Expertise
Hello, and thank you for considering TechScribe for your software documentation project. Here you will find an overview of my skill set, which shows you why you'll get great value from TechScribe.
Dr Mike Unwalla, principal technical writer.
How it all started
I'd been a technical writer in the software industry for about five years when I decided to work for myself. That was back in 1999, and TechScribe has been gaining momentum since then.
As we all know, good technical documentation is scarce. Much so-called 'documentation' is just garbage—'technobabble', buzzwords and unhelpful information. It's a disgrace, and it means people struggle to use software and IT systems.
What helps TechScribe excel? Many years ago I taught English as a foreign language. Following that, MSc and doctoral research gave me a solid grounding in software and IT systems. That combination of teaching and training skills, English language skills and technical ability is rare. It means that your technical people can talk to me in their language; I re-present the information in a manner that is suitable to the readers of the documentation.
See also 
A profile of Mike Unwalla, produced by PCG
Member profile of Mike Unwalla, produced by ISTC
Subject matter
TechScribe focuses on documentation for software and ICT systems. Some of this documentation is aimed at end-users and some is for technical specialists, for example:
- Desktop applications: clinical auditing, content management, healthcare, diary and scheduling, PCL print file viewer, stock control systems, translation memory
- Microsoft applications: Access, Excel, ODBC Administrator, Query
- Operating systems, file systems and related technologies: dynamic binary code translation and optimisation, Microsoft Windows, Open Database Connectivity, OpenVMS Record Management Services (RMS)
- Programming languages: SQL, VBA
- Web technologies: web-based enquiry systems, XML web development tools
Professional status
Former Principal UK Expert on software documentation, appointed by BSI.
Fellow of the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators (FISTC).
Chartered Member of the British Computer Society (MBCS CITP).
Member of the UK Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication.
Member of the Society of Indexers, Accredited Indexer (AI).
Reporter for the Independent Authors column in Communicator, the journal of the ISTC.
Trained in Information Mapping® techniques.
Certified Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS): Expert level.
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