If you've forayed at all into the world of social networking sites (such as Facebook or Twitter), you have probably encountered some new slang terms, acronyms, and abbreviations. Friends and colleagues have interspersed acronyms like LOL (laughing out loud), OK (only kidding), and IMHO (in my humble opinion) within their email messages to me. My children (both in their 20's) seem to consider these abbreviations part of the private, secret language those of us over 40 would never understand. Ahem.

So that you too can be 'in the know,' here's a short list of many of the most common acronyms, decoded for your edification and enjoyment (in no particular order):

YGTBK: you've got to be kidding

WML: wish me luck

CSL: can't stop laughing

LAK: love and kisses

GL: good luck

AFN: that's all for now

AFC: away from computer

PAW: parents are watching

For more, visit www.internetslang.com.

We polled writers and did some research on the internet to find these useful technical writing tips:

1.      Establish and maintain good relationships with your subject matter experts… cookies help!

2.      Remember, subject matter experts are busy too. Don’t waste their time and try to keep this in mind when setting up a review cycle.

3.      It is important that you develop excellent interviewing skills.

4.      Make a plan. This will make it easier to incorporate new information into your documents as the project progresses or when the software is revised. Working without a plan creates extra work later on.

5.      Know your subject. There are some things that cannot be faked. If you don’t understand what you're writing it will show because your reader won't understand it either. You cannot explain what you do not know.

6.      Keep it simple.

7.      Create a file-naming convention that makes sense to you and to others.

8.      Learn to love deadlines. While you can tell how long you think it's going to take to write something, what most clients really want to know is, "can you have it done by such-and-such a date?"

9.      Wherever possible, put your subject up front and make it do something. The active voice generally works better than the passive voice because it’s more direct, more concise, and easier to understand.

10.  If you encounter a day when it’s hard to focus, try writing randomly rather than linearly to avoid “writer’s block.” Write small chunks of content that you can fit together later. Don’t get stuck because you don’t know how to fit them together right now.

11.  Let your content sit for a few hours or days, if you can. Come back to it later after you’ve taken a break.

12.  When you review your document, imagine you are reading it for the first time from the user's point of view. Assume the user does not know it already and that you need to explain it. If your document contains any sentences that you don't understand, assume the user won't understand them either and rewrite them.

13.  Read it out loud. If it sounds too complicated, it probably is. Make sure it sounds as natural as technical language can possibly be.

14.  Avoid technical specification if you don't want to be stuck writing the same old thing for the rest of your life. Develop a broad technical range, and keep abreast of current technology. Pick five technical areas and stay on top of them. You'll be happier -- and more consistently in demand -- in the long run.

15.  Always keep your resume up-to-date.

Made some small changes to our web site. The photo on Contact Us page was taken by San Diego's own, Mark Holmes. Mark can be found at: http://www.markholmesphoto.com.

You already know that Paradigm specializes in developing Learning Products – the manuals, marketing collateral, training programs, online help systems, and instructional videos your customers rely on to help them understand and use your product, technology, or service to full advantage.

But did you also know that we offer very competitive prices for developing these invaluable materials? Whether it is an hourly rate for a consultant, or a fixed rate for producing the completed project, we have a solution for budget-conscious clients.

If you are considering outsourcing any or all of your learning product development work, we would appreciate the opportunity to share with you how we can generate quality deliverables and save you money. In these challenging economic times, we are here to help you improve your bottom line.

Call us today to discuss your specific needs!

When I started in the business a million years ago, there were distinct and separate job classifications in our industry: writer, editor, technical typist, technical illustrator, training specialist, trainer.

As a technical editor a million years ago, I edited (red-lined) hardcopy documents and then passed the paper documents along to the technical typists to input my changes. In fact, I didn’t type at all. Very few true desktop publishing programs were available then, and they certainly weren’t mainstream. Now editors input changes online and, to stay in the game, must know several sophisticated DTP programs very well, including ever-changing versions of Word, FrameMaker, and InDesign.

What changes have you seen during your career? I realize I’m (ahem) experienced, but I can’t be the only one? Right?