Jumpstart the New Year with a File Naming Protocol
Content management is the process of managing content–no shock there, right? There are numerous methodologies and software packages available for large and small-scale needs. However, one of the easiest, and cheapest, ways to begin content management is to establish a file naming protocol, which is simply a guideline for file labeling. Whether you are creating a protocol for an entire organization or your home office, the trick is to create a standard—and then stick with it. A few examples include: Department_Project_Date (e.g., Retail_Menu1_Jan13) Project_Author_Date (e.g., Menu1_ErinW_04Jan13) Period_Project_Date (e.g., FirstQRT_Tax_01Mar13) You can also include version information in your file names, such as: Retail_Menu1_V1_05Jan13 Retail...
Read MoreA Closing Thought on Minimalist Communication (For Now): The Peanuts Visit the Museum of Science and Industry
I am a huge fan of both The Peanuts and the Museum of Science and Industry, so when the museum opened Charlie Brown and the Great Exhibit, I jumped on the first available train to Hyde Park. And it was worth the trip! The exhibit provides a broad overview of the life of The Peanuts’ creator, Charles M. Schulz, as well as the evolution of the comic strip and the individual characters. While last year’s Dr. Seuss exhibit focused on statues and paintings, this presentation is driven by text and large-scale wall graphics—although there is a replica of Mr. Schulz’s office and one giant Charlie Brown statue perfectly placed for photo ops! But what does the beloved Peanuts gang have to do with writing and editing for business? Well, other than...
Read MoreWord Count versus Efficiency:
Graduating from Academic Bloat to Business Brevity
Do you remember those dreaded five-page essays in high school English? If you were anything like me, you’d widen your page margins and switch from the default Times New Roman font to Arial because Arial is just a little bit bigger. Or, if typing wasn’t required, your handwriting would suddenly go from tiny scratches to giant bubble letters. Anything to fill those five pages as quickly as possible, with the least amount of writing, right? Nearly all English teachers are (and were) hip to these tricks. In fact, my college professors enforced strict rules concerning margins, font styles, and line spacing. One particularly ornery professor actually measured margins with a wooden ruler before accepting assignments. Cranky! Unfortunately, these academic...
Read More
