Contrary to current techie mythology, it IS possible to uninstall Microsoft’s ‘mandatory’ web browser. For those of us who are addicted to Firefox or other browsers, this is welcome news. TechRepublic contributor, Mark Kaelin, explains:

How do I… Uninstall Microsoft Internet Explorer 7?

submitted by Susan Burton

STC must notify members regarding the time, date, and location of STC’s annual business meeting at least 30 days prior to the meeting, according to the laws of New York State where STC is incorporated. Members cannot opt out of receiving this notice.

STC’s annual business meeting is Monday, June 2, 2008, 6:30-7:30 pm ET at the Pennsylvania Convention Center Lecture Hall (Room 114) on 100 level, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Only STC members who have paid their dues in full may vote at the meeting. Nonmembers may attend as observers.

Susan Burton, CAE
Executive Director

submitted by Susan Burton

STC must notify members regarding the time, date, and location of STC’s annual business meeting at least 30 days prior to the meeting, according to the laws of New York State where STC is incorporated. Members cannot opt out of receiving this notice.

STC’s annual business meeting is Monday, June 2, 2008, 6:30-7:30 pm ET at the Pennsylvania Convention Center Lecture Hall (Room 114) on 100 level, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Only STC members who have paid their dues in full may vote at the meeting. Nonmembers may attend as observers.

Susan Burton, CAE
Executive Director

The 2008 National Conference for Media Reform is just one month away, June 6-8 in Minneapolis.

Speakers include journalists Dan Rather, Amy Goodman, and Bill Moyers, and others, including grassroots organizers, civil rights leaders, social justice activists, Internet visionaries, new media innovators, and music/film/independent media makers.

The conference focuses on the use of media in political, social, environmental, and technological policy-making and information distribution.

Details of the program, registration and lodging are available online.

NCMR Conference Program | FreePress.net

Referrals are the one of the best ways to build a freelance career or a small business. This US News and World Report article by John Jantsch, a veteran marketing coach, award- winning blogger and author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide, describes the four key issues for getting referrals.

Frame of Reference – US News and World Report

Made your New Year’s Resolutions, yet? Or aren’t you going to bother this year?

Every year, I make resolutions.
Every year, I set ambitious professional goals.
Every year, I keep up with them for a while.
Every year, one by one, they fall by the wayside. Something else always comes along that has a higher priority or greater urgency.

This year, I want to try something a little different. Instead of big, ambitious goals for myself and my freelance business, I’m going to try baby steps. Instead of a two-page list of annual resolutions, I’m going to try a trimmed-down list of four manageable daily commitments.

Just for today:

• I will be pleasant and welcoming to each caller on my business phone, rather than resenting the interruption or assuming that the call is from a telemarketer.
• I will set and meet a mini-deadline for each client project, aiming at finishing each project ahead of schedule.
• I will spend an hour on marketing my business, whether it’s designing a new brochure, seeking out networking opportunities, updating my website, staying in touch with former clients, or brainstorming with a colleague about new seminar ideas. One hour—even if I have a project deadline. One hour—even if I’m tired.
• I will read something that will improve a skill or push my mind in a direction it doesn’t normally go: a book on PHP programming, an issue of Technical Communication or Intercom, a few articles from Arts and Letters Daily , or that art history article that a friend forwarded—anything to jumpstart the creativity that happens when I move outside my standard routine.

  How about you? You can use the Comments feature to share your resolutions—or lack of them—with your Rochester Chapter colleagues.

  Kat Nagel
  Proof Sheet editor

You’ve wanted one for years, but thought you couldn’t justify the expense for “just a toy.”

Well, Larry Walsh, editor of Baseline magazine, gives us “Five Legit Business Reasons for Buying an iPod in this article from Baseline’s web site.

APEX 2008 NOW OPEN FOR ENTRIES

The 20th Annual APEX AWARDS FOR PUBLICATION EXCELLENCE is now accepting entries for APEX 2008 (Entry deadline: MARCH 17, 2008). The APEX AWARDS recognize excellence in graphic design, editorial content and overall communications effectiveness. Communicators can choose from 110 different categories under 11 headings, including:

1. Newsletters,
2. Magazines and journals,
3. Newspapers,
4. Annual reports,
5. Brochures, manuals and reports,
6. Electronic and video publications,
7. Web and intranet sites,
8. Campaigns, programs and plans,
9. Writing,
10. Design and illustration, and
11. One-of-a-Kind publications.

For a list of new and revised categories, see the Apex Awards web site.

The competition’s entry deadline (postmark) is MARCH 17, 2008.

APEX is sponsored by the editors of WRITING THAT WORKS, a newsletter for writing, editing and communications professionals. The contest is open to corporate, nonprofit, freelance and agency communicators. Entrants do not have to be WRITING THAT WORKS subscribers. Entry fees are $69 per entry for WRITING THAT WORKS subscribers; $89 per entry for non-subscribers.

CALL FOR ENTRIES information, brochure and entry form are posted at
http://www.ApexAwards.com/apexawards.htm.

To download the APEX Call for Entries brochure, go to:
http://www.ApexAwards.com/apex_broch.pdf..

Just need the APEX Entry Form? Go to:
http://www.ApexAwards.com/apex_entry_form.pdf.
You can fill out the PDF Easy Entry Form right on your computer screen. (No need to find a typewriter or fill out the form by hand.) Then just mail it with your entries and payment.

Also see the APEX FAQ page for tips and advice on entering, at
http://www.ApexAwards.com/apex2008faqs.htm.

We no longer need to agonize over increasing poundage and decreasing muscle tone when we’re dealing with a project crisis or overlapping deadlines. A new product from Steelcase, developed with researchers from the Mayo Clinic, combines a computer workstation with a treadmill. While it’s a bit pricey for the average freelancer, Steelcase is hoping that the productivity increase and improved morale of healthier employees will be worth the estimated $4000 price tag to corporate employers.

(submitted by Scott Abel, The Content Wrangler)

DocTrain East
Thursday, October 18 & Friday, October 19, 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you’re not able to attend Documentation and Training East 2007, don’t fret. The organizers will be streaming two days of original programming over Internet radio. All you need is a web browser, a computerwith some speakers, and a connection to the internet.

Made possible by the folks at MyTechnologyLawyer.com, the DocTrain East radio shows take place October 18-19, 2007 (schedule below) and will be broadcast live from the event venue. Listeners will be able to ask questions of the guests via email or phone (toll-free in the U.S.). The shows feature interviews with experts attending the conference who will discuss a variety of hot topics in the technical communication and training arena. MyTechnologyLawyer’s Scott Draughon will co-host the show along with Indiana-based technology journalist, Diane Wieland.

To listen to the live broadcast visit the radio show website. Click “Listen Now” to hear the audio. If you’d like to ask a question of the guests, call-in toll free at 866-685-7469 or send an email to radio@mytechnologylawyer.com.

Show Schedule, Thursday, October 18, 2007——-

• 10:00-11:00am ET - “Why Software Sucks” with guest author and keynote presenter, David Platt, Rolling Thunder Computing, and “Changing User Expectations” with guest Kelly Stirman, MarkLogic.
• 11:00-12noon ET - “Convergence and the new Adobe Technical Communication Suite” with RJ Jacquez, Adobe Systems, and “Content Component Management” with Chip Gettinger, Astoria Software.
• 2:00-3:00pm ET - “Why Content Management” with Mary Laplante, Gilbane Group and “What is Dynamic Publishing?” with Joe Gollner, Stilo International.
• 3:00-4:00pm ET - “Localization and Translation” with Christine Fidura, SDL, and “Controlled Vocabularies” with Kent Taylor, Acrolinx.

Show Schedule, Friday, October 19, 2007——-

• 9:00-10:00am ET - “DITA Storm: The DITA Wiki” with Alex Karezin and “DITA in Technical Publications” with Harvey Greenburg, XyEnterprise and Peter Vellikin, PTC.
• 10:00-11:00am ET - “Getting Writer’s To Adopt Structured XML Authoring” with Amanda Cross; “Change Management Challenges” with Emma Hamer, Strategy A; and “Content Management Options” with Dan Dube, DocZone.com.
• 11:00-12noon ET - “XML Authoring in an MS Word Environment” with Michael Boses, Invision Research and “Cool Tools for Tech Writers Under $100 Bucks” with Nicky Bleiel, Component One.