About Technical Writers

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Who are technical writers? What do they do? Where do they do it? We will provide some answers below.

Do technical writers work for themselves or for others?

Tech writers can work for themselves or for others. Most tech writers work as full-time employees for companies. These can be small companies or large companies with all types of variations in between. Some writers prefer a small company where processes are less complex and with fewer product lines. Others prefer the challenges of working in a large company.

Then there are the tech writers who prefer to work as contract technical writers or as independents, mostly for financial reasons. These writers must always be looking for clients.

If they work as contract writers, they typically work through a third party broker (i.e., a contracting agency or shop) that finds work and then sub contracts writers to do the work. The fees these third party brokers charge can be a sizable portion of the billing rate. Herman Holtz in his book,?How to Succeed as an Independent Consultant, says that this portion is typically about 35% to 40%.

If they work as independents, they find their own work. They can work as W-2 employees of an umbrella agency that performs billing services and provides benefits that the writer can purchase. The fees that umbrella agencies charge for their services are much less than shops that search out contracting opportunities, typically about 5% to 7%. Independents can also work on 1099s as sole proprietors or they can form their own corporations. Each has different tax implications.

In addition to writing, what other skills are necessary?

  • Interpersonal skills?- Tech writers are constantly looking for information. They need to be able to bug folks in a way that isn?t annoying; otherwise, their informational sources will dry up. Tact and patience are important skills to master.
  • Limited public speaking?- Writers often attend meetings as representatives of the tech-writing group. They need to be comfortable speaking with people at different managerial levels.
  • Facile grasp of complex processes?- Besides working with difficult technologies, there are many complex processes that writer have to master in order to perform their work. So it helps to be relatively quick on the uptake. Or take good notes!
  • Organizational skills?- The typical tech writer works with a number of different projects and delivery dates. It?s important to be organized. Otherwise, it is too easy to become overwhelmed and lose track of issues. Writers tend to develop their own ways to organize their work. Some use the software that their company provides (e.g., Microsoft One Note or Excel). Others use their own favorite software (e.g., Evernote or Keynote). Still other use notebooks and pencils. It is important that you find something that works.
  • Detail-orientated?- Paying attention to details helps. The life of a tech writer is one of paying attention to details. Whether it is the bracket that encloses a software expression or the missing comma that changes the meaning of a sentence, details are important. With all the activity that occurs doing the typical working day, paying attention to details is not always easy.

What are the most important qualities to be successful as a technical writer?

  • Writing ability?- Writing ability is the first. As the term technical writer suggests, it refers to a writer. Tech writers don?t need to be the A students in their English class but they do have to have an understanding of writing. They also need the desire to make their writing better.
  • An appreciation of time?- Tech writers must understand the importance of time. They have to appreciate what a deadline is because their documents need to be ready on schedule. Even if a task looks easy, it?s best to get it done ahead of time instead of waiting to the last minute.
  • Consistency?- A consistent work effort is important. A tech writer cannot perform brilliantly on one project and then perform poorly on another. Writers must train themselves to do the boring parts of their job at the same level as those parts that really excite them.
  • An ability to listen?- Often during an interview with a SME, the SME will emphasize something that she deems particularly important. If the writer ignores this, he risks losing this SME as an informational source. Often a writer will think she knows how to perform a certain task, and does not pay attention when her manager or another stakeholder draws a distinction. The result can be work that misses the intended goal.
  • Understanding teamwork?- Tech writers must also be able to function as part of a team. That can sometimes be difficult. Why is that? I think it is because most tech writers think that they can do it all. And, in fact, they may have that capability. But it is important for writers to realize that several minds together can often come up with different and better ideas than one can by itself.

What are typical working conditions for technical writers?

The typical working conditions for tech writers are surprisingly similar. They typically work in a cube with a phone, a PC, a large work area for papers, and plenty of storage. Typically they reside near other tech writers or with engineering folks. Their work areas are mostly quiet.

They spend most of their days working at a PC, reading specifications, talking with co-workers or SMEs, and attending meetings. Some days can be exhilarating where the work is absorbing and time flies by. On other days, the work can be downright boring and time slows down.

What do technical writers dislike about their jobs?

  • First in line for layoffs?- Tech writers are often at the top of the list for layoffs. Tech writers understand this unfortunate fact but do not like it at all!
  • Boring or repetitious work?- There are times when a writer might spend hours, days, or even weeks doing mindless and repetitious work (e.g., reformatting documents, creating tables with similar information, or republishing minor changes to a document). While they do not like this type of work, most tech writers realize it must be done and do their best.
  • Documentation is a necessary evil?- Some organizations view documentation as an afterthought, something that is required but provides no real value. Tech writers do not like working in companies like that. Unfortunately, many companies share this attitude.
  • Anyone with the time can do technical writing?- Tech writers definitely do not like this attitude. Often engineers or SMEs have this attitude. It can present problems when these folks attempt to edit a section in a way that makes it incomprehensible.
  • Wrong type of editing?- Tech writers do not like it when they send out a preliminary draft asking for comments on technical content but instead gets grammatical corrections.
  • Having work rated?- Technical writers do not like to be rated. However, that often comes with the territory. Because documentation managers must often promote, perform annual reviews, and terminate writers, there is often a rating process.
  • Micro-management?- Tech writers do not favor manager who micro-manage their work. That is acceptable managerial behavior for new writers or new member to a doc team, but for writers who have demonstrated that they can perform it is a turn-off.

What do tech writers like about their jobs?

  • Good working conditions?- Tech writers often have their own cube or office at a high tech or manufacturing company. They have all the tools they need to perform their work. They typically work in quiet environments.
  • Variety?- Tech writers have the opportunity to work with different products, projects, software, and types of documentation. Some writers like that. Others prefer to work in one technology or industry. Most technical writers can make horizontal moves into different industries with little problem.
  • Learning opportunities?- This fits in with variety above. Tech writers have the chance to learn and work in many different areas and with different software. A writer might work several years using FrameMaker and then take a job where she uses Robo-Help. Typically, companies will provide focused training on their core technologies.
  • Advancement possibilities?- Tech writers have the opportunity to move into management or into different areas at a company.
  • Ability to help?- Many tech writers like the fact that users find their work helpful.
  • Challenging work?- Tech writers like the fact that their work can be demanding and a challenge. That makes their work lives interesting and provides a sense of satisfaction.

What do tech writers write?

Tech writers write hardware or software manuals of varying degrees of complexity. They write instructions on how to install your cable TV box. They write the manuals in your car?s glove compartment. They write ISO processes that your entire company follows. They write all kinds of documents. These documents can be relatively easy to write or they can be very difficult.

What industries do tech writers work in?

Tech writers work almost everywhere. Here?s a short list:

What software do technical writers need to know?

Tech writers need to be able to use programs like the following:

  • Microsoft products, Word, PowerPoint, Excel

Nowadays, with most companies being cost conscious, tech writers are also becoming familiar with Open Source programs.

Additionally, large companies will often have their own specialized software for specific purposes (e.g., doc bug reporting, publishing to the web).

In my view, knowing what you need to do is the important thing. If you know that, you can figure out how to do it with whatever software that you use.

What types of educational backgrounds do technical writers need?

There are all types of backgrounds. I?ve known people with degrees in History, Engineering, English, Business, and Teaching to name just a few who did well as technical writers. Nowadays, there is an emphasis on actual degrees in Technical Writing. Most of the technical writers I have known over the years had non-technical backgrounds. They were able to write and also able to understand and learn technology as they had to.

What are the different levels of technical writer expertise?

In general, there are junior or beginner technical writers, intermediate writers, and?senior writers. Most often this differentiation depends on innate skills, time served, and the types of projects that writers work on over time.

Source: http://protechwriting.com/?p=823

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E-Commerce Templates-All You Need to Know | Interinfo.in

Branson family to make first trip as space tourists

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/branson-family-first-trip-space-tourists-140911549.html

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AMC gives Dish users 'Breaking Bad' premiere

Frank Ockenfels / AMC

Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) and Walter White (Bryan Cranston) on AMC's "Breaking Bad."

By Anna Chan

Good news for "Breaking Bad" fans who are Dish Network subscribers. The cable provider may have recently dropped AMC from its lineup, but the network isn't about to let viewers go without the critically acclaimed show's highly anticipated season five premiere.

AMC announced on Thursday that it will live stream "Breaking Bad" on its website at 10 p.m. ET Sunday just for Dish subscribers.?

"Every?cable, phone and satellite company other than DISH carries AMC and its popular programming, including 'Breaking Bad,' ' The Walking Dead,' and 'Mad Men,' in their basic package," the network said in a statement. "AMC wants its loyal DISH viewers to experience the excitement of the 'Breaking Bad' premiere at the same time as their friends and neighbors, and we want to give DISH customers an extra week to switch providers so they can enjoy the rest of the season.?

Dish customers can register for access to the live stream at?www.amctv.com/breakingbad4dish?starting Friday at 3 p.m. ET.

Dish dropped AMC Networks -- which includes AMC, IFC and WE -- on June 30, with the cable provider indicating that AMC's fees were an issue. But a source with ties to the situation told TODAY.com that there had been in fact no discussions between the two parties about fees. A statement from AMC also claimed that the move by Dish was done "in retaliation for an unrelated lawsuit."

"Breaking Bad" season five premieres at 10 p.m. Sunday on AMC.

Think this is a good move by AMC? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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Source: http://theclicker.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/12/12704426-amc-offers-dish-subscribers-live-stream-of-breaking-bad-premiere?lite

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Digital train tickets to replace paper for some New Yorker commuters

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/digital-train-tickets-replace-paper-ny-commuters-182135170--sector.html

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Syria: ambassador who defected should be punished

FILE - In this July 3, 2008 file photo, Nawaf Fares, center, governor of the Quneitra, Syria, briefs a U.N. delegation visiting the city of Quneitra in the Golan Heights to investigate Israeli practices in occupied Arab lands. Fares, who was named Syria's ambassador to Iraq in September, 2008, has defected and will seek asylum in Turkey, a Syrian opposition figure said Wednesday, July 11, 2012. (AP photo/Bassem Tellawi, File)

FILE - In this July 3, 2008 file photo, Nawaf Fares, center, governor of the Quneitra, Syria, briefs a U.N. delegation visiting the city of Quneitra in the Golan Heights to investigate Israeli practices in occupied Arab lands. Fares, who was named Syria's ambassador to Iraq in September, 2008, has defected and will seek asylum in Turkey, a Syrian opposition figure said Wednesday, July 11, 2012. (AP photo/Bassem Tellawi, File)

FILE - In this Sept. 16, 2008 file photo provided by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Nawaf Fares, left, is sworn in as Syria's first ambassador to Iraq in 26 years before Syrian President Bashar Assad, right, and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem in Damascus. Fares has defected and will seek asylum in Turkey, the most senior diplomat to abandon the regime since the uprising against Assad began 16 months ago, a Syrian opposition figure said Wednesday, July 11, 2012. (AP Photo/SANA, File)

(AP) ? Syria's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that the country's former ambassador to Iraq should be punished after his defection to the opposition seeking to overthrow President Bashar Assad.

In a statement reported by Syria's state news agency, the ministry said Nawaf Fares had been "relieved of his duties" and should face "legal and disciplinary accountability." Fares announced his defection in a video released Wednesday, saying he was siding with "the revolution" against Assad.

He is the highest profile diplomat to defect in the uprising and the second prominent figure to leave the regime in a week, suggesting some cracks in Assad's regime are appearing at senior levels although the core of Assad's regime has remained loyal despite growing international pressure.

Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlass, an Assad confidant and son of a former defense minister, fled Syria last week, but has not spoken publicly and he does not appear to have joined the rebel side. Opposition leaders and Western officials said they hoped Fares' defection would now encourage others to leave, too.

Syria's unrest began with protests in March 2011, but has since evolved into an armed insurgency with scores of rebel groups across the country clashing with government troops and attacking their bases and convoys. Activists say more than 17,000 people have been killed.

The Syrian government blames the uprising on armed gangs backed by foreign powers to weaken the state. It says more than 4,000 members of the security forces have been killed.

In Paris, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari confirmed Fares' defection, saying he quit while outside of Iraq.

Fares condemned Assad's regime in a statement broadcast on the satellite channel Al-Jazeera.

"Where is the honor in killing your countrymen? Where is the national allegiance? The nation is all the people, not one person in particular," he said. "The allegiance is to the people, not to a dictator who kills his people."

It was unclear where Fares recorded the statement. His current whereabouts remain unknown.

Appointed to the Baghdad post four years ago, Fares was the first Syrian ambassador to Iraq in 26 years. Like Tlass, he is a member of the privileged Sunni elite in a regime dominated by Assad's minority Alawite sect.

Also Thursday, Human Rights Watch said it had found evidence that the Syrian government had fired cluster bombs in an area near the central city of Hama

The New York-based group said the munitions are clearly identifiable in amateur videos posted online, and that local activists said the area has been under government bombardment for weeks.

Cluster bombs explode in the air and drop dozens of "bomblets" over a large area but often, these do not explode on impact. They remain explosive, however, increasing the threat of later injury to civilians.

Anti-regime activists reported government shelling of opposition areas throughout Syria Thursday, as well as clashes between rebels and regime forces.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least seven people died on the roads in the country's north when pro-regime gunmen targeted their cars. The group also said government shelling killed six people in what appeared to be a new offensive on the village of Treemseh, northwest of Hama.

Another group, the Local Coordination Committees, said at least 20 people were killed in the highway attacks and 7 died in Treemseh. Activist claims often have different figures and their reports cannot be independently verified.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-07-12-Syria/id-b4a445b0839445edb0cdc994af16bed6

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Larry Parks/ Class 5: Self-Improvement Training @ Straight-A-Guide

by Larry Parks

126. When you assess your environment, what opportunities for self-improvement can you create or seize?

I can develop my relationship with God which helps guide me through out my day. I can also work out to keep my body in shape along with my spirit.

127. What is your interpretation on the value of self-imposed structure of free time?

It helps you cope with the day in and day out monotony of prison. By having a stretchered program you give yourself something to look forward to daily.

128. What relationship do your daily activities have to the vision you have for your life upon release?

The closer a relationship I build with God now in prison? the closer I will be with him when I?m released. Also I will value life even more because I have learned the value of time also.

129. Imagine that you were to replicate your activities or use of time yesterday every day or your sentence. If you did, what level of preparation would have to triumph over the obstacles that await you upon your return to society?

The monotony of doing the something over and over again gets depressing. I would have to lean on God for strength and understanding. I know that he will help me get through it.

130. What activities within the prison environment can you pursue that will enhance your strengths?

Going to church functions? getting as much education I can? doing exercises.

131. What activities within the prison environment would you categorize as a weakness?

Getting evolved with the wrong crowed? gambling? smoking? stealing form work? being lazy? not preparing for the future.

132. What activities within the prison environment would you perceive as offering opportunities?

Education classes? Vocational classes? reentry classes.

133. What activities within the prison environment do you perceive as threatening your prospects for success upon release?

Hanging with the same type of people that got you in to prison. Looking at TV. all day.

134. To what extent do the activities you pursue inside the prison environment contribute to your strengths and opportunities?

As I continue to build my relationship with God? I find strength and peace that I never knew I had. And as a result of God strengthens me, I can continue to strive to be a better man. I strive in education? spirituality? and 100% in everything that I do.

135. What steps do you deliberately take to minimize your exposure to weaknesses and threats?

Staying in the word of God? praying and mediating on the word and exercising.

136. Using the SWOT-assessment technique, how would you assess your decision-making process prior to imprisonment?

My decision making process was very impulsive. I did not thick of the consequences that my decisions would make. My only concern was for that moment.

137. In what ways can the SWAT-assessment technique guide your decisions as you prepare for success upon release?

By using the SWOT-assessment technique guide I?m learning to prepare myself for a successful future after prison. Everyday of my life here in prison I am using to prepare myself for tomorrow.

138. What types of activities in prison fall into quadrant one: low-risk/high-reward?

139. What types of activities in prison fall into quadrant two: high-risk/high-risk?

140. What types of activities in prison fall into quadrant three: low-risk/low-reward?

141. What types of activities in prison fall into quadrant four: high-risk/low-reward?

142. To what extent do your consider risk-reward analysis when assessing activities, interactions, or time allocation in prison?

143 What type of self-improvement programs would enhance an individual?s prospects for success upon release?

144. What thoughts have you given to the type of employment you want to pursue upon release?

145. Define the qualifications necessary for the type of job you want to pursue?

146. How do your self-improvement programs prepare you for the type of job you want to pursue?

147. What types of self-improvement programs can you pursue independently that will enhance your prospects as a candidate for employment upon release?

148. In what ways do academic credentials influence an individual?s candidacy for employment?

149. How do prospective employers gauge the value of academic credentials?

150. What types of self-improvement steps trump academic credentials?

?

Source: http://straight-a-guide.com/larry-parks-class-5-self-improvement-training/

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Private airline in China tiptoes around state Goliaths

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Wang Zhenghua employs a simple philosophy for surviving as a private airline in China's state-dominated aviation sector.

"You have to take it a bit slowly, rather than being too aggressive and making enemies everywhere," says Wang, founder and chairman of Shanghai-based Spring Airlines, of the approach that has enabled him to successfully carve out a piece of the $56 billion-a-year Chinese airline industry.

Wang has come a long way since his start in 1981 running a tiny tourist agency in central Shanghai, beating the odds to build up not just one of the country's most prominent travel agencies but also its biggest private budget carrier, with nearly 60 routes in China and seven overseas.

His tale underscores the challenges private Chinese companies face, even as Beijing pushes for them to play a bigger role in driving growth in the world's second-largest economy.

For Wang, one of the biggest obstacles to expanding has been resistance to his opening new routes from state-owned airlines.

"Whenever we open a new route they get tense, and sometimes they take an unfriendly approach," Wang said in an interview inside the mock-up airplane fuselage that staff at his spartan headquarters use to train new flight attendants.

"The approving authorities are also in a tough position - they're afraid of the big companies."

WORKING AT THE MARGINS

In some cases, aviation regulators have held up applications for prized routes for years on end, Wang said. He is still waiting for permission to fly to Taipei, for instance.

In others, they have given him only unenviable time slots, such as his Shanghai-Beijing route, for which his flights arrive in Beijing after midnight and leave again before 7 a.m.

And at times, officials squeezed between the lobbying by state carriers and a desire to offer passengers more options have suggested that Wang fly to his destination via a smaller city that is otherwise not served, adding to his costs.

Having learned from difficult experiences in the past - he was famously threatened with a 150,000 yuan ($23,500) fine in 2006 by a regulator in Shandong province for supposedly disrupting market order with promotional tickets selling for 1 yuan each - Wang now takes a more conciliatory approach.

"Whenever we want to fly somewhere new, we first get in touch with the big companies flying there, tell them we're starting flights, explain that we have a different segment of the market ... and ask for their support and guidance," he said.

That strategy, and synergies between Wang's travel agency and airline, have helped Spring stand out in a field littered with other private airlines that have tried and failed.

Spring Airlines, launched in 2005, made 470 million yuan ($73.8 million) in profit in 2010. It has not disclosed 2011 results because it is currently applying for an initial public offering (IPO) in Shanghai.

Wang's experience is shared by many private and foreign companies in various industries, which face an uphill battle against dominant state-owned enterprises, or SOEs, but find ways to work around those obstacles, said Kent Kedl, managing director of Greater China and North Asia for Control Risks.

"There are some companies that are finding it profitable to be working at the edges. You don't necessarily have to be in the scrum, in the center, to make money in China," Kedl said.

IT'S ALL RELATIVE

As such, players such as Spring are unlikely to pose a serious threat to the likes of Air China , China Southern and China Eastern Airlines anytime soon, industry players say.

"State-owned airlines have a longer history and are bigger in terms of capital size compared with privately owned airlines," said Wang Jian, board secretary of Shanghai-based China Eastern. "In terms of routes, we don't have direct competition (with Spring Airlines)."

China Southern did not respond to requests for comment; Air China declined to comment.

China has one of the world's fastest growing aviation markets, although its top three state-owned airlines are currently suffering from a slowdown in the domestic economy and uncertainty overseas that is leading their parents to line up massive cash injections.

China Southern and Air China are set to receive a combined 3.05 billion yuan from their parent companies, while aid is also on the way for China Eastern.

And, in a sign of Chinese expansion in the aircraft manufacturing sector, Beijing city government-linked Superior Aviation is in talks to purchase bankrupt U.S. business jet maker Hawker Beechcraft.

Despite the hurdles for Spring to expand, which also include a dearth of trained pilots in China, Wang is optimistic about the company's future growth.

The current economic slowdown is actually prompting many passengers to favor his low-cost tickets, he said, and he hopes that the company's long-planned IPO can happen as early as this year, enabling him to expand his fleet beyond the 31 Airbus A320s he currently has in service.

He is also hopeful that the conditions for doing business as a private company will become easier over time, though experience leaves him with no illusions.

"Of course I want things to open up more," he said. "But fairness is all relative." ($1 = 6.3714 Chinese yuan)

(Additional reporting by Jane Lanhee Lee and Melanie Lee in Shanghai and Alison Leung in Hong Kong; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/private-airline-china-tiptoes-around-state-goliaths-035354092--business.html

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Deaf brain processes touch differently: Lacking sound input, the primary auditory cortex 'feels' touch

ScienceDaily (July 10, 2012) ? People who are born deaf process the sense of touch differently than people who are born with normal hearing, according to research funded by the National Institutes of Health. The finding reveals how the early loss of a sense -- in this case hearing -- affects brain development. It adds to a growing list of discoveries that confirm the impact of experiences and outside influences in molding the developing brain.

The study is published in the July 11 online issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

The researchers, Christina M. Karns, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research associate in the Brain Development Lab at the University of Oregon, Eugene, and her colleagues, show that deaf people use the auditory cortex to process touch stimuli and visual stimuli to a much greater degree than occurs in hearing people. The finding suggests that since the developing auditory cortex of profoundly deaf people is not exposed to sound stimuli, it adapts and takes on additional sensory processing tasks.

"This research shows how the brain is capable of rewiring in dramatic ways," said James F. Battey, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., director of the NIDCD. "This will be of great interest to other researchers who are studying multisensory processing in the brain."

Previous research, including studies performed by the lab director, Helen Neville Ph.D., has shown that people who are born deaf are better at processing peripheral vision and motion. Deaf people may process vision using many different brain regions, especially auditory areas, including the primary auditory cortex. However, no one has tackled whether vision and touch together are processed differently in deaf people, primarily because in experimental settings, it is more difficult to produce the kind of precise tactile stimuli needed to answer this question.

Dr. Karns and her colleagues developed a unique apparatus that could be worn like headphones while subjects were in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Flexible tubing, connected to a compressor in another room, delivered soundless puffs of air above the right eyebrow and to the cheek below the right eye. Visual stimuli -- brief pulses of light -- were delivered through fiber optic cables mounted directly below the air-puff nozzle. Functional MRI was used to measure reactions to the stimuli in Heschl's gyrus, the site of the primary auditory cortex in the human brain's temporal lobe as well as other brain areas.

The researchers took advantage of an already known perceptual illusion in hearing people known as the auditory induced double flash, in which a single flash of light paired with two or more brief auditory events is perceived as multiple flashes of light. In their experiment, the researchers used a double puff of air as a tactile stimulus to replace the auditory stimulus, but kept the single flash of light. Subjects were also exposed to tactile stimuli and light stimuli separately and time-periods without stimuli to establish a baseline for brain activity.

Hearing people exposed to two puffs of air and one flash of light claimed only to see a single flash. However, when exposed to the same mix of stimuli, the subjects who were deaf saw two flashes. Looking at the brain scans of those who saw the double flash, the scientists observed much greater activity in Heschl's gyrus, although not all deaf brains responded to the same degree. The deaf individuals with the highest levels of activity in the primary auditory cortex in response to touch also had the strongest response to the illusion.

"We designed this study because we thought that touch and vision might have stronger interactions in the auditory cortices of deaf people," said Dr. Karns." As it turns out, the primary auditory cortex in people who are profoundly deaf focuses on touch, even more than vision, in our experiment."

There are several ways the finding may help deaf people. For example, if touch and vision interact more in the deaf, touch could be used to help deaf students learn math or reading. The finding also has the potential to help clinicians improve the quality of hearing after cochlear implants, especially among congenitally deaf children who are implanted after the ages of 3 or 4. These children, who have lacked auditory input since birth, may struggle with comprehension and speech because their auditory cortex has taken on the processing of other senses, such as touch and vision. These changes may make it more challenging for the auditory cortex to recover auditory processing function after cochlear implantation. Being able to measure how much the auditory cortex has been taken over by other sensory processing could offer doctors insights into the kinds of intervention programs that would help the brain retrain and devote more capacity to auditory processing.

This research was supported with NIDCD funding 5R01DC000128-34, and by Recovery Act supplement R01DC000128-32S1.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NIH/National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120710171733.htm

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