Plain English assignment 1

I now know about plain English. Plain Eng¬¬¬lish will help me write in the future. The use of plain English does many things. First, it makes things easier for the audience to understand. This is a big part in any type of technical writing because the goal of technical writing is to communicate with another. Second, the document will appear much cleaner. Finally, positive feedback should comeback because of the positive language that I use.
There are several guidelines when writing in plain English. First, keep sentences short, second, use active verbs. Third, use appropriate vocabulary. Fourth, don’t be afraid to give instruction. Finally, use positive language.

Plain English assignment 2

Attention Students!

We will host a fall festival next weekend in the gym. I need your help to operate the events. Several games will be played and prizes will be handed out to students who win. The prizes range from a small piece of candy to a large stuffed animal. We are excepting donations from parents. All donations must come pre-packaged and have the original purchase code. Donations must be packaged for the safety of the kids. We do not want any unknown substances entering the fall festival. Thank you for your cooperation.

activity 14

1. I will write a short column to introduce the instructions. I will include a greeting and then tell the audience what materials will be needed.

2. The necessary tools are paper, balloon, paint, flour, water.

3. They need to be aware that they may get a little dirty.

4. Do contact eyes with paste.

5. I would use graphics to demonstrate the final outcome of the paper machete. The major steps are the pasting of paper around the balloon.

6. I don’t think that any part of the steps should be to confusing. I will have pictures to help the reader better understand.

7. Yes, if the teacher permits all the materials and a mess. Otherwise, no.

8. I plan on writing a very short paragraph that tells the reader to enjoy the project.

Activity 13

1.The audience would be handi-men, do-it-yourselfers, professionals, or anyone working on a faucet.
2.Yes the brochure uses parallelism; each instruction is divided by boxes. Steps with more than detail have sub-heads that are grouped together.
3.There is enough information. It is quite a bit information but that is good because all of the information is relevant with the step.
4.The sentence structure is imperative and the actual instructions are complete sentences. The headings are not complete sentences.
5.Graphics are very effective because they show step by step the process needed to complete the faucet installation.
6.The brochure contains a title, introductions, safety information, materials and equipment needed, steps, procedures, and a warranty agreement. It does not contain a conclusion.
7.The brochure is pretty well written and does not contain major weaknesses.

correspondence package: reflection

After completing the Correspondence package assignment I have become more aware of the need for tone and professionalism when writing a formal letter.
I chose to approach each scenario as a high official in my firm. For instance, I was the manager in the first position. Although not specified, I chose to take a manager position in the second scenario as well. I think that taking this position helped me remember that I needed to keep a professional tone through out the paper. I altered my tone a bit during the first scenario to better fit the paper. For instance, I knew that I needed to speak as if I was not above the client, so I did not speak as if I were a manager. I used a lot of dialogue that was understanding of the client’s complaint to make the client feel in charge. In the second scenario, I used a more authoritive tone to get the point across. I felt that the situation needed to be dealt with and a stern tone was most effective.
I felt the first scenario’s genre is limiting in me being able to convey ideas because I constantly have to keep the client in mind.
This assignment met a few course goals. First, I can now solve problems and create ideas. This was used in both scenarios. As a manager, I needed to solve the problem and present a feasible idea. Second, I can analyze communication contexts. In this project I needed to analyze why photocopies were being over used and come up with a good plan to decrease photocopy usage. Third, I can communicate ethically. This was a big thing I learned. Communicating ethically does not mean to just communicate in the right way. It means communication that best fits the audience. Knowing the audiences culture and needs will help anyone better communicate ethically. Fourth, I can communicate effectively with diverse audiences. This is kind of the same as the last goal I learned. You can analyze what type of person you are dealing with by the vocabulary used in their writing. There is a diverse rang of people and it is important to handle each one effectively.

Correspondance package: Memo

To: Employees of Koller Construction Company
From: Zach Tijerina
Subject: Photocopy machine regulations
Date: October 15, 2007

The purpose of this memo is to discuss the regulations of the company photocopy machine. It has been brought to my attention that the copy machine is being used for personal use rather than company use.

Summary
I regret to inform everyone that the photo budget is being overdrawn in an excess of several hundred dollars. The photocopy has been monitored. As a result we have found out many employees are using it for personal use. I think we should move to an animated card system to help track who makes copies. I would like to speak with each of you when you are free.

Discussion
In the past, the company has let employees use the photocopy machine freely. This is resulting in the company going over budget. The new animated card system that I propose will give each employee a number of free copies per month. After the free copies are used, the employee must purchase copies for the remainder of the month.

The number of free copies will be sufficient enough to handle all business copies within the month. However, any personal copies will need to be paid for. This will help reduce the amount of personal copies being made by employees. It will also help pay for the budget, if we go over again.

Although we would like to provide each employee the privilege of free personal copies, we feel the privilege is being taken advantage of. The new system is fair and because a small number of our employees actually need the photocopy machine, the budget will be benefited. Hopefully, if the budget sees a dramatic improvement, we can provide the employees with other privileges.

Recommendation
I’d like to speak with any one who has questions on the topic as soon as possible. I would like to hear your opinions on the matter. You can e-mail me at Zachary.tijerina@ttu.edu or call me at 806-734-5678.

Correspondance package: adjustment letter

CompUSA
2823 Blaithe Avenue
Lubbock, TX 79416
(806) 342-4363
www.compusa.com


October 15, 2007

Mr. Buck Wheat
1823 Easter Avenue
Lubbock, TX 79444

Dear Mr. Wheat:

Thank you for writing us about the computer you purchased on September 12, 2007. I know from personal experience that it can be frustrating when a computer does not come equipped with certain software.

According to your letter, you purchased the computer from our store with the understanding that it came loaded with software that is capable of writing effective letters and capable of balancing your account. You are asking that we load the computer with free soft-ware as soon as possible.

As you know, our company honors every sales ad that we publish and guarantee that our product will meet described specifications. We will gladly provide you with the soft-ware described. However, the soft-ware you are asking for is an upgrade that was not advertised. We feel that we did not mislead you by stating effective letters and accounting can be done with the soft-ware loaded on your computer. We are only responsible for the soft-ware already loaded on your computer.

However, you can still obtain the soft-ware you desire. You can purchase it from our store and we would be glad to install it for you free of charge. In the future, we will advertise specific upgrades with our promotions in order to keep this miscommunication from reoccurring.

We have already sent a brochure with specifics on every type of soft-ware we offer as well as a free trial version of our latest soft-ware. It should arrive within two working days.

Please contact us if we can be of any further assistance.

Sincerely,



Zach Tijerina, Manager
Customer Relations

Activity 11: brochure elements

Design Elements Characteristics
Page size and count
1-8.5 x 11
paper and binding Tri-fold
Accessing Aids icons
Clipart, examples
color Texas Tech colors

dividers/tabs None

cross-reference tables None
headers and footers Has both headers and footers
page numbering None
Visual Patterns chunking
Paragraphs are easy to read
queuing
All information is informative without any levels of importance
filtering
The brochure does have filtering patterns
Page Layout column grids
3 front and back
white space Appropriate amount of white space between paragraphs and columns

Typography typefaces, cases and type sizes
Typefaces change and type sizes, font size varies, and titles change color
line length and line spacing
Appropriate spacing
justification It is not justified
Titles and Headings titles Types are emphasized and easy to read

headings Titles are different fonts and italicized

Memo to Dr. Liu: Brochure cretique

To: Dr. Liu
From: Allison Reynolds & Zach Tijerina
Subject: Critiques of ICON brochure
Date: October 10, 2007

The purpose of this memo is to critique the ICON brochure given in class on October 10, 2007 for class activity 11. The goal of the class activity was to help the students better understand visual design.

Summary
Overall, we felt that the ICON brochure was effective and visually pleasing for students as ourselves. The simple layout was easy on the eyes as well as easy to understand.

Discussion
The ICON brochure’s purpose it to inform students about the online data base for freshman English classes. With this in mind, the audience is predominantly freshman.

All of the topics in the brochure are placed together to accomplish proximity. For example, all the frequently asked questions are grouped together for easy reading as well as types of writing used in ICON. Headings are aligned with a question following and the pattern continues throughout the brochure. The graphics are also aligned appropriately with the text to organize information. Repetition stays consistent in the FAQ section and the fonts as well as font sizes are consistent. The repetition allows for the reader to acknowledge one thought. Contrast is efficient throughout brochure. Areas with light backgrounds have dark colored lettering, while areas with dark colored backgrounds have light colored lettering.

The brochure covered all of the basic qualifications for efficient visual communication. We have not found as an effective layout of brochures.

Recommendation
We would like to speak with you on future improvements of future brochures. Please contact me at a convenient time to set up an appointment.

cultural dimension response

This paper describes in the “abstract” portion what it will do. It makes it very clear that the web interface and different cultures will be discussed.
The paper goes on to describe the efficiency of the web interface in the introduction and it discusses how products can be sold online from various countries. Because the web reaches out to basically everyone in the world who has internet connection, it is important to be able to design with every different culture in mind.
Cultures are very different in simple ways. For instance, color scheme may have great importance from one culture to the other.
The paper goes on to discuss Geert Hofstede’s dimensions of culture that he came up with through a survey type deal. The five dimensions are: power-distance, collectivism vs. individualism, femininity vs. masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long- vs. short-term orientation.
Power distance refers to the extent to which less powerful members expect and accept unequal power distribution within a culture.
Individualism in cultures implies loose ties; everyone is expected to look after one's self or immediate family but no one else. Collectivism implies that people are integrated from birth into strong, cohesive groups that protect them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty.
Masculinity and femininity refer to gender roles, not physical characteristics.
People vary in the extent that they feel anxiety about uncertain or unknown matters, as opposed to the more universal feeling of fear caused by known or understood threats. Cultures vary in their avoidance of uncertainty, creating different rituals and having different values regarding formality, punctuality, legal-religious-social requirements, and tolerance for ambiguity.
Two implications for technical communications are always know your audience, and are respectful toward it.
First, knowing your audience is always important because it helps set the tone of writing. It allows you know if you will be able to write in a relaxed style or a business type style.
Second, being respectful in your technical communication is always a must. You must be able to take into consideration different cultures and be respectful to that. Also, response letters, claim letters, memo’s, and emails should all be written respectfully and business like.

business email guidelines: in class response

E-mail is being used more and more today. I know that I personally use it several times a day. Every time I sit at a computer, the first thing I do is check my different e-mail accounts. Checking an e-mail account regularly will help with the prompt responses.
Some guidelines for effective e-mail writing are to first and foremost know your audience. It is important to know whether you are going to be writing a formal or informal e-mail.
Also, it is a good thing to break up different thoughts into separate paragraphs in order to allow for easy reading from the audience.
Another good guideline is to type up an e-mail in a word document first. This allows for the author to spell check the document before sending. Also, the author will eliminate accidentally sending the document to quickly.
There are several other guidelines to writing an effective e-mail but one of the most important is to write the article in “high skim” value. Most readers do not spend time to read every word online. It is important to highlight the important topics to get your information across quickly.

activity 6

To: Y. Liu
From: Z. Tijerina
Subject: Errors found in exercise five
Date: October 1, 2007

The purpose of this memo is to present the errors found in the claim letter and adjustment letter found in exercise five of the course book. The exercises gave two examples of technical writing with several errors.

Summary
For the most part, I felt both the claim letter and the adjustment letter contained several errors both with the format and the content. I think that both need to be revised both grammatically and materially.

Discussion
The exercise contains a claim letter and an adjustment letter addressing Sea-Tasty Tuna. The company having a complaint filed because an insect was found in a customer’s can of tuna. The customer has written an angry letter to Sea-Tasty Tuna. The company responds to the letter and offers free goods to gain the trust of the client.

In the claim letter, many errors can be found. First the letter is not written in block formatting. Also, the salutation is unacceptable because the term “gentlemen” refers only to men. There may be a good chance that a woman will be reading the letter. Also, the letter is very hostile. The client has used a rude tone throughout the letter and has even taped a fly to the bottom of the letter. Next, the customer does not write the letter using complete sentences. Many of the thoughts in the paper are short and choppy questions which gives no information to the problem. Finally, the customer does not provide a solution. He should be able to explain what he feels an appropriate action to the problem will be.

In the adjustment letter, many errors can be found as well. First the company takes a forward tone when responding to the client. The company is not understanding of the problem and states that their packaging process does not allow for error. Second, the company does not offer a solution to the problem. The company should be able to tell the client that they are going to increase security when packaging cans. If the company were to tell the client this, it would help game trust.

Recommendation
I would like to further discuss the errors on this page in the near future. You can reach me at my e-mail which is Zachary.tijerina@ttu.edu.