LATEST ARTICLES

The Extraordinary Power of Hot Spots

by Philip Yaffe

Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.

The concept of "hot spots" has previously been mentioned in Communication Corner essays (e.g., "How to Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say" and "Why Putting Yourself in the Mind of Your Reader is Easier---and More Challenging---Than You Might Have Imagined"). Now it is time to look at the concept in detail. Why? Because understanding and applying hot spots (which is not all that difficult) has often proved to be the quickest and easiest way of markedly improving one's writing. Judge for yourself.

A conversation with Roghayeh Leila Barmaki: How immersive technologies are reshaping education and healthcare

Interviewed by Bushra Anjum, Leila Barmaki

In this interview, Ubiquity senior editor Bushra Anjum chats with Roghayeh Leila Barmaki to explore how immersive technologies and AI enhance education and healthcare accessibility. The discussion highlights Dr. Barmaki's journey—overcoming social communication challenges—and how it shaped research on nonverbal cues, autism, and identity formation in STEM. The conversation also examines the impact of virtual companions in learning and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. ...

How to Generate Reader Interest in What You Write

by Philip Yaffe

Who has not discovered to their dismay that no one wants to read their most carefully crafted, meritorious, compelling, and passionate writings? Think of all the proposals you have written that no one was interested in. Or the web pages, the blog posts, news releases, company brochures, etc. that fell flat. Chances are, such mishaps are linked to producing texts that fail to connect with what your readers would be interested in reading.

This article was originally published by Ubiquity in 2009 as a single contribution. It is now being republished as part of Communication Corner, the author's interrelated series of essays curated to help computer professionals communicate more effectively with each other and the general public. ...

If You Write It Better, You Will Say It Better

by Philip Yaffe

Today it is generally accepted that to fully achieve in most fields of endeavor you must be a competent (if not a superior) writer and public speaker. Computer science and computer programming are no exception. However, it is a mistake to believe that good expository (non-fiction) writing public speaking are distinct disciplines. They are flipsides of the same coin. Recognizing this essential dualism makes achieving competence in both faster and significantly easier. ...