There are two options, either from chapter 5 or chapter 6. Be sure to respond to at least two of your classmate.
Chapter Five
1. Definitions. Illustrate the difference in structural and procedural markup by marking the first two pages of this chapter (or other document your instructor provides) in both ways. For example, in procedural markup, you might mark the title as 14-point bold Helvetica with 18 points after. In structural markup, you would mark the title simply as a title. Discuss what you find from doing this exercise.
2. Editorial affordances of a word processing program. If you don`t know how to do most of the tasks below, choose this exercise. Get to know your word processing program. (Look for tutorials on youtube and elsewhere. I often do a quick search in google: how to "apply styles in text." Discuss what you learned about the experience of working through these various tasks in terms of how to learn new tasks in the future.
a. Apply styles in text.
b. Change the format of a style (such as one font to another, spacing before a heading, etc.).
c . Turn on the reviewing toolbar.
d. Show individual reviewers.
e. Change which reviewer`s comments show.
f. Show individual types of changes (insertions and deletions, comments, etc.).
g. Track changes—turn on and off via button.
h. Compare documents in window.
i. Merge two documents.
j. Insert and delete comments.
k. Move to the next change using buttons on the reviewing toolbar.
l. Accept all changes.
m. Reject all changes.
n. Make two columns.
o. Create a running header or footer.
p. Insert page numbers.
q. Make a .pdf file.
r. Use a template stored within the program.
s. Find a template online, published by your word processing program`s company.
3. Job requirements. Look up job ads for "technical editor" online. Determine what technological requirements the jobs have—what software do they expect you to be familiar with? Post what you find in your discussion. If you had to learn one of these programs on your own, what might be a viable strategy (i.e., what kinds of tutorials can you find online? what kinds of download options are there--i.e. free for 30 days, etc.
4. Current technologies. Look in Intercom (the STC`s magazine), technical communication journals, and conference proceedings for information on current technologies editors are using. Discuss what you find. Cite your sources.
5. Current discussions. Search technical communication electronic mailing list archives for questions technical editors and writers have had about structural markup, cascading style sheets, and single-sourcing. Discuss what you find.
6. Software programs. Find software programs that use the languages from this chapter (for example, search "XML editor"). Compare two programs for their abilities. Discuss what you learn.
