HyperTrain dot Com is a San Diego-based firm specializing in training and consulting for technical writers who develop Help files, User Assistance pages, Web sites, and other hypertext systems.
We have been in business since the heady days of "Version 1.0" Help Authoring Tools, waaaaay back in the early 1990s. Our mission was nothing less than to become the most widely used and highly recommended hypertext training company in the country. We have succeeded in that mission by offering polished, high quality professional services at reasonable rates for over a decade.
As a result, HyperTrain dot Com is well known and respected throughout the online documentation industry. Our international client list includes many major corporations in a surprising range of industries. At the height of our business, we were one of the most sought-after technical training companies in the field, training an average of 400 students per year. These days, with the decline of the Help Authoring Tool as a standard software category, we — like many of our clients — have broadened our scope of operations. Today, we do much less software training and much more technology consulting in HTML, JavaScript, Dynamic HTML (DHTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and related technical areas.
Interestingly, though, the glue that has always bound together the mission and its realization is "fun"! There is no reason we can't enjoy exploring hypertext technology and its benefits (oh, yes, and its quirks as well). There is no reason learning — or teaching — the technology should be boring or tedious. There is no reason professional business services can't be delivered in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere while maintaining high content value. So, the underlying philosophy behind everything we do is, "Let's have some fun with this!" Otherwise, why do it at all?
Please click the tabs above to learn more, and feel free to or call us toll-free any time at 888-722-0700. Thanks for visiting!
HyperTrain dot Com is a one-man shop. Its founder and owner, Dave Gash, is a veteran computer professional who has developed application software, technical documentation, and training programs in a wide variety of industries for over twenty years.
Dave holds degrees in business and computer science, and is a W3C-certified HTML and JavaScript developer. He is the rare programmer who can communicate with people as well as with computers, and is well known in the tech pubs community as an interesting and animated technical instructor with an "enter-training" style (thanks, Alan!) that educates, motivates, and delivers results. His enthusiasm for his subject matter is clearly evident, and his plain-English approach to complex issues makes technical material more accessible than ever. His friendly, congenial manner and outgoing personality have earned him the admiration of his students, peers, and clients — as well as the nickname "Uncle Dave".
For over ten years now, Dave has been a popular speaker and presenter at hypertext-related conferences and seminars in the US and around the world, most notably those hosted by WritersUA of Seattle, Washington and HyperWrite of Melbourne, Australia. His overseas conference travels have included England, Germany, Denmark, The Netherlands, France, South Africa, New Zealand, and (Dave's fave!) Australia.
Dave is also a lifelong musician, and currently performs at San Diego-area nightclubs and private parties as a high-tech solo act called "The Quimbys". Their web site, including photos, sound clips, and more, is available here.
The online information industry is a rapidly moving target; there is no way a small, static group of courses can satisfy the needs of every client. While there is still some demand for structured, predefined classes, there is considerably more interest in "a bit of this, just enough of that" training — in other words, tailored consulting. Historically, consulting companies have not adequately addressed that need. We do.
HyperTrain dot Com specializes in onsite consulting, which means we do whatever it takes to come to you. Typically, corporations contract us to work with their technical publications staff at their offices. We believe this approach works for all concerned, and has proven to be both efficient and cost-effective for our clients. Instead of you having to send people out of town, your employees can get the information they need at your facilities, at your convenience.
For a fixed daily rate, we work with you, at your site, one-on-one or with your entire team. At your request, we will answer questions, analyze your documentation situation, review project plans, offer advice on hypertext design, project management, development, coding, debugging, or implementation, offer help with your authoring tools, mentor your employees in hypertext technologies, or provide whatever assistance you may need with your online documentation project. You can even have your software developers sit in on part or all of the discussion; facilitating communication between the writing and programming teams is one of our specialties.
Needless to say, there's no set schedule for onsite services — we just have to get together with you and see what works for us both. Regardless of your technical consulting requirements or time frame, just or call us at 888-722-0700, and we'll get back to you right away.
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