Writing Samples

• samples of user documentation in a corporate environment
• samples of project planning and team management documents
• samples relating to the DocuSharedocument management system
• samples from ClearCase administration work
• samples from a CMM project
• samples from a CMMI infrastructure project
• one of my conference papers
• writing samples from outside a work context
  

Work Samples

User Documentation (ClearCase & Release Management)

• This document (20 p.) was a User Guide and FAQ for Unix and Windows application developers using the ClearCase system  to do configuration management work for their code.   This is structured, tutorial information for knowledgeable users.
  
  
• This document (2 p.) was a Quick Reference sheet for the same set of developers, to keep by their workstation as they used the ClearCase system.  It’s an example of packing a lot of useful technical information into a small space, and was modified frequently to answer the most frequent questions developers—my customers—had as they used the system.
  

Project Planning & Team Leadership

• This document  (6 p.)  contains a plan for a 3-month effort to upgrade the hardware, operating system, ClearCase software, and databases on a set of ClearCase servers.
  
  
• This document (20 p.) was a  planning/priorities/status document I used to manage work priorities for the Unix system administrators supporting a ClearCase server complex I was responsible for.  The document was designed to meet several goals: to manage the work and priorities of the group, to allow group members to update the status of their own tasks, to provide an ongoing record of tasks accomplished, and to provide transparent information to management on the work of our team.  This design, and the use of active hyperlinks to other working documents, reduced e-mail and other communication overhead among this set of people.
  
  
• This document  (4 p.)  explained to management how a technical issue caused by poor makefile coding pactices affected our HP-UX our build process in a way that was going to cause a need for a $500K hardware purchase.

DocuShare

• This document (2 p.) was a memo to management proposing consideration of DocuShare for solving common problems in a corporate technology department.
  
  
• This document (10 p.) gives a summary of work my lab thought was needed to improve our implementation of the DocuShare document management system being rolled out for the entire 1000-person division.
  
  
• This article I wrote recently to describe an idea about combining the power of permanent URL's like those in DocuShare with the intra-document target capability of Acrobat PDF files. 

ClearCase & Systems Administration

• This document (2 p.) was a template I wrote as a ClearCase systems administrator, as a tool to help me be more efficient.  I used and refined it over several years to allow me to more quickly perform weekly system upgrades on as many as 25 servers at a time.   The refinements, over time, allowed me to reduce downtimes from 5 or 6 hours to 3 hours or less, with more machines handled simultaneously.
  
  
• This document (22 p.) was a procedure document I used to guide the setup of a new server to host a ClearCase database.  As our ring of servers got larger, we were setting up new servers more routinely and needed them to be setup more consistently and quickly.  This document helped achieve this.
  

Capability Maturity Model (SEI CMM process improvement) Project

• This document (17 p.)  contains my plan for my local lab to implement the SCM KPA of the SEI CMM for our 130 staff.
  
  
• This document  (7 p.)  contains requirements created by a subgroup of a division team to govern how the DocuShare content management system would be used to meet the requirements set forth by the SCM KPA (software configuration management key process area) of the SEI CMM (Software Engineering Institute Capability Maturity Model).   Section 3.1 gives a good example of how precise I can be with terminology when the situation demands it.
  
  
• This document (1 p.) captures the essence of an argument I made about a terminological issue for the word “procedure” during a working conference call for an SEI CMM (Capability Maturity Model) project.  It shows my focus on precision and clarity in technical communication.

CMMI Infrastructure Project

• This document (13 p.)  contains the customer requirements document for a project to create an online CMMI Handbook for a very large software development organization.
  
  
• This document (8 p.)  contains the product requirements document for that same project.
  
  

Conference Papers

• This conference paper (6 p.) was given at a 1988 IEEE conference and is available in the IEEE digital library.     It is based on work done in the mid-80's in a 400-person software development lab, enhancing work I started in graduate school.  It shows my long-time interest in document management and how the lack of it can affect the productivity of organizations.
  


• I wrote a 1979 conference paper for an SPSS Users Conference, on a data validation system I designed at the World Health Organization to check the logical validity of clinical trial research data from worldwide studies in the area of human reproduction (contraception, family planning, etc), prior to statistical analysis.  I have not yet been able to find a copy of that paper.
  

Other Samples

• I wrote an article titled A Modem Bath With Period Charm , which appeared on pages 74-77 of  Fine Homebuilding Magazine in 2005, in their 2005 Kitchens & Baths issue.  The full article is an 18 MB PDF file, because of the high-res photos.  The article, of course, shows my interest in aesthetic issues (though not the aesthetics of software or hardware).
  Reprinted with permission ©2006, The Taunton Press, Inc.
  
  
• This article I wrote recently to describe an idea about combining the power of permanent URL's like those in DocuShare with the intra-document target capability of Acrobat PDF files. 
  
  
• Last year I wrote up an idea I have about marketing the 1920x1080 PC display resolution capability on 1080p HDTV monitors, for the Consumer Electronics Show.  I'd enjoy working with some consumer electronics company to get this done—I think it could be a fun demo that really engages show attendees.
  
  
• In 2003 I wanted to get a custom desk for my office and worked via e-mail with a Vermont  manufacturer to get it designed.  This document (14 p.)  is a composite of a few different parts of that process—my original requirements,  comments on feedback and questions from the craftsman/CAD designer, and the resulting CAD drawings.  Although this composite is a little rough (I've misplaced the originals and the document only had 3 readers), it does show how my interests in functionality, design, and aesthetics can get expressed.
  
  
• In 2002, a former colleague wrote a book on home theater, and I gave him extensive comments and edits on several drafts before publication.  Although I cannot claim or point out any specific pages where my changes were used, he does give me credit in the Acknowledgments on p. 2 of the book for my extensive help.  This is an example of my editing skills and my urge to make technical communications clear and understandable for the target audience—what I think I helped Marc Rochkind achieve in this book.