Tag: technical writing

RTFM!!

Karen, Dot, Tess, Jeff - Christmas Eve 2021

I know, I know, it takes a weird geek like me to enjoy reading the little booklet that comes with any new appliance or toy, from bluetooth speakers to refrigerators.

I actually pour a nice beverage, crack open the book, and read the English instructions from one end to the other, including the legal warnings about no-brainer electric shock hazard info. There’s always a gem in there somewhere that I need to know in order to install successfully. Like how to level the fridge with the little twisty legs on the front. Lefty loosy righty tighty.

Last night on Christmas Eve I was with a group of friends installing a new TV prior to the festivities. The most basic item was not covered in the little manual. And four fairly intelligent people could not figure out how to plug in the TV.

It was mounted on the wall—a very complex procedure, accomplished by my tall and talented friend Jeff, without so much as glancing at the book. Once that was done, we all agreed it was time for martinis. Peppermint martinis—amazingly good and they go down like water—offered by our luscious songstress Dorothy, the owner of the wall and the TV.

After a round of martinis we thought it was time to get something up on the screen. Not a yule log—Dot wanted something more exciting. Perhaps a snowy Christmas scene from New York pre-global warming.

Then the fun really began. iPhones were turned on. The flashlight was employed, from every single angle, by yours truly, and then, in case I had missed the obvious, by our celebrity director friend Tess. To no avail. There was no apparent way to hook the power cord to the TV.

Finally I said RTFM!!! Hapless Jeff located the Spanish version and attempted to decipher powero cordo. Not happening. I suggested we look a little deeper into the small pile of documentation and find the English version. And we turned it over, back to front. Mention was made of turning the power on, but not of how to connect the cord. Finally I spotted a small diagram on the back that seemed to hint at the place to insert the chord, on the bottom at the very back of the TV, hidden once it was installed on the wall. Great design! And such helpful instructions.

Of course Jeff had to take the TV off the wall again, and sure enough—in the most inaccessible spot imaginable—there was a small double-concave hole in which to insert the cord.

How many New Yorkers does it take to plug in a TV? Four. And how many peppermint martinis? At least eight! But if they had just RTFM from the beginning… we would have missed out on a lot of fun. ROTF.

Merry Christmas. Let the electronic yule logs blaze on your well-installed TVs!

Karen Rempel is a New York-bound alien of extraordinary ability!

Visa 2

Hi everyone,

I have some very exciting news! My US visa application as an alien of extraordinary ability has been approved! This is a wonderful privilege, and many people helped me by writing letters on my behalf for the application. Thank you all!

From the US Citizenship and Immigration Services website, this is the requirement for the EB-1 employment-based immigration category:

“You must be able to demonstrate extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics through sustained national or international acclaim. Your achievements must be recognized in your field through extensive documentation. No offer of employment is required.

“You must meet 3 of 10 criteria* below, or provide evidence of a one-time achievement (i.e., Pulitzer, Oscar, Olympic Medal).”

With the Olympics just on, this makes my application success all the more special. It’s like I have won the Olympic Gold Medal for technical writing!

Visa 3And the letters you all provided helped me to establish most of the criteria in the list of 10:

You must meet 3 out of the 10 listed criteria below to prove extraordinary ability in your field:

  • Evidence of receipt of lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards for excellence – Yes
  • Evidence of your membership in associations in the field which demand outstanding achievement of their members – Yes
  • Evidence of published material about you in professional or major trade publications or other major media – Yes
  • Evidence that you have been asked to judge the work of others, either individually or on a panel – Yes
  • Evidence of your original scientific, scholarly, artistic, athletic, or business-related contributions of major significance to the field – Yes
  • Evidence of your authorship of scholarly articles in professional or major trade publications or other major media – Yes
  • Evidence that your work has been displayed at artistic exhibitions or showcases (this is true – I had my first art exhibit at Havana last summer – but I didn’t submit evidence for this category)
  • Evidence of your performance of a leading or critical role in distinguished organizations – Yes
  • Evidence that you command a high salary or other significantly high remuneration in relation to others in the field – Yes
  • Evidence of your commercial successes in the performing arts (I provided equivalent evidence of the success of my book – a Canadian best-seller with over 40,000 copies sold – the number of sales for a quadruple-gold record!)

This achievement fills me with joy. The work of the first 50 years of my life has resulted in a wonderful foundation for the next 50 years! During the process of preparing the materials for the visa, I had the opportunity to reflect on everything I’ve done so far, to connect with many people I’ve worked with along the way, and to really appreciate the many opportunities I’ve enjoyed, to contribute my abilities to the world in many different capacities. It was almost like going on a vision quest, except that it involved consuming reams of paper and dozens of ink cartridges! 🙂

First submission (450 pages, 8 pounds!):

Visa 1
Second submission (350 pages, 5 pounds):

RFEThank you again, to everyone who has helped. It’s been wonderful connecting with you again, and I couldn’t have done this without you. Words can’t express my deep appreciation.