About me

Jean Hollis Weber

Retired technical editor and writer with over 30 years of editing experience

I have over 40 years of experience as a scientific and technical editor and writer, most of them in computing and high-technology industries.

My clients have included Dexion (Australia) Pty Ltd, IBM Global Services Australia, NCR Australia, Studioserv (New York), Lexmark International (Australia), Advanced Power Pty Ltd, and a variety of other software development companies in the Sydney area.

My work has included:

  • Analysis, planning and estimating of writing and editing projects
  • Writing and editing hardware and software user manuals, tutorials and online help
  • Editing web pages and scientific, technical and engineering material
  • Indexing
  • Training in technical and scientific editing

My earlier work was as a scientific editor and information officer with CSIRO and the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

I have taught short courses in writing and editing to IBM, Fujitsu and CSIRO staff; conducted workshops in editing and the use of Microsoft Word for groups including the Society of Editors; and lectured in technical writing and editing at several Sydney-area universities (graduate and undergraduate level).

I have written or co-authored the following books: Electronic Editing, published in October 1999; Editing Online Help, October 2000; Taming Microsoft Word, February 2001; Taming Microsoft Word 2000, February 2002; Taming Microsoft Word 2002, October 2002; Taming OpenOffice.org Writer, April 2003; Taming OpenOffice.org Writer 1.1, October 2003; OpenOffice.org Writer: The Free Alternative to Microsoft Word from O’Reilly, 2004; and Is the Help Helpful? How to create online help that meets your users’ needs from Hentzenwerke, 2004. In addition, I co-authored (with Nicole Amare and Barry Nowlin) Technical Editing in the 21st Century from Prentice Hall, 2011 (available from Amazon.com and other sources), and I have a chapter (Copyediting and Beyond) in New Perspectives on Technical Editing from Baywood, 2010.

I maintain several websites in addition to this one: one for technical editors, one for travellers to Australia, and one for the Friends of OpenDocument, a volunteer organisation.

I am a former member of the Australia Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication.

Personal Details

Born Washington DC, USA; resident of Australia since 1974; Australian citizen since 1981.

Education

BSc (Hons), Botany, University of Maryland, USA
MSc, Plant Ecology, University of Maryland, USA


Page last updated 7 December 2018.