Objective
I am seeking opportunities to use my editorial skills and technical background to help create Web sites, email newsletters, or paper publications. I am people-oriented and deadline-driven.
Work Experience
Silicon Gorge, Technical Editor, Cornell Theory Center Windows Solutions Web site (2001)
- Worked as a member of a five-person team to create a Web site used to support the roll-out of CTC Windows Solutions at the SuperComputing 2001 conference.
- Edited copy to create inviting, consistant, accurate text.
- Prepared text for hand-off to the site programmer.
- Generated copy for two Flash animations.
S&T Onsite Lead Editor, Microsoft Office 2000 for Windows Web site (1998)
- Collaborated with marketing managers and designers to plan and implement a Web site and email newsletter that supported Microsoft's "marketing messages" for Office 2000, concentrating on site organization, navigation, and consistent text presentation.
- Gathered textual content for the site from product managers responsible for Office's different functions.
- Convinced product managers of the utility of a unified Office Web site and the importance of accurate, helpful text.
- Performed development editing, collaborative editing, and copy editing to create a coherent whole that met the needs of both internal departments and end users.
- Employed through S&T Onsite, the main contract employer for editors at Microsoft.
Senior Editor and co-founder of TidBITS (1990-present; especially 1994-1998)
TidBITS is an electronic newsletter that reports on topics of interest to the Macintosh and Internet communities; it is distributed on the Web and via a 50,000-person email list.
- Coordinated communications and project planning for a five-person team.
- Located new sponsors and acted as a liason to sponsors.
- Managed finances and budgeting.
- Designed and maintained the Web site; delegated appropriate tasks to a programmer and a graphic designer.
- Worked with writers on all phases of article creation, including acquisition and editing.
- Developed a style guide.
- Wrote over 200 news articles, essays, and software reviews.
Freelance author of books and magazine articles (1993-1998)
- Authored The Word Book for Macintosh Users and Word 6 Starter Kit. Also, a slightly revised version of Word 6 Starter Kit appears in The Microsoft Office 4.2 Survival Guide.
- Co-authored Create Your Own Home Page, the first book published about creating Web pages using a Macintosh.
- Wrote and edited significant portions of the best-selling Internet Starter Kit series of books.
- Wrote numerous articles - particularly about Web authoring software - for print magazines such as BYTE, MacAddict, MacTech, MacUser, MacWEEK, Macworld, and NetProfessional.
Microsoft Word Support Engineer (1991-1994)
- Performed telephone technical support for Microsoft Word for Macintosh 4.0, 5.0, and 5.1.
- Wrote and edited for the Microsoft Knowledge Base (an online question-and-answer database).
- Performed technical editing and copy editing for the Microsoft Word for Macintosh 6.0 manuals.
- Handled complex customer questions as a second-tier support engineer.
- Trained new employees via individual mentoring and small group classes.
New Technologies Consultant at Cornell Information Technologies (CIT) (1990-1991)
- Educated customers learn about hardware, especially Macintoshes, PCs, and NeXT workstations.
- Trained CIT sales consultants about the capabilities of just-released hardware.
Education
Cornell University, class of 1989, graduated with honors
- Majored in Communications and minored in the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology.
- Co-edited the Risley Revue and edited the newsletter of Ithaca's now-defunct Macintosh user group, MUGWUMP.
- Spent two semesters as a student operator for the Martha Van Rensselaer computer room; had a full-time summer job performing a variety of tasks for CIT; and then worked for another year as a student supervisor, overseeing thirteen student operators in the Uris Library computer room. After graduation, I worked at the CIT HelpDesk, helping users with scanners and recovering files from damaged floppy disks.
Skills and Personal History
People
- Can manage editorial teams to meet regular deadlines and complete special projects.
- Comfortable meeting with the public, handling public relations, and speaking to groups.
Editing
- Experienced with all forms of editing; particularly enjoy handling considerations such as scope, organization, flow, consistency, and audience.
- Able to learn style guides quickly. Can develop new style guides.
Online/Computers
- Can understand and write HTML.
- Participated meaningfully in the transformation of the Internet into a popular communication medium. Internet user since 1986, with dedicated home connection since 1994.
- Adept at researching and evaluating the user experience of computing-related products.
- Comfortable in a variety of operating system environments and can learn new technologies quickly.
Personal
- Current member of the Tompkins County Public Library Board of Trustees.
- Have an extended network of friends and colleagues who are influential writers, developers, and managers in the computer industry.
References available upon request.
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