Communicating online since 1982.
Greater Denver Area
- Current
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- Community Specialist & Videoblogger Extraordinaire at Sun Microsystems
- Past
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- Senior Web Producer at Sun Microsystems
- Director of Customer Experience at TVBLOB srl
- Freelance at Freelance (Self-employed)
- Web Strategies Manager at Roxio
- Consultant in Online Marketing and Customer Support at Adaptec
- Chief Technical Writer at Incat Systems Software
- Director of Desktop Publishing at Team Technologies
- Education
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- Open University
- The University of Texas at Austin
- UC Santa Cruz
- Woodstock School
- Recommended
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7 people have recommended Deirdre' - Connections
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262
connections
- Industry
- Computer Software
- Websites
Deirdre' Straughan’s Summary
See http://www.beginningwithi.com/whatido/
Deirdre' Straughan’s Specialties:
* Managing cross-cultural, multilingual, geographically dispersed teams.
* Deep knowledge of India (lived there 6 years, speak Hindi)
* Blogging, videoblogging, blog management
* Software interaction design
* Web content production and management, including analytics
* Technical writing
* Online marketing, customer service, customer relationship development and management
* Software training and course development
Deirdre' Straughan’s Experience
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Community Specialist & Videoblogger Extraordinaire
Sun Microsystems
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; JAVA; Computer Hardware industry)
March 2008 — Present (8 months)
For Sun's Solaris Data, Availability, Scalability & HPC software group:
* Videoblogging
* Web content
* Community development http://opensolaris.org/os/
* Blogging (http://blogs.sun.com/storage/), blog management, and web analytics. -
Senior Web Producer
Sun Microsystems
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; JAVA; Computer Hardware industry)
March 2007 — March 2008 (1 year 1 month)
Content development and management, blogging management, web metrics and analysis, videoblogging, and web strategy for Solaris storage software.
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Director of Customer Experience
TVBLOB srl
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Computer Software industry)
January 2004 — July 2007 (3 years 7 months)
* Software interface and interaction design: Member of top management team responsible for defining and refining software products. Develop feature requests into step-by-step schematics showing UI states and behaviors at each step, work with software engineers to ensure correct implementation, work with marketing and graphics to ensure usability of graphic look-and-feel and adherence to company guidelines. Test and refine usability, some bench testing as well.
* Manage all and write technical documentation for TVBLOB's software and hardware. Provide technical input, copy editing, and translation for marketing materials, etc.
* Market research and monitoring: read and clip 60+ blogs and other sources daily, covering broadband, telecommunications, usability, interaction design, new media, participatory culture, user-generated content, general high tech, etc.
* Coordinate beta testing
* Develop customer support processes and materials -
Freelance
Freelance (Self-employed)
(Self-Employed; Myself Only; Computer Software industry)
2001 — 2004 (3 years)
During this period, I made the most of my language and writing skills:
- Translation (Italian to English) of Evince Management Consulting website
- Legal Interpretation: English to Italian and vice-versa (non-simultaneous) for depositions in an international arbitration.
- Websites: tartarugatours.com, europlacements.it (working with Soho Webplan)
- Software manuals and online help for WinOnCD 5 Standard Edition and Power Edition, WinOnCD 6 all Editions. -
Web Strategies Manager
Roxio
(Public Company; 201-500 employees; ROXI; Computer Software industry)
November 2000 — July 2001 (9 months)
Managing the web content and community team, web content development (technical and marketing), HTML, navigation, administration (management/integration of work from in-house team and outside contractors), and maintenance. Also designed and managed implementation of Web-based applications. Email marketing. Online support and marketing.
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Consultant in Online Marketing and Customer Support
Adaptec
(Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; ADPT; Computer Software industry)
August 1995 — November 2000 (5 years 4 months)
Managing the web content and community team, web content development (technical and marketing), HTML, navigation, administration (management/integration of work from in-house team and outside contractors), and maintenance. Also designed and managed implementation of Web-based applications. Email marketing. Online support and marketing.
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Chief Technical Writer
Incat Systems Software
(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Computer Software industry)
November 1991 — August 1995 (3 years 10 months)
• Responsible for all software manuals and online help, including planning, scheduling, software testing, writing, editing, layout, graphics, and maintaining a consistent style across different software packages. Worked with engineers from the beta stage, testing and reporting bugs, and making suggestions for interface and feature improvements. Also did marketing materials and other documentation, online customer support, sales support, and technical support.
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Director of Desktop Publishing
Team Technologies
(Privately Held; 1-10 employees; Information Technology and Services industry)
March 1987 — February 1989 (2 years)
Systems integration and installation, sales, training, and technical support for DOS- and Windows-based DTP systems. Training courses were individually designed for clients, who included the U.S. Navy, trade associations in Washington, D.C., and two management training institutions in Africa (as a consultant for the World Bank).
Deirdre' Straughan’s Education
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Open University
MBA, Business, 1999 — 2004
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The University of Texas at Austin
BA, Asian Studies & Languages, 1982 — 1986
Graduated with high honors.
- Activities and Societies:
- Liberal Arts Council
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UC Santa Cruz
1981 — 1982
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Woodstock School
high school, high school, July 1977 — June 1981
Additional Information
Deirdre' Straughan’s Websites:
Deirdre' Straughan’s Interests:
Social networking, new media, consumer-generated media, customer service, usability, interface design, travel, writing, photography, cooking.
Deirdre' Straughan’s Groups:
Woodstock Old Students' Associations (USA and Europe) and secretary of the class of '81
Democrats Abroad Milan, past board member
Videoblogger, blogger
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Girl Geek Dinners -
Sun Storage
Deirdre' Straughan’s Honors:
Publications:
Book: Publish Yourself on CD-ROM, co-authored with Fabrizio Caffarelli. A comprehensive guide to CD-ROM technology, for everyone from beginners to experts. Published by Random House Electronic Publishing, January, 1993. Included a CD-ROM containing software and a hypertext version of the book.
Articles: Many in Italian computer magazines, one article in CD-ROM Professional magazine (now Emedia Professional).
Viewer's Choice Vloggie Award (2006) - Best Collaboration
Deirdre' Straughan’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- career opportunities
- consulting offers
- new ventures
- expertise requests
- reference requests
- getting back in touch
