Oct.24th, 2006; HW#4; Writing Project Reflection

The first step I had taken regarding what technology to use to develop a user's instructions was if I wanted to use those technlologies that we, as students in ENG. 111, use daily to complete our assignments. Those technologies being: this one, blogger; pageflakes; furl; WebCT through our college; mycomplab. I, personally, thought I would up very boring, have no enthusiasm for constructing instructions for these.
So, with that in mind, I ask Shelley if could possibly a different web-site. I have begun to work-out, and I thought of the instructions for the technology of an on-line exercise diary/log. I chose ActiveLog.com.and I was o.k.ed by Shelley to use it.
I, next, looked at this site with a more critical eye; not as a user, but rather as technical writer.
After numerous rounds of "cutting & pasting" the 3 pages that a new user would be accessing initially into a blank word-processing document, I then began writing the actual instruction steps. The 'cutting & pasting' aspect was the worst portion of this whole HP process!
After getting the first draft written and close getting finishing we were required to send as an e-mail attachment, our HP to 2 other classmates for peer-review. Oh, wow! My classmates are way cool! Joshua gave me excellent suggestions but he "topped it off" by giving me the heads up about a software called 'SnagIt'. I can't afford that specif software; however, there is a free-ware version, called, Gadwin PrintScreen'. Thank you, Josh! You are a life-saver!! Without his initial suggestion, I have a hunch I would have been so frustrated.
Prior to using the freeware, all the graph/ table lines of ActiveLog were retained. Now, all the images look like mirrors of the original.
When I felt satisfied with the final images, I corrected and modified the instructions according to Elizabeth's and Josh's suggestions.