Berkeley Chapter
Society for Technical Communication

The latest change to this website was made on Wednesday, July 28, 2010.

The September 2006 Chapter Meeting

NOTE, as of September 9th, 2006:
Our online reservation system is down. To reserve, please send email at any time up to an hour before the meeting to xrm@pacbell.net, indicating which option you would have chosen online.
Please bring cash or a check in the appropriate amount to the meeting. We are not set up to accept credit cards at the meeting.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
Register now!:

RSVP using our online storefront.

Date:

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Times:

6:00 p.m. Networking
6:30 p.m. Dinner
7:15 p.m. Announcements
7:30 p.m. Presentation
9:30 p.m. End

Location:

Shattuck Plaza Hotel, 2086 Allston Way, Berkeley, California

Topic:

Documenting APIs: Your First Week on the Job

For a technical communicator, the task of documenting an API can be overwhelming. By having a defined methodology for documenting APIs, the technical communicator can bring order to chaos.

This presentation illustrates one such methodology for understanding the API documentation process and documentation deliverables. The presentation will provide a high-level overview of:

Defining your audience, including requisite domain knowledge

Understanding the place the API occupies in the company’s marketing strategy

Planning the documentation deliverables

Researching the API

Preparing to interview the engineering SMEs (Subject Matter Experts)

Effective interviewing techniques

Speaker:

Jim Bisso

James F. Bisso, M.A., has almost 20 years of experience writing API documentation for such companies as Oracle, Sun Microsystems, Inprise, and Taligent. Jim has also taught computer science and documenting APIs at UC Berkeley Extension, Golden Gate University, Mills College, and the University of San Francisco. Currently CTO of Bitzone LLC and a staff software engineer at Sun Microsystems, he has also been a corporate trainer for Oracle University and Bitzone LLC.

Jim is co-author of Documenting APIs: Writing Developer Documentation for Java™ APIs and SDKs, published June, 2006, which is available from http://www.bitzone.com.

Reservations:

RSVP using our online storefront. Reservations must be received by noon on the day prior to the meeting. On-line reservations are available on August 10, 2006.

Monthly Chapter Meetings

The Berkeley chapter meets the second Wednesday of the month.

Continuing in July, 2006 we will meet in the Town Room (on the second floor) of the Shattuck Plaza Hotel in Berkeley, CA.

RSVP
Program Ideas
Fees
Agenda
Location and Directions

RSVP

There are two ways to RSVP:

RSVP using our online storefront.
Use your MasterCard, AMEX, or Visa card to pay for your reservation. Please enjoy our online payment feature.
RSVP by regular mail.
Please send your payment by check (payable to Berkeley STC) to:

In either case, reservations for dinner must be received by 5 p.m. on the day before the meeting.

Chapter Meeting Program Ideas?

If you have a suggestion for a meeting topic you'd like to hear more about or if you'd like to be a presenter, send an email to Mary Ann Campbell, VP of Programs.

Chapter Meeting Fees

For the meeting and dinner, reserved on the Chapter's website in advance:

Members: $10
Non-members: $18
Students: $10

For the meeting and dinner, at the door:

Members: $15
Non-members: $21
Students: $15

Note: If you do not reserve dinner in advance, dinner may or may not be available on a walk-in basis. We order dinner for the number of reservations plus a few walk-ins.

To attend the program only, reserved in advance:

Members: $5
Non-members: $15
Students: $5

To attend the program only, at the door:

Members: $10
Non-members: $15
Students: $10

NOTE ONE: Non-members are always welcome to STC meetings.

NOTE TWO: All members of the San Francisco Chapter of the IABC are welcome to register for Berkeley STC General Meetings at the member price.

If you wish to pay by cash or check, send email to that effect to treasurer@stc-berkeley.org, and then bring payment to the meeting.

If you wish to pay be credit card, please reserve using our online storefront.

Interested in becoming a member?

Chapter Meetings Agenda

6:00 to 7:00: Networking, conversation, and dinner
7:00 to 7:15: Chapter business, announcements, introductions, jobs needed and available*
7:15 to 8:30: Formal program
8:30 to 9:00: Conversation, off-line questions for the speakers, follow-up on job announcements
9:00 to 9:15: Clear the room, move conversations to the sidewalk

*Attendees are encouraged to announce open positions. Please bring job listings for distribution. Recruiters may introduce themselves, but may not describe open positions in detail. Save that for one-on-one after the program.

Location and Directions

Shattuck Plaza Hotel
2086 Allston Way
Berkeley, CA

The Shattuck Plaza Hotel is located at 2086 Allston Way in downtown Berkeley, immediately west of Shattuck Ave. We meet in the Towne Room on the second floor.

The Shattuck Plaza Hotel in Downtown Berkeley, just off of Shattuck

The hotel is within walking distance from the Berkeley BART station; meter parking on the street is free after 6:00 p.m.

The Shattuck Plaza Hotel Lobby

Directions to the Shattuck Plaza Hotel

By BART:

Emerge from the Berkeley BART station.
Walk south on Shattuck one block.
Turn right on Allston.
The Shattuck Plaza Hotel is on the left.

By car:

Metered parking on the street is free after 6:00 p.m.

From north of Berkeley: I-880 south and get off at the University Avenue exit. Follow University east to Shattuck and turn right. Allston is three blocks south of University, and the Shattuck Plaza Hotel is on the South side of the street.

From south of Oakland: SOUTH: Take I-880 north to downtown Oakland, and then bear right onto I-980. Take the Martin Luther King exit and bear left to merge onto Martin Luther King Way. Turn right onto Adeline just past the sharp curve. Adeline will merge into Shattuck Avenue. Turn left on Allston and the hotel will be on the left side of Allston.

From San Francisco: Take the Bay Bridge towards Oakland (I-80 East). At the end of the bridge, take I-80 east towards Berkeley. Get off at the University Avenue exit. Follow University east to Shattuck and turn right. Allston is three blocks south of University, and the Shattuck Plaza Hotel is on the South side of the street.

From far East Bay: Take Highway 24 West through the Caldecott Tunnel. Exit at Highway 13 north towards Berkeley. Turn right on Shattuck Avenue. Turn left on Allston and the hotel will be on the left side of Allston.

Please email webpage corrections or webpage comments to:

Jim Dexter (internet@stc-berkeley.org)

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