Technical Writing

Since 1991 I have been involved in:

• User manuals
• Installation manuals
• Customisation manuals
• Implementation questionnaires, guides and checklists
• Functions in detail
• Maintenance and operation manuals to aviation standards, AvP70 and ATA100
• Training materials including exercises, solutions and powerpoints
  
• Help systems using MS Help Compilers Workshop and HTML help using RWD Info-Pak and Deamweaver
• Creation of web sites originally with MS Notepad, now using Dreamweaver
• Creation of manual sets covering multiple applications on global integration projects
• Performing document conversion
• Documenting complex multi language macros sets on MS Word 95, 97 and AmiPro
• Bug tracking during beta testing and release phases
• Writing Service Bulletins to aviation standards, AvP70 and ATA100
• Computer networking (see below)
  

On these Projects I have used the following packages:

• Windows versions 3.1, 95, 98, NT, 2000 & XP
• MS Word for Windows 2, Word 6/95, Word 97, Word 2000
• Adobe Acrobat 3 & 4
• Pagemaker 3, 4 & 5
• PagePlus 1,2 & 3
• Dreamweaver 2, 3, 4 & MX
• Some experience with Framemaker
• Microsoft Help Compilers Workshop, RWD Info-Pak and some experience with HDK and Forehelp
• General use of other MS Office packages including Excel, and Powerpoint plus Outlook
• Some experience of AmiPro and Lotus Notes

Details of projects involving these skills and packages can be found on my Client List and CV.

I started working as a technical author for Rolls-Royce in 1990, where I stayed for two years before the firm moved away and I decided not to follow. However, my experience of technical environments predates Rolls-Royce by nearly ten years. In 1981 I started a five year stint with GEC Avionics where I played various roles in the Production Control Department and the Design Control and Interface Group. Here I gained an intimate knowledge of mechanical engineering and the business processes involved in producing a large project from both a design and a production perspective. This information is largely ancient history now but details of dates and locations are to be found on my CV. Please e-mail for further information if required.

Since 1986 I have been using computers and started using PC's in 1992. I now have excellent computer literacy down to hardware level which means that I perform all my own software and hardware upgrades right to the point of complete PC strip-down and rebuild. I first learned programming as a child using the original BASIC supplied on ancient RML 380Z machines, and over the years taught myself the old Dbase II programming language and other versions of BASIC for other projects. My most recent foray into programming was to learn to use PROLOG as part of an artificial intelligence project for my psychology degree.

Computer Networking: As well as having done the occasional project setting up networks, I share my house with a couple of guys who work in IT, each with our own computers, so it seemed a good idea to build our own network. We now have a small peer to peer TCP/IP network with a single hub, four PCs and a couple of shared printers. I have a small office in the house where I work between contracts. Here I have my notebook and printer along with a PC built from spares that is used as a print server. The shared printer is connected to the print server (which is just a normal PC running Windows 2000) and so allows printer access for all the PCs on the network. I also use the server as a location for storing regular backups. We also have a broadband connection connected to the server which is configured with Internet Connection Sharing, so we all have 24/7 access to the net.