Moving Into the 90s

By Ashwini Tharval

This is our final article covering past newsletters. We have seen the 70s and the 80s in previous issues. Here we move on to the 90s.

While hunting for interesting stories, we realized that the masthead had an equally interesting journey. From East Bay Log to Devil Mountain Views, it changed several times in the past 3 decades. I'm sure you will also love reading the meanings behind those two names. Following are excerpts from previous newsletters.

What's in a Name?

The Pacifica Chapter was the predecessor to the East Bay Chapter. When the newsletter came into being, the word "log," as in the captain's log, seemed an appropriate name. Much has changed since the days of the Pacifica Chapter. Certainly the East Bay Chapter no longer represents a shoreline community with large ships passing by. So our newsletter, the East Bay Log, is a slight misnomer, even though we camouflage it by pretending it is a log off a tree.

We would like a new name that represents our chapter…Please send ideas to the Managing Editor. The person who submits the winning newsletter name will receive a one-year membership to the STC East Bay Chapter.

—East Bay Log, April 1996, Bruce Robinson, Managing Editor

And the Winner Is…

The East Bay Chapter newsletter formerly called East Bay Log, debuts as Devil Mountain Views with this issue. Why Devil Mountain Views? Renaming our newsletter to make a reference to a local landmark—Mount Diablo—makes sense. Consider this:

• From the top of Mount Diablo, it was believed one could see two-thirds of the state of California. Mount Diablo offers panoramic views of the East Bay. So do we, at least as far as STC matters are concerned.
• Mount Diablo's elevation is 3,849 feet. We would like to be noticed!
• In 1851, the mountain's summit was chosen as the base point for U.S. geographical surveys in California. …distances in California are measured from that point, called the Mount Diablo Meridian. It provides useful information, as we like to do.
• Mount Diablo is not volcanic, and neither are we, although we are sometimes devilish.
• From time to time during the summer, the East Bay Regional Parks District shuts the mountain down for fear that it will burst into flames. We wouldn't necessarily apply that to STC, but the mental image appeals to us.
• Last, but not least, we like the name!

Congratulations to Susan Moxley, who submitted the winning newsletter name and won a one-year free membership in the STC East Bay Chapter.

—East Bay Log, September 1996, Jackie Montgomery, Associate Editor

Snippets

Are you Tina, the tech writer?

Scott Adams was wonderful; he explained the genesis of his cartoon Dilbert, his career, his responses to criticism. A word to the wise—if you send him a letter of criticism, watch out for the subsequent cartoon.

—Jackie Montgomery on the 1994 Tech Pubs awards banquet organized by the Sacramento Chapter

Usability: Still evolving

In April, Frank Catalano from Informative Edge explained how technology is changing the way we do business…. Desktop publishing changed methods somewhat, but it is still "research, write, submit" as it has been for 200 years. In the next five years, telecommunications, publishing, and computing will merge so that communication will no longer be text-based…

…Document access demands architects of documents, not writers. Our job will be to make documents accessible…. We know how to browse a book, but how do you browse through a CD-ROM or hypertext? We must design so that users can find what they need quickly.

—East Bay Program Reports from Summer 1995

If Wishes were Horses...

In the spirit of the holiday season, the staff of the East Bay Log put together this wish list. Sound familiar?

• Sentences with less than three prepositional phrases
• Receivables less than thirty days old
• Clients who admit they don't know how to write
• A day without a general protection fault
• Enough memory to spell check
• Uncorrupted files
• Clients who recognize the reality of documentation plan milestones
• Two-day weekends

—East Bay Log, December 1995

When Everything Fails, Temp Works

It can be a quick trip from the penthouse to the outhouse. Your plum contract in Silicon Valley ended months ago and the interim between paychecks seems to be expanding indefinitely...it's time to do the unspeakable: temporarily widen your search to include those positions that you consider degrading or beneath you. That's right, stoop for success!…

…Once you swallow your many objections to doing temporary work, you open yourself to appreciate the many benefits. The key word is "temporary."

As a "temporary," you enter the work place more detached and consequently more relaxed than a permanent hire. You are there to fill a company's immediate need…In this cool state of detachment you work more efficiently…

Accordingly, temping comes with far less pressure than high-tech contracting…This leads to psychic freshness at the end of the day that lets you pursue more creative matters, like seeking the job of your dreams.

Here again, detachment helps. Because temping has quieted your immediate financial concerns, you interview without exhibiting telltale signs of desperation…

Even if the job doesn't add to your resume, struggling to overcome job market adversities deepens your personal experience bank. It will enable you to adapt and improvise without panic during future career reversals. Consequently, you take a giant step to crisis-proofing yourself in these times of economic uncertainty.

—East Bay Log, Fall 1995, Charlie Burke, Associate Editor

The Devil Mountain Views -- May/June 2002
(ebstc.org/newsletter/front.html)
For  suggestions, complaints, or (especially) compliments, contact dmvashwini@yahoo.com