Entries categorized as 'work'
I just used this “trick” to find out what job titles are relevant for some of the task analysis we’re doing while writing new materials. I think it helps you get into your user’s shoes and also realize the value that your software or hardware product brings to those who decide to become an expert user with it. Here is an example - plug in your keywords and see what you find out about your users.
- Go to Indeed.com, a job search aggregator site.
- Type in the name of the main product you’re documenting. In my case, it’s a software product called iMIS.
- Fill in a location that you think would have a lot of interest or activity around your software product. For my product, that location is Washington, DC.
Voila - look through the search results and pick out 5 keywords to use either as index entries, as role or persona names the next time you do task analysis, or sprinkle the terms liberally in the headings of your online documentation to aid in findability.
Example job titles from my scenario: database administrator, project leader, project coordinator, manager, accountant, administrative assistant, and a sprinkling of director.
If I were to subscribe to the RSS feed for this search, I’d call it yet another use for RSS feeds. For me, though, it’s a nice one-time check on the types of jobs people are trying to do with the software product I document.
Try it and let us know what you find, especially if any of it is surprising to you.
Categories: work · writing
Tagged: asi, database, imis, job search, job title, rss
I’m learning about Author-it’s HTML templates today, and how to insert Google Analytics code (or any other code, really, such as adding an automatically updating variable for “Last modified by” with user or date information.)
But my task today was to insert Google Analytics code. (As a prerequisite note, we already have all our documentation available on an external site at docs.imis.com.)
First, I created a Gmail account for our department. Next, I created a Google account. Then, I went to the Google Analytics page and signed up for an account there, entering the name of our externally-accessible documentation site.
At the end of the sign up process, Google gives you javascript code that you want to place directly above the closing body tag </body>. Fortunately, the way that Author-it sets up the HTML templates, all of your Author-it topic data is inserted at a point where the <aitdata> tag appears in your HTML template.
The HTML templates are typically stored in C:\Program Files\AuthorIT V4\Data\Templates\Plain HTML, although other types of HTML templates such as DHTML and HTML Help templates are also available. These are the files I discovered that Google Analytics needed to be installed on.
- I edited the body_template.htm file and located the <aitdata> tag. I copied the code from the Google Analytics page and pasted it below the <aitdata> tag.
- I edited the html_frameset.htm file and added the Google Analytics code in the <head> area as instructed by the Google Analytics help, which, as a side note, has a set of completely question-based articles, as in, all headings are written as a question. Fascinating. The topic is “What should I know about using Analytics with Framed sites?“
Now, republish the HTML from your Author-it topics and your Google Analytics code is available on each page. After about 24 hours we started collecting data.
Let me know your experiences using Google Analytics to monitor your user assistance site traffic - what metrics are you seeking? Are there any conversion goals we should set up? One metric I am considering is trying to monitor how often the Word .doc files are downloaded. Does anyone have tips or tricks for us?
Update: I found this blog entry, Tracking document downloads in Google Analytics, and it contains hints at what I need to do to track our Word document downloads. However, I think that this article from the Google Analytics Help, How do I track files (PDF, AVI, or WMV) that are downloaded from my site? contains the method I’ll try first.
Categories: tools · work
Tagged: analytics, author-it, AuthorIT, Google Analytics, HTML, HTML Help, site statistics, technical communications, techpubs, tools, user assistance, web site analysis, web traffic, XHTML
My employer, ASI, gives employees three hours a month to use to do volunteer work of your choice, and I’m busy thinking up ways to use that time. After Hurricane Katrina, I spent a half day at the Capitol Area Food Bank, using some hours that BMC gave to employees to spend their time helping Katrina evacuees. In a half day, four of us processed 8,400 pounds of food which can make 6,720 meals. So I might try to do that work again. It was interesting and I learned a lot. I’d also like helping out kids or parents, so I may investigate areas where the local school districts use volunteers. I also like that our local NPR station, kut.org, has a Get involved page.
Working at a company that enables non-profits has really made me want to learn about our users and how non-profits work. I found this game online called Karma Tycoon, where you run your own non-profit. It looks like it’s sponsered by Chase. Also interesting reading lately has been about non-profits in Second Life. I haven’t tried Second Life yet, mostly due to lack of time (I’d rather be blogging).
So if you’re knowledgeable about non-profits, membership management, church organizations, and so forth, let me know of websites and books that you find useful. And if you have good ideas for three hours a month of time spent volunteering near Austin, TX, let me know. I’ll keep you posted on my efforts.
Categories: work
Tagged: , Austin, Capital area food bank, non-profits, Texas
Anne is a senior technical writer at Advanced Solutions International. Read 
