On June 3-6, the award-winning
publications of the first
national technical publications
competition are displayed
at the annual conference
at the Hotel Leamington
in Minneapolis.
Computer-Assisted Instruction
(CAI) shows great promise
for many levels of education
and training.
Members of the Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute
found the Journal of Technical
Writing and Communication.Under
Al Pardoe's leadership,
the Society of Technical
Writers and Publishers
(STWP) changes its name
to the Society for Technical
Communication (STC) and
bylaws and a logo are
developed.
Mary Schaefer becomes STC's
first woman president.
She also helps create
the International Council
for Technical Communication
(INTECOM). Charter members
include England, Holland,
Sweden, and the U.S.,
represented by the STWP.
|
1970 |
Breakthroughs at Corning
Glass open the door to
wide usaged of fiber optic
technology, revolutionizing
communications.In the
U.S.,
Gilbert Hyatt invents the
microprocessor.
The first "floppy
disk" is introduced.
It is several years before
the size and formatting
of these disks (which
were indeed floppy) standardizes.
The first Earth Day celebration
is held worldwide, raising
consciousness about environmental
issues.
|
The
number of chapters holding
technical publications competitions
triples to nine.
Ernie Mazzatenta writes to
Nelson Briggs, "There
are many reasons for this
phenomenon, but one seems
to stand out - that is the
desire of technical writers
in general to see how their
skills measure up against
those of their peers, and
to bring the value of their
efforts to the often unappreciative
attention of company management."
In June, Ernie, Pete, and Nelson
present a panel at the annual
conference, "Establishing
Your Chapter Awards Program,"
to motivate chapter leaders
to start publications contests
of their own. The following
year, several more chapters
get involved. |
1971 |
In France, François
Gernelle develops the first
microcomputer.
Texas Instruments introduces
the first "pocket"
calculator, the Pocketronic,
weighing about 2.5 lb. The
device can only add, subtract,
multiply, and divide. (Slide
rule manufacturers don't yet
despair. )
Niklaus Wirth
develops the Pascal computer
language, named for philosopher
Blaise Pascal, who invented
the first calculator. |
STC
revises its membership grades
from a scale with four different
dues rates and establishes
a flat dues rate for all grades
except students.
The U.S. Department of Defense
launches the "Improved
Technical Documentation and
Training Initiative (ITDT),
dubbed "itty-ditty."
The prescribed format used
a highly graphic, comic book-style
to teach army recruits complex
equipment maintenance procedures. |
1972 |
The Olympic Games
in Munich make extensive use
of computers for timing events
and computing results.
French journalist Franklin
Loufrani creates "Smiley,"
the first of ever-increasing
graphic vocabulary of instantly
recognizable emotions.
|
The Association
of Teachers of Technical Writing
(ATTW) is formed to encourage
dialogue among teachers of
technical communication.
The ATTW also starts a journal,
The Technical Writing Teacher.
|
1973 |
The
U.S. launches Skylab, designed
as a live-aboard laboratory for
space research. |
In
the U.S., some insurance companies
start writing their policies
in plain English.
With the January/February issue,
Carl H. Harris becomes editor
of Intercom. |
1974 |
Dr.
Henry Heimlich, writing in a medical
journal, describes a technique
to help choking victims. |
| The
U.S. Government requires all product
warranties to be stated clearly
and unambiguously. |
1975 |
Bill Gates and
Paul Allen form a partnership
known as Microsoft to write
computer software.
|
| For
the first time in its history,
the Modern Language Association
(MLA) allows a panel on technical
writing at its annual conference.
|
1976 |
Cray Research,
Inc. introduces its first
supercomputer, designed by
Seymour Cray. The Cray-1 can
perform 240,000,000 calculations
per second.
Bill Gates obtains
the first UNIX license granted
to someone outside a university. |
|
STC removes sexist language
from its bylaws, but refuses
to avoid holding its annual
conference in states that
have not ratified the Equal
Rights Amendment.
With the first quarter issue,
Frank R. Smith becomes editor
of Technical Communication.
Dr. Frank R. Smith Donald Knuth
of Stanford University introduces
the text processing markup
language TeX, which is particularly
useful for typographically
rendering mathematical formulas.
|
1977 |
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak
launch the Apple II, which
has a floppy disk drive
and a full keyboard.
|
S. Martin Shelton organizes
the first STC Audiovisual
competition. For the first
several years, the competition
receives only filmstrips
and slide-shows (much
later, videos enter the
competition).
In January, William Wells
becomes editor of Intercom.
|
1978 |
On July
25, 1978, Louise Joy Brown, the
world's first successful "test-tube"
baby is born. |
The American Institutes
for Research (AIR) forms
the Document Design Center,
with Janice (Ginny) Redish
as director. This organization
conducts and publishes
research on ways that
document design can contribute
to effective communication.
Ron Field leads a successful
effort to distribute the
population of STC into
regions and to assign
the regions specifically
to director-sponsors.
|
1979 |
VisiCalc,
the first spreadsheet program
debuts.
Sony introduces the Walkman.
Cyclist Byron Allen crosses
the English Channel in a pedal-powered
aircraft called the Gossamer
Albatross, designed by Dr.
Paul MacCready. The flight
takes 2 hours, 49 minutes |
Editor's Exigency