The People I Know: The Interesting Stories of Uninteresting People

While working for a now defunct website called Neighbour Knowledge I had the opportunity to meet with and interview many local business people. Typically I’d give these people a platform to promote their products or brand while getting them to open up about the community in which they live and/or work. These interviews were published online and in promotion materials and were intended to draw visitors to the site.

Well, visitors never really came to the site. But not because the stories weren’t interesting or engaging, there just wasn’t much else there. So Neighbour Knowledge went under and I had to move on to something else.

While working on other projects I’d often think back to how fun it was working for Neighbour Knowledge. While there, I made an effort to interview people who were excited about their lives because I found their enthusiasm infectious. Artists, activists and niche entrepreneurs, these were the people I’d look most forward to meeting and writing about.

But sometimes I’d manage to book some time with someone who you wouldn’t think would be terribly interesting: a dentist, a barista, a restaurant owner, etc. and they would captivate me with their story. To a brash young college graduate like myself the idea that most people, as bland as they may outwardly appear, are in fact really interesting, was a revelation.

In conversation I’ve always been interested in the particularities of people’s lives. In what really makes them tick. To my delight, most people, the interesting ones at least, were willing to share their thoughts with me and, in most cases, did so quite eloquently.

This line of thinking led me to the idea of interviewing and profiling my friends and family in the hopes of learning some interesting things about them. Of course, a short interview and one-thousand words isn’t going to capture a person’s entire past, or their intended future. It won’t describe all of their hopes or fears. Hell, most people could talk to me for hours about their first car.

But I’m not looking to tell anyone’s life story. Rather, what I’m hoping to do is uncover something new, something interesting that I didn’t know about that person before. I’m looking for the interesting stories of seemingly uninteresting people.

Choosing which people I’d like to take part in this project could pose a problem. A problem that I’ll admit, I haven’t really developed a solution for yet. I could wait for people to volunteer their time and story to me or I could actively seek out people and their stories. It’s something that I’ll have to figure out, but first I’d like to get your thoughts on this project. Please comment and let me know whether or not you’d find these stories interesting, what sort of questions you’d like to see asked, which people you’d like to read about.

Basically, I’m looking for spark and I’m hoping you can provide it. So, whaddya think?

TC 2.0

I recently spent two weeks in Greece, honeymooning with my new wife, where I spent some time reflecting on my career as a writer so far. Time away from my computer monitor helped me realize that ironically, I don’t write enough. Granted I am a professional writer and my ability to write is what pays my bills, but I rarely get to use even a fraction of my full literary powers in a typical day of work. In fact, what I do in a normal day may not even be considered writing to purists, they’d call it documentation.There are exceptions of course, and these are the projects that I relish. They usually involve writing web copy for a wide eyed start up, or collaborating with other writers and developers on creative and unique ads. These projects are fun because they allow me to explore style and voice.  But for the most part, I’m resigned to research and documentation, the white bread of the written word.

So there I sat, feeling sorry for myself. I rarely get to write interesting stuff and each day I’m getting further and further away from becoming a great writer. Woe is me.

The answer to this should have been obvious all along; write more. With blogs there are no rules, so why am I restricting myself to commenting only on the digital world in my own blog? Why can’t I write about hockey, German psyche-rock, Wanderlei Silva, camping etiquette  and anything else I feel like in addition to writing about XHTML and modular documentation? Well the answer is ‘you can, stupid’.

Still, I’ve always been hesitant to publish personal thoughts or opinions on a blog because I’m not the kind of person that needs to have these things validated by a group of readers. It also doesn’t pay me squat.  What I’ve now come to realize is that I can benefit enormously as a writer by using the medium to improve my writing rather than just showcase my writing. So from now on, I will make full effort to do that.

For better or for worse, I’ll be posting to this blog a lot more often than before, whenever the mood should strike me, on any number of topics. Hopefully it will have the desired effect.

Brand Awareness on the Web

It’s been awhile since I’ve added an entry and I do have legit reasons  (upcoming wedding, project juggling, NHL playoffs) but I don’t want to turn into the guy who talks about his blog even though he hasn’t added anything worthwhile in the past 3 and a half months. I was dangerously close to becoming that guy, hopefully this entry will fix that.

Recently I was talking with a colleague about the lack of personality in good web writing. He argued that not enough companies use humour in their web copy. I’m not so sure that I agree with him. Humour is a tricky thing to convey over the web. Different people have different senses of humour and its a narrow tight-rope that a writer has to walk when trying to appeal to the sense of humour of so many different people.

I do however, agree with him that a lot of writing on the web lacks personality. Many companies or products are backed by powerful brands. In a lot of cases, its the branding that sells, not necessarily the product. In these instances, there’s a golden opportunity for these companies to use the voice, style and tone of their brands in their web copy. Most companies now realize that their web sites are a legitimate extension of their brand, but every once in a while I’ll stumble upon a website that is clearly not conviced of this.

A smart company knows their voice and makes sure that it’s used consistently throughout all of their operations. Its an easy thing to do and its come a long way since the early days of the web, but there are still some companies stuck in the Stone Ages.

Interviewing and Writing – neighbourknowledge.com

My longest tenured writing position was with the local social networking site neighbourknowledge.com. My job was to network with small businesses and conduct interviews, which would be published online and in print.

It was a fun job, a job that required me to meet interesting people and find out what makes them tick. I met a number of characters and learned a lot about the city that I live in.

The site launched in Toronto and Vancouver and although we had the support of users, we never found the corporate support to keep it afloat. It’s a shame, because I look back at this project often and think of what could have been.

Here are some of my favourite interviews that I did for neighbourknowledge.com:

Hilary Morris – Artist, owner or Beaver Pond Creative Productions

Blake Hanacek – Enviromentalist, owner of Agro Cafe

Shanda Jerrett – Owner of Gumdrops

Keith Bickford – Owner of The Comic Shop

Andy Cook – Restauranteur, owner of The Davie Village Cafe

Pharmaceutical Content

Recently I was hired by a web development company to write some content for their client’s online pharmacy. What the client needed was specific information for each drug that they offer their customers. Needless to say, the job required a lot of research and fact-checking. Here’s a sample of some of the content I wrote for them:

Allegra

Generic Name: Fexofenadine (fex oh FEN a deen)
Brand Names: Allegra

What is Allegra?

Allegra is an antihistamine. Antihistamines work against the naturally occurring chemical histamine and prevent sneezing, runny nose, itching and watering of the eyes, and other allergic symptoms.

In addition to the antihistamine in Allegra, it also contains the nasal decongestant pseudoephedrine.

Important Information

· Allegra belongs to the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether this medication will harm an unborn baby. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant.

· It is also not known whether Allegra passes into breast milk. Do not take without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

· Allegra is not approved for use by children younger than 6 years of age.

Things to Discuss Before Using

Before taking Allegra tell your doctor if you:

· Have heart disease.

· Have liver disease.

· Have kidney disease.

You may not be able to take this medication, or you may require a special dosage or monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.

Dosage Method

Use Allegra exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.

It is also necessary to follow these dosage directions:

· Take each dose of Allegra with a full glass of water.

· Usually taken twice a day, in the morning and the evening. Follow your doctor’s instructions.

· Do not take an antacid that contains aluminum or magnesium such as Rolaids, Maalox, Mylanta, Milk of Magnesia, Pepcid Complete, and others. These antacids may decrease the effects of this medication.

· Never take more of Allegra than is directed by your doctor. If your symptoms are not being adequately treated, talk to your doctor.

· Allegra should be stored at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Missed a Dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take only the next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of Allegra.

Overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if an overdose is suspected. Symptoms of an overdose are not well known.

Things to Avoid During Treatment

Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are taking an antacid that contains aluminum or magnesium such as Rolaids, Maalox, Mylanta, Milk of Magnesia, Pepcid Complete, and others.

You may not be able to take this medication, or you may require a special dosage or monitoring during treatment if you are taking any of the medicines listed above. Drugs other than those listed here may also interact or affect your condition. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines.

Side Effects

If you experience an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives) stop taking this medication and contact your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical treatment.

Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take this medication and talk to your doctor if you experience:

· Nausea or an upset stomach.

· Drowsiness or sleepiness.

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effects that seem unusual.

Firefox: Web 2.0′s Browser of Choice

I’ve only recently been turned on to all of the powerful tools available for Mozilla’s Firefox web browser. I downloaded Firefox 2 in 2006 when I first got word of tabbed browsing, but the love affair didn’t last long. Tabbed browsing was all Firefox had to offer me, or so I thought, so it was easy to forget about it once IE had caught up. Now of course I know that there are hundreds, possibly thousands of third party extensions (add-ons) you can download through Mozilla that make Firefox a vastly superior browser to IE.

I’ve already installed some of the most popular extensions available like:

• Web Developer – Probably the most useful browser-based tool ever created for web developers. This toolbar allows disable and view CSS styles, images, and HTML elements and offers quick links to validators. I’m still discovering all of the uses for this extension, but I’m confident that I’ll be using it pretty extensively from now on. In fact, this extension alone was enough to get me to switch to Firefox.

• HTML Validator – Another great tool for web developers, HTML Validator will validate a page’s code viewing the source. The real functionality of this extension though lies in the ability to jump link from the errors in the validator to the errors in the code. Online validators like the W3C only tell you the line and column number of the error and offer an idea as to what the problem might be. HTML Validator, so far, has given me specific solutions to every error on any of the pages that I’ve checked.

• FireFTP – An easy to use, intuitive, browser-based  FTP client, I’ve wanted one of these for some time. FireFTP makes it easy to log in, connect and transfer files from your computer to your ftp site or web server. No frills, no unnecessary junk, just a good client that will save you hours working remotely on your website.

• FoxyTunes – A media player extension that installs itself in the status bar, it allows you control any one of about 25 different players, including of course Itunes.  It also provides links to lyrics, videos, and reviews of whatever you’re listening to. Goodbye allmusic.com our seperation was long overdue.

Those are only four of a ever-growing list of useful extensions for Firefox. I’ve experimented with others, the most interesting being Gestures, which allows you to browse the web without having to use the navigation bar for simple tasks like going back, forward, or opening a new tab. A simple flick of the mouse left takes you back a page, right takes you forward, right-click and an upward flick opens a new tab. It’s still a little buggy, but it’s intriguing nonetheless. There are also extensions with more mass appeal like WeatherBug which provides weather forecasts, or GooglePreview which displays a preview thumbnail next to each Google search listing.

There are likely dozens of extensions that I could find a use for and blog about, but I’ll end my list here. Hopefully I’ve done enough soapboxing to encourage you to give Firefox a try, if you’re looking to experience the web rather than just surf the web, you won’t be disappointed.

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox

Lifetime Roofing Products

I was recently hired by BestWest Roofing to develop content for their website. Going into the project, I had no knowledge of roofing systems or roofing materials. Now, after having completed the project, I can describe to you all of your options when replacing or repairing your roof. BestWest is a forward thinking company and are promoting the installation of ‘Lifetime Products’ to their customers. Lifetime Products can cost more than traditional asphalt or cedar roofs, but have superior performance and durability. Check out the webcopy that I wrote about Lifetime Products for BestWest’s product pages:

Lifetime Products

Now more than ever consumers are aware of the options that they have when repairing or replacing their roof. Traditional roofing products like asphalt shingles and cedar shakes comprise the bulk of the market, but savvy homeowners are starting to learn the benefits of choosing lifetime synthetic roofing products. A lifetime product is a broad term used to describe a synthetic roofing product that is similar in appearance to traditional roofing products, but offers superior performance and durability.

When you consider that lifetime products look just as good, last longer, and are more environmentally friendly than traditional roofing products, they should be the obvious choice.

Lifetime Synthetic Cedar Products

Cedar has traditionally been used as a roofing material in the Lower Mainland mainly because of its availability. Living in a coastal rainforest that supports an enormous forestry industry, it isn’t difficult to find quality lumber. However, even the best quality cedar is prone to cracking, rotting and warping, sometimes in as little as 10 years. More apparent to homeowners, cedar can discolour and stain in as little as 5 years. As beautiful as a cedar roof can look upon installation, west coast winters can really take their toll and affect a cedar roof’s durability. Lifetime synthetic cedar products can replicate the look of cedar, giving the home the same classic look while providing much more protection and durability.

Enviroshake®

Enviroshake® is a Canadian company that manufactures high quality roofing products that provide a practical, durable alternative to traditional cedar shake and asphalt shingles. Enviroshake’s® synthetic shakes are designed to replicate the rustic look of cedar shake, while providing protection and durability that surpass any cedar or asphalt product on the market.

Just how durable is Enviroshake®? Well its manufacturers offer up a 50 Year Non-Prorated Warranty, the most impressive in the industry. What this means is that Enviroshake® will not crack, rot, warp, flake, peel, or become compromised in any way for 50 years. If it does, then the product is defective and will be replaced by the manufacturer. No treatment is needed and it’s maintenance free once installed. In comparison, the average cedar roof has a warranty period of 20 years and requires regular maintenance, repairs and cleaning.

Enviroshake® is manufactured from recycled industrial plastics, rubber elastomers and cellulosic fibres. Its physical properties make it superior to cedar in terms of UV protection, weather resistance, mould and moss resistance, and insect resistance. Installation of Enviroshake® is much more efficient than cedar and creates much less waste. No unnecessary resources are used in the manufacturing of Enviroshake® and it’s made from 95% recycled materials. So, even though it’s not as ‘natural’ as traditional cedar shakes, its environmental impact is much smaller.

DaVinci Shake

DaVinci Roofscapes manufactures high quality synthetic roofing products, similar to Enviroshake®, that also provide a practical, durable alternative to traditional cedar shake and asphalt shingles. In addition to having a synthetic cedar shake product called DaVinci Shake, they also manufacture a synthetic slate product called DaVinci Slate.

DaVinci Shake and DaVinci Slate are lightweight, synthetic shingles with the appearance, colour, texture and thickness of natural cedar shakes and natural slate, respectively. Both products are made of engineered polymer formulated from 100% virgin plastic resins to ensure high quality and consistency.

More and more homeowners are becoming interested in DaVinci Shake for the same reasons as Enviroshake®. It offers them the appearance of a natural looking cedar roof, while providing them with exceptional performance and durability. DaVinci Shake’s 5/8” profile is over twice the thickness of other synthetic shakes and it’s available in a variety of widths ranging from 9” to 4”. The four available colour blends (New Cedar, Mountain Blend, Tahoe Blend and Autumn Wood) replicate the natural look of a beautifully maintained cedar roof.

Lifetime Asphalt Products

Asphalt shingles dominate the roofing market in Canada because their durability, performance, appearance and cost make them a very practical choice for homeowners. Asphalt roofing is an enormous industry and as such is full of choices regarding performance and longevity. Traditional asphalt shingles typically have a lifespan of 20 to 30 years, but high quality, chemically treated shingles are available in 50-year lifetime warranties.

BestWest Roofing installs lifetime asphalt products from highly reputable manufacturers like IKO Roofing, BP Roofing, Malarkey Roofing, Certainteed Roofing and ELK Roofing. Shingle samples are available upon request.

Lifetime Synthetic Slate Products

Natural slate tiles are absolutely a time-tested lifetime product, but their high cost make them an impractical choice for most homeowners. Installing a slate roof can raise some concerns for homeowners. Firstly, it takes a specialized installer called a ‘slater’ or ‘slate mason’ to install a slate roof, which can be expensive. The cost of materials for a slate roof is also considerably expensive. Secondly, slate is heavier than other roofing products and requires that the home has the proper structure to support it.

Da Vinci Slate

The history of slate roofing is long and goes back centuries to when roofing stone was obtained in deep quarry holes from which men would have to split roofing shingles from rock by the aid of simple hand tools. Obviously, much has changed in the roofing industry since then, but some homeowners are still drawn to the old world charm of a beautiful slate roof. However, installing a slate roof can raise some concerns for homeowners. Firstly, it takes a specialized installer called a ‘slater’ or ‘slate mason’ to install a slate roof, which can be expensive. The cost of materials for a slate roof is also considerably more than the alternatives. Secondly, slate is heavier than other roofing products and requires that the home has the proper structure to support it. So, in an effort to address these concerns and provide the appearance of a slate roof, DaVinci Roofscapes developed DaVinci Slate. DaVinci Slate is more affordable than natural slate and weighs the same as other synthetic roofing products.

Distinction Slate

Another popular synthetic slate product is Distinction Slate by Trimline. It’s made from 58% recycled high density polyethylene and is 100% recyclable once its lifespan is up. Distinction Slate, like Da Vinci Slate, is designed to replicate the look of a natural slate roof while avoiding the prohibitive material and labour costs of natural slate.

On many houses, expensive roof modifications must be made to accommodate the extra weight of slate tiles, but because Distinction Slate tiles are a third the weight of natural slate tiles, this extra labour isn’t necessary. In fact, the weight of Distinction Slate tiles is comparable with the weight of most 30 year asphalt shingles. Also, despite being so light, Distinction Slate tiles still maintain the luxurious thick appearance of natural slate tiles.

Distinction Slate is extremely durable and exceeds all minimum regulations for rate of burn, smoke density, self and flash ignition and water absorption. Trimline backs all of this up with a 50-Year Limited Warranty.

Chunky Writing

I’ll admit, I’m new to the world of writing web code. However, in the few months that I’ve been writing (X)HTML and PHP, I’ve come to realize at its base, it’s very similar to writing prose.

In both cases, your document is reliant on structure. A well organized document ensures comprehension from your readers. By chunking related code together the same way related content is chunked together, a mental map is created for readers on both sides of the document.

Chunking content is necessary when writing for the web, because users generally don’t read websites in a linear way. Instead, they scan paragraphs or entire pages for only the content they’re interested in and read from there. Therefore it’s absolutely necessary to keep ideas contained within themselves. A new idea necessitates a new paragraph, or often a new section or new page.

Chunking code is also important when creating a document, but more for the developer than the user. A poorly organized HTML or PHP doc can still look good on the web, but it can be a nightmare to edit and update for a developer. Chunking block elements together creates a map of the document that shows the relation between elements and the design of the document.

So it’s pretty clear that chunking is beneficial for readers on both sides of the document. Chunking related content helps users, while chunking related code helps developers. So do everyone a favour, practice chunky writing.

The New Guy

Hello,

Nice to meet you, my name is Trevor Connors. I’m a writer and aspiring web developer based out of Vancouver, BC. I’ve started this blog as a way to express some of my ideas about web communication, while also showcasing my writing skills to potential employers. I’ve been writing professionally for nearly two years, having graduated from BCIT’s Technical Writing program in April ’08. I’m currently studying web development at BCIT and will graduate in December ’11.

In my spare time I like to travel with my fiance Renee, we’ve travelled throughout BC, and have visited Saskatchewan, Alberta and Ontario as well. I’m a hockey nut; in the winter I play ice hockey, in the summer I play roller hockey. There’s no end to hockey season for me.

So there you have it, now you know me on both a professional and a personal level. I hope you enjoy my take on the world of web communication, and even if you don’t, I’m still grateful that you visited.