May 2017 Chapter Meeting
Register now, on our reservation page
The information age is also the age of the short attention span. We typically write for people who must spend much of each day reading. Many readers would prefer a pill that puts the information in their brain. We can’t give them that—but we can strive to give them the prose equivalent of a pill, rather than the prose equivalent of a meatloaf.
This talk outlines the basics of minimalist writing. Technical writers will find most of the concepts familiar—active voice, short sentences, etc. Minimalist writing emphasizes these concepts even more than general technical writing. Understanding and practicing minimalist writing benefits any kind of communication, including marketing.
Bruce Poropat has worked on content projects for Bank of the West, William-Sonoma, Charles Schwab, Wells Fargo, PG&E, University of California, Safeway, Gap, and many other organizations. He worked on plain language conversion for Caltrans and the Port of Oakland—converting dense legalese into normal language. He lived the first part of his childhood in Haiti, and moved to California at age 11. He now lives in Berkeley with his wife, who is a scientist for a biomedical company. Bruce plays guitar, and he, his wife, and two children all play with the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers.
Date:
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Times:
6:00 to 7:00 pm: Networking, conversation & dinner
7:00 to 7:15 pm: Announcements
7:15 to 8:30 pm: Presentation
8:30 to 9:00 pm: Conversation, follow up on job announcements
9:00 to 9:15 pm: Clear the room; move conversations to the sidewalk
Location:
Highlands Country Club,110 Hiller Drive, Oakland, California
Monthly Chapter Meetings
The Berkeley chapter meets the second Wednesday of the month.
We meet at the Highlands Country Club in Oakland, CA.
RSVP
Use our reservations page to reserve a space for this meeting.
Chapter Meeting Fees
For the meeting and dinner, reserved on the Chapter’s website in advance:
- Members: $12
- Non-members: $20
- Students/Low Income: $6
For the meeting and dinner, at the door:
- Members: $16
- Non-members: $24
- Students/Low Income: $9
Note: If you do not reserve dinner in advance, dinner may or may not be available on a walk-in basis. We order dinner for the number of reservations plus a few walk-ins.
To attend the program only, reserved in advance:
- Members: $6
- Non-members: $10
- Students/Low Income: $3
To attend the program only, at the door:
- Members: $10
- Non-members: $14
- Students/Low Income: $6
NOTE ONE: Non-members are always welcome to STC meetings.
NOTE TWO: All members of the San Francisco Chapter of the IABC are welcome to register for Berkeley STC General Meetings at the member price.
Interested in becoming a member?
Chapter Meetings Agenda
- 6:00 to 7:00: Networking, conversation, and dinner
- 7:00 to 7:15: Chapter business, announcements, introductions, jobs needed and available*
- 7:15 to 8:30: Formal program
- 8:30 to 9:00: Conversation, off-line questions for the speakers, follow-up on job announcements
- 9:00 to 9:15: Clear the room, move conversations to the sidewalk
*Attendees are encouraged to announce open positions. Please bring job listings for distribution. Recruiters may introduce themselves, but may not describe open positions in detail. Save that for one-on-one after the program.
Location and Directions
Highlands Country Club
110 Hiller Drive
Oakland, California
Directions to Highlands Country Club
NOTE: The club’s parking lot is for members only. Please park on the street. (There’s typically plenty of on-street parking right along Hiller Drive.)
- From San FranciscoCross the Bay Bridge to I-580 Eastbound. Remain in the right lane, until Highway 24 Eastbound (toward Berkeley and Walnut Creek). Continue eastbound until the Tunnel Road off-ramp. Ext will loop around to the west, crossing back over Highway 24. Turn left at the stop sign. Follow Tunnel Road/Caldecott Lane to traffic signal. Veer to the right, and follow Hiller Drive halfway up the hill. Highlands Country Club will be on the right-hand side of the street.
- From Walnut Creek
- Take Highway 24 Westbound through the Caldecott Tunnel. Stay in the right-hand lane, taking the first exit after the tunnel ends, the Tunnel Road exit, going towards Berkeley. Follow Tunnel Road to the complex intersection and stop light, at Tunnel Drive, Hiller Drive, and Highway 13. Veer to the right, and continue halfway up the hill on Hiller Drive. Highlands Country Club will be on the right-hand side of the street.
- From I-80 and Berkeley
- Take Ashby Avenue to the Highway 13 exit. Ashby becomes Tunnel Road at the Claremont Hotel. Continue on Tunnel Road (through the split-level section) to the stoplight just before the Highway 24 overcrossing. Remain in the left lane and make a sharp left U-turn around the Firestorm Memorial Garden, on to Hiller Drive. Continue halfway up the hill. Highlands Country Club will be on the right-hand side of the street.
- From Hayward
- Take I-580 Westbound to Highway 13 north. Continue on Highway 13 past the overcrossing of Highway 24. At the stoplight, turn right, then left, onto Hiller Drive. Continue halfway up the hill. Highlands Country Club will be on the right-hand side of the street.
- From the South Bay
- Take I-880 toward Oakland. You will pass both the Dumbarton (84) and San Mateo (92) bridges. At exit 31A, merge onto I-238 S toward Castro Valley/Stockton/I-580. After 2.3 miles, take exit 14 to merge onto I-580 W toward Oakland. After 8.5 miles, make a slight right onto CA-13 N/Warren Fwy. Continue on Highway 13 past the exit for Highway 24. At the light, turn right onto Tunnel Rd and make an immediate left onto Hiller Drive. Drive halfway up the hill. Highlands Country Club will be on the right-hand side of the street.
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