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January 2024 Meet & Greet

Welcome the new year at the P&P SIG’s virtual Meet & Greet on January 31 at 7 p.m. (EST)!

Join us for conversation and an opportunity to meet the SIG’s official mascot, the intrepid (and photogenic) world traveler, Monte.

We also have a fun, optional activity to launch the new year. Do you have a special quotation or saying? Please share it with attendees at our Meet & Greet. The leadership team will compile the quotations to share with the membership.

There will also be time to learn more about the P&P SIG. Your questions and suggestions for improving the SIG are welcome!

The event is free, but please register to receive the link to the Meet & Greet: Registration Link.

P&P SIG Meet & Greets are informal and relaxed so feel free to drop in as your schedule allows.

If you have any questions or need further information, don’t hesitate to contact Sam Lee, P&P SIG Manager.

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P&P SIG: Year in Review

Thank you, P&P SIG members, for helping to make 2023 a productive, fun year for the P&P SIG. Here is a list of SIG accomplishments and member services for this year. The P&P SIG leadership team looks forward to another great year. See you in 2024!

    1. P&P SIG Wins 2023 Pacesetter Award for creating an efficient budget tracking system. STC’s Community Pacesetter Award recognizes innovative and successful community initiatives.
    2. Free member educational webinar: “How to Become a Cybersecurity Professional” by Ben Woelk, STC Fellow
    3. Free member educational webinar: “Freelance vs. Captive: Making an Informed Decision” by John Hedtke, STC Fellow
    4. Virtual Meet & Greets: Opportunity for informal networking held several times during the year
    5. In-person Meet & Greet opportunity at the Summit in Atlanta: P&P SIG representatives greeted members and promoted the SIG with attendees at the STC Summit’s Community table/Meet & Greet in the Expo Hall. SIG also offered a fun give-away (mini notepads with inspirational messages) and held a raffle for a $25 Starbucks gift card for all attendees who stopped by to chat.
    6. P&P SIG Monthly Newsletter: Includes announcements for SIG webinars, Meet & Greets, and other activities, provides Society-level information important to our members, and more.
    7. NEW: The SIG has an official mascot, Monte! Tricia Spayer, P&P SIG member, has agreed to allow Monte, her traveling companion to become the SIG’s official mascot. Watch for Monte to become more active in 2024! Monte’s motto: “If it’s not fun, it won’t get done.”
    8. NEW: “Where in the World is Monte, the P&P SIG Mascot?” Photo Contest: Tricia Spayer posts a photo of her globe-trotting companion in our monthly newsletter. Members submit their guesses regarding Monte’s location and compete for a $15 Amazon gift card and bragging rights.
    9. P&P SIG’s channel on the STC Slack Workspace: Available for members to post questions, network, and share information. Not a member yet? Join the free STC Slack Workspace: https://www.stc.org/membership/slack
    10. P&P SIG website: Offers SIG information, links to recorded webinars, past newsletters, and more. Check out the website! Click here. https://www.stc-pp.org/
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‘Freelance vs. Captive’ Webinar: Catch Up Here if You Missed It

John Hedtke recently shared his expertise on a freelance vs. captive career path. If you missed the webinar in November, you can catch up here:

‘Freelance vs. Captive’: Making an Informed Decision’

Presenter Bio

John Hedtke

John Hedtke has over 30 years of experience as a writer and documentation manager. John has developed and written documentation and books for many leading software products. He has published 27 books and 200 magazine articles on technical subjects. Lists of books, articles, projects, and awards can be found online at his website, www.hedtke.com. John also does numerous radio and magazine interviews and frequently travels to do keynotes, lectures, and guest appearances at conferences and seminars.

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December contest: “Where in the World is Monte, the P&P SIG Mascot?”

Tricia Spayer has posted another fun photo of me, your world traveling mascot.

File photo of Monte, the P&P SIG mascot
Monte Carlo

Guess where in the world I am in the photo below. Good luck!

The closest (and most precise) guess wins! Example: if I post a Summit photo, and participants guess ‘Colorado,’ ‘Denver,’ and ‘Hyatt Regency Denver,’ then the most precise answer (Hyatt Regency Denver) wins.

Please note: Only P&P SIG members are eligible to participate in the contest.

Here is December’s photo. Contest directions follow.

December photo for the "Where in the World is Monte, the P&P SIG Mascot?"
Monte, the mascot for the STC’s Policies and Procedures Special Interest Group is sitting on a gold guitar. Can you guess where Monte is in this photo?

Continue reading “December contest: “Where in the World is Monte, the P&P SIG Mascot?””

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“Where in the World is Monte, the P&P SIG Mascot?” Answer to November contest

Each month, P&P SIG members try to guess SIG mascot Monte’s location in a “mystery photo” provided by SIG leadership team member Tricia Spayer, who takes Monte along on all her travels. Here is the answer to November’s contest.

Location: Poorvo, Finland
Winner: Bobbi Werner, STC Treasurer and P&P SIG member

I got to travel on a cruise to the Baltic in 2011. One of my favorite ports was Helsinki, Finland, where some of Tricia’s ancestors were from (they actually lived in the arctic circle, but visiting Finland was cool!). Not only did we explore the beautiful city of Helsinki, we traveled a little East to the small town of Poorvo, which was founded way back in 1346! Wow! This town, with its cobblestone streets, was easy and fun to walk around and explore. One of the highlights was the cathedral which celebrates the maritime history of Finland.

Thank you to all who participated in the “Where in the World is Monte, the P&P mascot?” Remember to participate in December’s challenge. Good luck to all!

~Monte Carlo

File photo of Monte, the P&P SIG mascot
Monte Carlo
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November Contest: “Where in the World is Monte, the P&P SIG Mascot”

Tricia Spayer has posted another fun photo of me, your world traveling mascot. Guess where in the world I am in the photo that follows the contest’s directions. Good luck!

The closest (and most precise) guess wins! Example: if I post a Summit photo, and participants guess ‘Colorado,’ ‘Denver,’ and ‘Hyatt Regency Denver,’ then the most precise answer (Hyatt Regency Denver) wins.

Please note: Only P&P SIG members are eligible to participate in the contest.

November’s photo is below. Contest directions follow.

SONY DSC

Continue reading “November Contest: “Where in the World is Monte, the P&P SIG Mascot””

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Mascot Monte stumps P&P SIG members—no winner for October contest

Last month’s edition of the “Where in the World is Monte, the P&P SIG Mascot” presented such a challenge to SIG members that no one could guess where Monte was in this photo:

The good news, however, is that the P&P SIG leadership team has added last month’s prize of $15 to this month’s prize so that whoever wins November’s contest will receive $30!

In the meantime, here is the answer to October’s contest: Continue reading “Mascot Monte stumps P&P SIG members—no winner for October contest”

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‘Freelance vs. Captive: Making an Informed Decision’ Webinar Coming Up

John Hedtke will share his expertise on a freelance vs. captive career path on November 29, 2023, from 7 – 8 p.m. (Eastern time). The webinar is free to P&P SIG members, but you must register.

Register here. 

After you register, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Webinar Description

Ever thought that you might be cut out for the glamorous, high-paying, and rather bohemian lifestyle possible with a freelance existence? Not everyone is suited for freelance work… but neither is everyone suited for captivity. This one-hour presentation will identify the pros and cons for captivity (AKA “fulltime” or “permanent” employment) and freelance work, then show the audience members how to identify their personal employment goals and how to fit these into the pros for each career path. Continue reading “‘Freelance vs. Captive: Making an Informed Decision’ Webinar Coming Up”

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“How to Become a Cybersecurity Professional” Webinar

Ben Woelk, CISSP, CPTC, Governance, Awareness, and Training Manager in the Information Security Office at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), gave an insightful presentation Oct. 26 about how to become a cybersecurity professional, the many job opportunities in cybersecurity, and the transferable skills that technical writers can bring to the field. If you missed it, here is the recording: