History of Halloween

Welcome to episode 148 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. In this episode, your charismatic hosts Daphne and Fred provide an extensive overview of the 2,000-year evolution of Halloween, detailing how it transformed from an ancient observance to a modern commercial holiday. All in only 12 minutes! They begin with the holiday's earliest roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the New Year and the period when the veil between the living and the dead was thinnest. They explain how the Catholic Church strategically absorbed this pagan observance by establishing All Saints' Day and All Hallows' Eve in the eighth century. The two then track the holiday's American evolution, noting that Irish and Scottish immigrants brought traditions like "guising" and "Mischief Night," which escalated into widespread vandalism by the 1930s. Finally, this educational episode concludes by describing the rise of trick-or-treating as a means of social engineering to tame the holiday, noting the post-war commercial boom that cemented Halloween's identity as a children's holiday before its eventual co-option by adults._________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt_________________________>> Watch a video overview of this research from Robbins: https://youtu.be/1u9g-z0Fnxk>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 147 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!Today’s episode reviews an article by show producer Robbins that showcases 10 powerful software tools for technical writers and documentation specialists.Hosts Daphne and Fred unpack this informative and enlightening article that reviews and categorizes ten essential software tools for technical writers, including Camtasia, Snagit, Swagger, MadCap Flare, Confluence, Document360, and Google Docs._________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt_________________________>> Read the original article: https://tinyurl.com/mprmfpyv>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 146 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!Today’s episode reviews an article by show producer Robbins that is a tool review of Paligo.Hosts Daphne and Fred unpack this informative and enlightening article about this cloud-first content management system for technical documentation. The review begins by positioning Paligo as a powerful solution for moving beyond traditional tools like Word, emphasizing its commitment to topic-based structured authoring and content reuse via XML. The article then enumerates several pros, including true single-sourcing, robust version control, and multi-channel publishing capabilities. It then contrasts these advantages with significant cons, including a prohibitively high price point and the difficulty in customizing published outputs. Ultimately, Robbins concludes that Paligo is a highly specialized and expensive system best suited for large enterprise organizations with complex documentation needs, making it impractical for small companies or individual freelancers._________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt_________________________>> Read the original article: https://tinyurl.com/fp42svsz>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 145 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!Today’s episode reviews an interview with junior technical writer Izzy Brotzman from Milwaukee that was conducted by show producer Robbins. Hosts Daphne and Fred unpack this informative and enlightening interview that explores the career journey and insights of Brotzman, a technical writer at Iron Mountain, covering his unusual educational background. He has a nuanced stance on artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool. Brotzman also discusses how technical writing drives definition and consistency in product development and how Agile methodologies benefit her work and team visibility. _________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt_________________________>> Read the original interview: https://tinyurl.com/3hwx8ccr>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 144 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!Today’s episode reviews a video entitled "Google’s Sundar Pichai Reveals Future of AI in Candid Talk with Marc Benioff" that was published on YouTube on October 17 by DWS News.Hosts Daphne and Fred unpack this informative 45-minute video in only 14 minutes (you just got 30 more minutes today; you're welcome). The interview primarily centers on Pichai's personal background and journey, tracing his life from growing up in South India and his early fascination with technology to his education at Stanford and eventually joining Google.A major focus of the discussion is the evolution of technology at Google, particularly the company's shift to an "AI first" strategy. This was driven by the development of foundational models like the Transformer and the subsequent creation of Gemini, emphasizing the potential for AI to act as a digital super intelligence and collaborator in the future. Benioff and Pichai also discuss their companies' shared values, the importance of long-term research investments, and the need for responsible stewardship of powerful new technologies like quantum computing and AI._________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt_________________________>> Watch the original video: https://tinyurl.com/336jshpe>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 143 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!Today’s episode reviews an article by this show's producer Curt Robbins, a senior technical writer, entitled "Understanding Usability Testing."Hosts Daphne and Fred unpack this informative article from Robbins that was published on LinkedIn on October 17.The article defines usability testing as a structured observation process to determine if a product or document is truly consumable by its audience, emphasizing that its goal is to uncover points of confusion rather than merely finding bugs. Robbins discusses the pros and cons of usability testing, highlighting cost reduction and risk mitigation as major benefits, while noting the high cost and time commitment as drawbacks. Finally, the article explains how usability testing's value proposition differs for large enterprises, small companies, and individual consultants, arguing it is critical for compliance and risk management across all scales._________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt_________________________>> Read the original article: https://tinyurl.com/399ypfyu>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 142 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!Today’s episode reviews an article by Victoria Oluchi Lazarus, a technical writer and software programmer from Nigeria, entitled "Information Architecture: What Does This Mean in Technical Writing?"Hosts Daphne and Fred unpack this informative article from Lazarus that was published on LinkedIn on February 27.Lazarus explains Information Architecture (IA) as the essential process of strategically organizing content to ensure clarity and usability for end-users, using the example of a poorly structured TV manual to illustrate its importance. To help technical writers improve their documentation, Lazarus outlines seven key strategies for excelling at IA, including understanding the audience, defining a clear structure, and testing and iterating on the content. _________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt>> Read the original Lazarus article: https://tinyurl.com/3jsjfmwh>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 141 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!Today’s episode reviews a new article from this show's producer, senior technical writer Curt Robbins, entitled "The Role of AI & Discipline in Achieving Efficiency & Productivity."Hosts Daphne and Fred unpack this informative article from Robbins that was published on LinkedIn on October 10.Robbins addresses the highly competitive job market for technical writers and content creators, asserting that success requires more than just proficiency with software. He focuses on the essential combination of artificial intelligence (AI) skills and personal discipline and rigor. Robbins strongly advises professionals to master AI tools to avoid being replaced by others who have, citing Accenture's recent layoffs as a potent example. He also stresses the critical role of discipline, strategic execution, and maintaining a positive attitude as key differentiators for career success._________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt>> Read the original article: https://tinyurl.com/4ntd2c7v>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 140 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!Today’s episode reviews a new article from CJ Walker in France entitled "Unlocking New Career Paths: How Data Transforms into Knowledge." Hosts Daphne and Fred unpack the informative article from Walker that was published on the Firehead blog which discusses how technical communicators transform raw data into knowledge and insight. The article outlines an eight-stage knowledge transformation journey, progressing from Raw Data to Insight, detailing how each stage adds value and meaning to information. Furthermore, the source emphasizes the evolving and strategic role of technical communicators within this process, arguing that modern practitioners act as knowledge architects and system designers rather than just writers. Finally, the text explores emerging specialized career paths in knowledge transformation, such as Knowledge Systems Architect and Content Intelligence Manager, demonstrating the growing demand for these sophisticated skill sets._________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt>> Read the original Walker article: https://tinyurl.com/2t2n6a6w>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 139 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!Today’s episode reviews a new article from show producer Robbins entitled "Is Bigfoot Real? An Exercise in Critical Thinking."Hosts Daphne and Fred unpack the informative article to better understand the dynamics of critical thinking within the world of documentation and technical writing. Although the article begins by discussing the topic of Bigfoot, Robbins quickly reveals that the true purpose is to instruct technical writers and IT professionals on the vital importance of employing critical thinking and demanding empirical evidence rather than relying on opinions or emotional beliefs. Robbins structures his argument with several lessons that differentiate between fact and opinion, stressing that scientific proof, such as a body, bones, or DNA, is necessary to validate a claim like Bigfoot's existence, as noted by figures like Neil deGrasse Tyson. Furthermore, he highlights the correlation between Bigfoot sightings and black bear populations as well as the lack of recent, clear video evidence, concluding that for professionals, objectivity and logic must supersede groupthink and bias._________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt>> Read the original article: https://tinyurl.com/mry5px72>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn