. The last thing that I usually write are the concept topics: overviews of new features, descriptions of new tabs, subtabs, screens, best practices.  It usually takes a while to really “grok” the software and how customers will use it.

When we first made the switch to Agile in January 2009, my manager wanted to manage me like the rest of the development team.  The developers had user stories, I had documentation stories.   The developers generated a list of tasks and then estimated story points for their stories.  I generated a list of tasks and topics and attempted to estimate my doc stories.  The developers kept a burn down chart, and I did the same. 

The only problem was, writing documentation is not like writing code and I don’t have a linear writing process.  I don’t tend to start on a topic, write it, and move on to the next topic.  I tend to work on multiple topics at once, writing as much as I can on one topic before moving on to the next.  Sometimes I’ll have an insight in the car during my commute and will need to capture that before I forget it.  I keep notebooks in my car and in my purse so I can scribble notes to myself. 

My manager expected me to work like a developer.  To pick one task and work on it until it was completed.  But I couldn’t write the doc until there was completed code.  And the first four sprints we didn’t have completed code until the last day or two of the sprint.  So if I can’t write until the last couple of days of the sprint, what am I supposed to do for the first three weeks?  (I spent my time closing doc bugs, many of which had been open since before I was hired.)

I wonder how I’m supposed to adjust my writing process to fit into Agile. I’m a multitasker.  I usually work with multiple files open at once.  My brain tends to makes connections between what I’m doing and something that I will be doing in the future, or something that I wrote in the past.  I’m a list maker.  I’m frequently opening up files and making notes of questions, resources, further research to follow up on later.  Part of this is by necessity.  Writers almost never have the luxury of only working on one project at a time.  Especially lone writers.  Right now I’m writing an Installation Guide, working on fixing doc bugs for the next patch release, writing and estimating doc stories for the past several sprints of development.  And my work is dependent on having functional code.  If I try to work through a procedure and the feature isn’t complete yet, I’ll put the procedure aside and work on something else. 

At Wednesday’s STC meeting the two writers said that they document one sprint behind their Agile development teams.  Both of the writers have been doing Agile for three years.  Before we both got laid off, my manager and I had agreed that this was the approach we were going to try.  Now that I’m only working two days a week, I don’t really have a choice but to write the doc after the developers have finished a sprint.

And yet, at the Nashua Scrum Club meeting on Thursday, someone said that if you’re doing testing or writing documentation a sprint behind development that “You’re not doing Agile.”

So, am I doing Agile documentation?  This is a question that I have yet to answer.

Last Wednesday night I attended the monthly Boston STC meeting.  The topic was “Documentation in an Agile Environment.”  The discussion panel consisted of two writers, a doc manager, and a QA tester.  At the beginning of the evening the moderator polled the audience and the vast majority of the audience was not working in an Agile environment. From the questions they were asking, it seemed that many of them were completely new to the concept of Agile programming.

During the question and answer period at the end, one of the older members of the audience asked a question about writing process.  She said, “It seems like you start with the outline.  When do you have time to do the brainstorming?”  That struck me as an odd question.  The way she asked seemed to imply that an outline was NOT where you start.  I got the feeling that she thought the proper process for writing was to brainstorm, then write an outline, then start writing.  It made me think a lot about my own writing process and how it might be vastly different from writers of a previous generation.

I learned the craft of writing at the University of New Hampshire. My four years at Phillips Exeter Academy had given me a solid foundation as a writer, but it was at UNH where I developed an appreciation for the mechanics of writing.  And that was probably due to the influence of Donald Murray on the UNH English department.

My freshman composition class used his Write to Learn as our writing text.  And it was through this book that I was introduced to the idea of the writer’s toolbox.  A writer can have many different tools, some that they use all the time, and some that they may only pull out for particular projects.  There is no One Right Way To Write.  And that’s an important thing to remember.

One of the panelists answered her by saying that when you’re doing Agile writing, you work during the sprint to document the feature, then during the next sprint you work on the next feature. “You write it.  It’s done.  You don’t come back to it.”  Which got me to wondering, when do you have time to write conceptual information?  Almost everywhere I’ve worked, the procedures (“how to”) are adequately documented, but what is lacking is information about “why” you use the feature and the “when” or best practice information.  I’ve spent most of my writing career trying to fill these holes.  And it takes time to be able to determine what needs to be written in the overviews and develop enough customer and product knowledge to be able to write examples and best practices.

Donald Murray also wrote the Craft of Revision which also holds a spot on my bookshelf.  While I don’t write nearly the number of revisions that Murray did (he was almost a compulsive rewriter) I do often return to things that I’ve written, give them a re-read and revise my work.  I don’t often do full fledged revisions, but there are often small improvements that can be made. Especially when there is content that was written under deadline pressure where I didn’t understand a feature well enough to write a solid overview.  Or when I have learned something new about how customers are using our product and can add real-world examples. 

I don’t think I’ll be able to write something and then never come back to it.  Luckily there will be sprints when the developers are working on architecture stories or something else that happens behind the scenes and doesn’t need user documentation, and I’ll be able to go back and tweak my documentation.

One of the things I’ve been struggling with is how my writing style fits into an Agile development process.  I’ll be writing more about that in upcoming posts.

*****

Post Script

In writing this post I learned that Donald Murray had died in 2006.  While I was never his student, I learned a great deal from his books, and read his column in the Boston Globe for many years.  It is because of Donald Murray that I think of writing as a craft, and myself as a craftsman.  I also discovered this wonderful appreciation of Donald Murray.

               “All the participants who have nominated themselves for this training should be attending core java classes for 3 weeks at kautilya ,SLC East wing, STC.” My heart skipped a beat as I read this mailer … the sheer joy of going to STC and that too to SLC made me jump in delight. Yes STC is very very special to me , very close to my heart…Why ?? keep reading …..

                I was happy that I was going to STC and SLC again, more so because I was going to East wing. It was in SLC east wing  that I was trained as an ELTP.I made it a point that I would be visiting LAB2 , the place where I did  my training 4 years back. To my surprise Kautilya turned out to be SLC lab 2 the very place where I took training as ELTP ….suddenly I started remembering ELTP 387 ……

               Days of ELTP 387  …Entry Level Training Program @Satyam Learning centre are the few magical words….few great moments that always ripple my tank of memories. 3 months of solid learning …… 3 months of un corrupted fun…….. 3 months which made enjoy and experience few tender joys of life……. 3 months which wove a magical web of friendship around me ……3 months that transformed me and made me a better human being.

               Yeah ….I love those days ….some of the best days of life ……Days that filled us with enthusiasm …. Sonu “Reeju” Nigam Archana “Chitra” Mukundan…  …a cool headed Batch Rep alias Sujay ……and the person we used to tease our batch rep with  Sri Harshini..aag tanman me lage “Tanmay” ….. Mohan “Boxer” Babu …..Lost in Thought “Sai….” ….Ritesh “Suttu” Sinha …. Poooooooooooooooonam…. Crackthick ….Karthik ….. Alpha “Beta” Sahoo and her twin in shararat Priya Ram Khade….. Namma good Adarsh …..Laya “Chechi” …… “Praying” Jesheela ali…. Sambit “Tie” Patnaik…… Network Rep alias “Bhanu Yeleswarapu”  Poetess Srujana….. “Photographer …..anchor…. dancer”  ….yeah he is Shyam Sundar…..cool Guy from Banaras  “KD”……nahin Shamaaaji aapco kaise bhooolenge ..Our own dear Chandu daaa Chandra Mohan Sharma from Bengal…Techies Subhashis and Suri..A very Active “Ranjini” …..calm and  cool “Leela, Anusha and Neelima”…Our jovial Praveen and Lover Boy Yadhu……

               Last Thursday ….the first day when I had to sit in that lab and attend java classes …. I was feeling nostalgic …. I was missing my mates ….. my ELTP 387 batch and the Irony I was asked to sit on the same system which I used some 4 years back…. Things have changed …the building looks … but the systems are very same ones …. At least I feel so…but there is no life …I presume there are no ELTP batches these days hence these rooms must have been empty for long time. The Radhakrishsnan hall where the other ELTP batch of 120 used to take training is locked now. The big Satyam Logo that used to gree us everyday at the entrance of East wing has been removed.  ..remember the corridor/balcony… where we used to have coffee early in the morning during our morning shift days…. I went there ……but again there is no coffee machine there now… All we have is the old water dispenser. I spent some amount of time in the corridor remembering our good old days………and then returned dutifully back to my Java class.

               Is 4 years too much of life or too little of it????…..I really do not know ……. Probably …I have seen too little of life to take a stand on this. But when I look back at events that took place 4 years back in my life ……….all I have is water in my eyes..  they call them “tears of Joy in English ” and “Aanadabashpaalu”  in my mother tongue.

Miss you mates …. Hope you are all doing well and getting on with your lives .You guys are gr8 keep rocking ….

Your ever talkative and ever sleepy

Subbu.

I have not been able to manage all my lives within the 24 hours period that we are offered each day *smiles*. Had this meeting abroad (Budapest is such a lovely romantic city, I truly recommend it if you’re looking for a travel destination) and then upon my arrival my son was ill with the flu. It turned out that both him and me had to stay home until mid of next week.

With the upcoming moving to another house that was supposed to be a good thing, considering all pros and cons, right ? Well, not really, LOL. I always get very tired after those meetings, since it implies really looong hard working days, and coming back to balnk nights with my kid coughing all the time simply torned me apart. On top of that, I had to take care to a bunch of things related to the move and there… I’m sure that by now you’re able to imagine the whole movie, lol.

With not much time in-world, I still was able to take some minutes and had a quick shopping spree on Friday. Have I told you about Scribble ? One of the bestest sims in-world, a unique design offering visitors an atmosphere that I didn’t find elsewhere. I keep discovering different amazing details each time I set my feet there… and I couldn’t wait to dress up in one of their most recent creations.

Hope you like it as much as I do:

Fashion details:
Skin: Curio,:GP: Petal FREX [Light] April-Redbud 1
Hair: [ Love Soul ] Hair+Cap*003
Outfit: Scribble~Scribble~ Lodge Sweater / Skirt
Stockings: a piece of candy – lally light grape
Boots: !STC Suede Boot Coffee
Shot @ Spear Island

Ah! Brrrrr it’s darn cold outside!

Sneaking up on it

I think I was destined to become an Agile technical writer.  In the summer of 2008 I was working for a small software company that produced two different products.  After finishing up a stretch of concentrating on the documentation for product A, I checked in with the product B developers in New Zealand.  I discovered that they’d decided to adopt Agile development without telling me. 

I responded the way I always do when faced with a new idea.  I did some research.

I started out by checked the Techwr-l archives for threads that mentioned Agile.  I’ve been a member of Techwr-l since 2005, and since I use G-mail to manage my list subscriptions, it was fairly easy to find the few discussions of Agile from the past couple of years.  Unfortunately, what little I found didn’t sound too encouraging from a tech writer’s point of view.

I also looked through my collection of back issues of the Intercom, the journal of the Society for Technical Communications.  I found two articles about Agile documentation:

• Adapting to SCRUM: Challenges and Strategies (July/August 2007)
• Extreme Documentation (February 2003)

Wikipedia and Google turned up plenty of articles, and also led me to the Agile Manifesto and Scott Ambler’s Web Site.   I had to do quite a bit of reading before I finally realized that when Agile proponents were writing things like “Documentation should be just barely good enough.” and “The benefit of having documentation must be greater than the cost of creating and maintaining it.” They were talking about project documentation (design documents, functional specs, etc), not product documentation like User Guides and Help. And with the exception of the STC articles, none of the resources I was reading were talking about what a technical writer would produce, or how they fit into Agile (other than being part of the Scrum team).

I had just started reading Agile Software Development with Scrum when a friend forwarded a job opening to me.  The job description sounded like a very good fit with my skills and interests.  The company was looking for someone with experience working in an Agile software development environment.

By this point I’d learned enough about Agile to know that the way we were implementing it at my company (developers in two different cities, the tech writer and project manager on a completely different continent) was not going to be conducive to my success as an Agile Technical Writer.   And I was intrigued by Agile. I now knew enough to be able to “talk the talk” during my interviews.  During my interview I quizzed the VP of Engineering.  They were still using the Waterfall Model, but were planning to switch to Agile development at the beginning of 2009.  

I liked the idea of getting in at the beginning and being able to shape the way the technical writer fit into the Agile team.   They made me an offer, I accepted, and I started work there in October 2008.

Fast forward to May 2009 and the end of Sprint 4.  The last day of the sprint our company had a layoff, and I was one of the casualties.  Six weeks later they called me back to work part time (two days a week).  So while I’m still working in an Agile environment, I’m no longer embedded with the team working to document the current sprint.  Hopefully that will change as the economy starts to recover.

I visited a jobsite a couple weeks ago. The project had some noise problems. The bedroom on the second floor was noisy. Turns out, the kitchen on the third floor was right over it and the kitchen in the unit behind the bedroom was directly behind the headboard of the owners bed. The poor occupant was listening to footsteps every night and cupboard doors closing all day.

There is a process in noise control that is as important as selecting the right products. That process involves evaluation of expectations, design to the expectations; installation to design and testing for compliance. Any step missed can create a significant problem in the end. In this case, finished units had a ceiling and a wall removed to solve the problem. Costing $25,000 to the developer. The error was made when the project started and would have been an issue no matter who moved into the building.

KEENE believes in following the process to assure quality and we strive to present to architects the proper products and to establish a base point of where the materials will function to match performance with expectations. Better matching and a good system helps as much as any material selection.

(source : Le 18 novembre 2009 : (Unità Naziunale, www.unita-naziunale.org – Corse – Répression – Lutte de Masse)

Le 19 et le 20 novembre 2009 au Tribunal d’Instance de Marseille, les 4 marins STC du PASCAL PAOLI seront jugés. Ils encourent des peines de prison ferme ainsi que la perte de leur emploi et de leurs droits civiques. L’enjeu de ce procès dépasse bien entendu la répression qui touche nos militants ; il concerne d’une part le droit à l’expression et à l’action syndicale et d’autre part la place des Organisations syndicales au sein d’une société dite « démocratique ». Depuis plusieurs semaines, le cercle des solidarités s’est élargi et compte aujourd’hui en plus de l’ensemble des organisations syndicales bon nombre de responsables et de partis politiques français : NPA, Europe Écologie, entre autres.Conscient de l’importance de ce procès, le STC avec ses partenaires de la société civile, des politiques et les syndicats, appellent à renforcer la mobilisation et à manifester la solidarité avec les 4 marins concernés comme suit :

Le 19 novembre appel à un débrayage d’au moins 15 minutes dans tous les secteurs d’activité avec regroupement devant chaque établissement à partir de 8h30 à l’ouverture du procès.

 

Le 20 novembre à partir de 17h00 nous appelons l’ensemble de la population à se rassembler devant les palais de justice de BASTIA et AJACCIO et marquer ainsi leur solidarité.

 

Durant les deux jours du procès, un rassemblement se tiendra devant les grilles du tribunal de Marseille, 6, place Montyon (6°), métro : Estrangin-Préfecture.

La mobilisation doit être à la hauteur de l’attaque portée par le gouvernement français qui tente systématiquement de criminaliser les actions syndicales et entend ainsi faire plier et faire taire les travailleurs en lutte.

 

Miranda: So why do I even care what Steve thinks?
Carrie: Because you’ve been through a lot with him. Some people just get under your skin and stay there.

- S&TC6

Time flies! We were wearing hot shortie and tanks, now we have to wear sweaters, jeans and boots to keep ourselves warm. Every season has its own style and gives people different feelings. Now winter is on. I find myself feeling good and I am so calm. Why is that? I have no idea. Maybe I am used to the cold wind. I have to say I am afraid of hot weather, so you know I sweat a lot in summer times. Now it’s winter, how can we live without winter clothes?

I am so glad to find out that caLLie cLine was offering winter set! It is so sexy. Let’s check out!

We all know there is the 50L event every week. I am so happy that caLLie have this for just 50L, because we all know how sophisticated her creations are and how expensive they could be. Thank you for the nice offering, caLLie! I also get the Maitreya subscribe gift-SoHo BOOTS! Do you know how much it is? Maitreya always offters high class clothes, shoes, hairs and every aspect of women’s fashion. Thank you too, onyx!

Clothes: caLLie cLine - 50L friday winter class outfit

Hair: lamb - 50L friday Say Twix/Highlighty

Skin: Tuli – Bella fair group exclusive

Boots: Maitreya – SoHo boots Patent Mix Black (group gift)

This three cute dresses are what I found when I was wondering around Elate store. They are FREE! So run to the store ASAP!

Dresses: Elate – Claire (Freebie)

Flats: 50 flats - Flower w/o leaves

This is free from Elate lucky chair. I have to say I was so lucky. When I just looked around at Elate, the lucky chair changed its letter to ”S”. That’s why I was so lucky. I even don’t have to wait! lol Thank you, Kellie!

Dress: Elate – Eve(Blush) – lucky chair prize

Heels: Sweeter Than Candy - Dolly Hearts Violet 

x.o.x.o♥Dolly Sasha

Check out this Article on BUILDERnews.com

Click below…

Sounds of Silence

(source : Corse Matin 31/10/09)

Ce samedi, un millier de personnes a défilé dans le calme à Bastia pour dire “non à la répression anti-syndicaliste” et pour soutenir quatre marins STC (syndicats des travailleurs corses) de la SNCM qui seront jugés en correctionnelle les 19 et 20 novembre à Marseille pour s’être emparés le 28 septembre 2005 du navire Pascal-Paoli. Au premier rang des nombreuses personnalités présentes pour soutenir les quatre prévenus (Alain Mosconi, ses frères, Jean-Marc et Patrick, et Félix da Gregorio), on notait la présence de Olivier Besancenot (NPA), des députés européens verts Michèle Rivasi et François Alfonsi, de Jean-Guy Talamoni..

As many of you may know, the STC parent organization is struggling with debt for 2009. As a result, they have collected all the chapter reserve funds, so chapters have no rainy-day funds any more. Additionally, the STC now requires a precise budget, so they will only approve funds based on a proposed schedule of events AND the number of members a chapter has.

Furthermore, dues have increased. The new basic membership of $215 does not include membership in a chapter. To join a chapter, you need to opt in at an additional cost of $25. This $25 goes to the general STC fund that is used, in part, to fund all STC chapter programs.

As you know, our programs have included significant discounts on New Horizons training programs, top-notch sessions and guest speakers at meetings like our annual kickoff, and presentations by tool vendors, amongst other things.

We–volunteer Connecticut Chapter board members–understand how tight things are all around, but because approval of funding for chapter activities is going to be based on the number of members a chapter has, we need you to please renew your Connecticut Chapter membership this year and each year going forward.

Thank you in anticipation of your renewal of your Connecticut Chapter membership!

It seems that Saudi companies are not yet sure about the importance of social media marketing and whether it should play a role in their marketing and branding strategies or not. Internationally, using social media tools (e.g. Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, Youtube channels, etc …) is becoming THE trend among other marketing tools and initiatives.

 When the buzz about the potential use of social media in creating an added value to their brands, companies were just waiting to see how things will turn around. Justifying the costs of resources they will dedicate to build such a social media presence was the main concern occupying the minds of these companies’ managements. In other words, managers were thinking; what is the return on such investment?

The global marketing scene has moved from this basic step to discuss the specifics of having a successful presence online. The question of ‘should we have social media accounts?’ has been changed to ‘how to relate and engage with our customers using social media accounts?’. So it is not about the presence anymore, it is about the engagement. According to a study by Wetpaint and Altimeter Group, there is a correlation between a company’s social media engagement and its profit (more on this point is here). That means these social media accounts can be used as a channel of communication with customers. To be successful, this channel has to be dealt with as a long term investment and a major activity for marketing and branding teams. The presence should be alive, active, and emotionally engaging to the customers. Small gestures like saying ‘thank you’ to a Twitter customer, or saying ‘we will make sure to fix that’ on a Facebook page could make a difference with customers and boost their loyalty to the company.

Now, I have been looking around Twitter to check out Saudi companies’ presence over there. And it seems that most of them are in the trap of ‘cold social media presence’. The giant, Saudi Aramco has 351 followers only, can you believe that? Check out now the telecom rivals STC and Mobily, pretty cold, isn’t? Now for the sake of a quick comparison, check out Qatar Airways Twitter account, you can even feel the difference, right!!

If you have any examples of effective social media presence to share with us, I would be grateful to hear.

Interesting article on the Commercial Building Products website, October 2009 Issue,  SOUND ADVICE FOR ACOUSTICAL DESIGN

It’s friday, again. I came across some amazing pictures that I had stored away and I knew the only quotes that would measure up would be from s&tc.

may you all find crazy love. nothing short of madness.

“Maybe some women aren’t meant to be tamed. Maybe they just need to run free till they find someone just as wild to run with them.”

sex and the city

via le love

via lolita blog

via lolitas

So a friend reminded me of this s&tc moment, classic.

I needed to share it. And in case some of you are wondering…

it’s because you’re a katie.

I dedicate this to marshmellow & dracula. You know it’s true. You’re katies.

Personally, I think it’s a fabulous reason.

On that note, I’m adding a splash of Marilyn to the lesson:

“I’m selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes. I’m out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.”
- Marilyn Monroe