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The Seventeenth Annual WritersUA Conference for Software User Assistance has concluded. The event took place March 29-April 1. The conference featured over seventy cutting-edge topics from forty-five experts, project demonstrations from other user assistance developers, plus an exhibition of products and services, certificate programs, and networking events.

The goal is always to provide the most comprehensive and timely information specifically designed for user assistance professionals. The 2008 roster represented 41 of the United States, 5 provinces of Canada, and 14 other countries. Attendance has totaled over 8,000 people in the past 17 years!

2009 Attendees Represented: • ACT Inc. • Adobe Systems Incorporated • Advsol • Agilent Technologies Inc. • Alaya Inc. • Amazon.com • Arbitron Inc. • Atlassian • Author-it Software Corporation • Avanade • Avenue A | Razorfish • Beckman Coulter, Inc. • Bellevue Community College • Blackbaud • Blue Coat Systems • Boeing • Bovacon • Bowhead • Byrd Writes Communications • CCC Information Services • ClickStart • Cognex Corporation • College Center for Library Automation • ComponentOne • Compuware • Corda Technologies • CorVel Corporation • CQG • Crow Information Design • CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd • Deaton Interactive Design / SodaBlue Partners • ECi OMD • E. & J. Gallo Winery • Eclipsys Corporation • Ecole de technologie superieure • Edifecs, Inc. • Emerson Process Management • ESRI • EVIDD • F5 Networks Inc. • Famous Software • Fell Swoop • LLC • FileMaker • Flickr • GE Energy • Gen-Probe Incorporated • Geomodeling Technology Corp. • Ginesthoi Communications • Group Wellesley • Harland Financial Solutions • HAT-Matrix.com • HelpServer • Huron Consulting Group • HyperTrain dot Com • IBM Internet Security Systems • IconLogic Inc. • Illumina, Inc. • Information Builders & iWay Software • Insitu • Intel Corporation • Intuit • IPS - Sendero • ITG • ITR • JTF Associates Inc. • JustSystems • Kyocera Technology Development • LavaCon • Lending Processing Services • Leximation Inc. • LexisNexis • LizardTech • MadCap Software • McAfee Inc. • Media Cybernetics Inc. • MedPlus • Medtronic Inc. • Metia Solutions, Inc. • Microsoft • Mitchell International, Inc. • Mosiac Company • NEC CCIS SSC • New Dawn Technologies, Inc • OASIS • Omega Legal Systems • Omni Group • ON Semiconductor • Oracle • Orthodyne Electronics • Pavilion/Rockwell • Philips Healthcare • Physio-control, Inc. • Ports America • ProCare Software • Publishing Smarter • QuIC Financial Technologies • Research In Motion • Rockwell Automation • Sabre Holdings • Sabre Inc. • Salesforce.com Inc. • SAS Institute Inc • Scantron Corporation • Secure Passage • Siemens Building Technologies, Inc. • Skarven Enterprises, Inc. • Software Documentation Inc. • Sophos Inc. • StockCharts.com, Inc. • StrataGen Systems • StrataGen Systems • Sun Microsystems • SunGard Public Sector • Sybase iAnywhere • Symantec Corporation • Syscon • Syscon Justice Systems • TIBCO Software Inc • TYBRIN Corporation • TranSenda International • Trend Micro • Tyler Technologies • University of Texas at El Paso • University of Washington • UsabilityWorks • UserAid • Varian Medical Systems • Vario CV • Volt • Watermark LLC • WebWorks.com • West Virginia University • WindJack Solutions Inc. • WordSmith LLC

The opening session of the conference features a visit with Scott McCloud. Scott created the now infamous comic book which describes the technical aspects of Google’s Chrome browser. He'll talk about the challenges of communicating technical information in a startlingly unique way. Beyond the work with Chrome, Scott will discuss the value of comics in mission critical situations, the business of story-telling, and how comics offer a unique way of expressing a message that is interesting and entertaining. McCloud has lectured on comics and digital media at MIT, Pixar, Google, Microsoft and The Smithsonian Institution. Enjoy this wide-ranging interview with journalist and commentator Mary Jo Foley. Mary Jo’s All About Microsoft Microsoft blog is among the top business blogs on the Web. Her book – Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft Plans to Stay Relevant in the Post-Gates Era – provides a framework for a discussion of her views about Microsoft activities including Windows 7, Azure, and home entertainment and mobile initiatives. Matthew Ellison will be host. In this entertaining conference-closing presentation, Jared Spool will share some of his recent research into the craft of professional magic. He'll demonstrate the parallels between the world of magical illusions and the world of digital design, comparing the similarities between professional illusions and some of today's top design techniques. Jared spends his time working with the research teams at his company User Interface Engineering, helping clients understand how to solve their design problems.		This year's Conference features seven interest areas with information on: • Emerging Skills  • Technology Updates   • Design Strategies    • Tool Techniques     • Content Development      • Open Standards       • Special Interest The conference topics cover a broad range of key tools, processes, technologies, and techniques. • DITA, XML, Structured Authoring  • User-centered Design & Usability   • eLearning Tools and Techniques    • Hands-on Computer Tutorials     • Web 2.0 and Interactive UA      • Adobe, Microsoft, Google       • Case Studies

The Conference Exhibition is the annual marketplace for the latest user assistance products and services.		Our exhibition of innovative projects lets you get up close and personal with the developers themselves. NETWORKING EVENTS The conference offers a networking reception and networking lunch to help you meet colleagues and make new friends.

Focus on a specific Conference Interest Area to receive a professional recognition certificate for your specialization.		New to User Assistance? The free LaunchPad Certificate Program guides you through a specially designed Conference curriculum.

WritersUA has joined with the eLearning Guild to present a special collection of speakers and topics representing the best in eLearning information.		Jumpstart your Conference experience by attending practical supplemental seminars — Introduction to DITA, Introduction to Captivate, and Five Ways to Test User Assistance Usability.