RWAP Services: Proof Reading, Technical Author and Testing Services

Proof Reading, Testing, Technical Writing, Bespoke HTML coding and Review Services

Other RWAP Websites
RWAP Software
(supporting the Sinclair QL, Cambridge Z88 and ZX Spectrum)

RWAP Adventures
(Adventure gaming)

Internet Business Angels
(Providing advice to small business)


Proof Reading Software
Automatic grammar and spelling checks - context based
www.whitesmoke.com

 

 

RWAP Services offer a wide range of services to assist your on-line business.  We can provide in-depth reviews of software and hardware, either for magazine publication or publication on our website, as well as just so that companies can obtain real consumer feedback and opinions before a product goes live.

We can offer word processing facilities if you prefer, but these can be purchased at fairly low cost, in line with desktop publishing facilities, newsletter and advertisement production from a whole wealth of various websites.  However, what we do concentrate on is the need to ensure that documents are user friendly and utilise correct English grammar and spelling - something which is easily overlooked in the rush to produce documentation.

Proofreading is especially important for analysing documents and websites of vital importance.  We offer high specification proof-reading and testing services guaranteed to be delivered on time and within budget, complete with the knowledge that your documents will be treated with strict confidentiality.  The proof reading is performed by native highly educated English speakers with varied areas of speciality which guarantees the quality of the output.

Proof-reading forms the final editing stage of a document, providing an independent review with checks for typographical (typing) errors, grammar, punctuation, spacing, sentence structure and consistency, as well as checks on the use of the correct terms for the subject matter being proof-read.

We offer both a personal service and an automated proof-reading service.  The latter consists of a piece of software developed by leading-edge company, and is called WhiteSmoke. WhiteSmoke enables users to enhance their writing skills - the tool instantly analyses the complete text and provides context-based recommendations to replace words with synonyms, add adjectives and adverbs, check spelling and proper use of grammar.  This can work happily alongside tools such as the spell checker and thesaurus provided in Microsoft Word, to help improve your writing almost automatically.

WhiteSmoke - High Quality Automated Proof Reading SoftwareThe software is based on a unique and patented technology of a dynamic, self-learning, constantly growing database of millions of documents, and a proprietary dictionary database. A powerful engine simulates the human mind by reading millions of carefully selected texts, classifying and storing them, and ultimately providing the user with precise choices. These choices are based on cross referencing between the written text and the relevant database, and includes a content related thesaurus.

WhiteSmoke will pick up numerous spelling and grammatical errors (based on context) which are missed by the majority of spell and grammar checkers, and it then analyses the document to enhance the text by reference to a module - currently there are modules for medical texts, legal texts, commercial and literary.  The software is priced by the number of modules you need and to date, has around 50,000 customers and the WhiteSmoke web site includes a clear demonstration of how the software can be used to improve your documentation.

Although software can go a long way towards automating the process and improving your writing skills, you cannot get past the need for a real person to proof-read your final document, to check it both for style and level of reading ability.  For example, if you have a strong legal or medical background, then you should not have problems in creating documentation which is to be read and understood by fellow professionals, particularly using software such as WhiteSmoke. However, if you want them to be understood by someone without specialist knowledge, then you need the input of a third party who can read the document from an unbiased (and non-specialised) viewpoint.

If you prefer a more personal touch, we are happy to proof read your document by hand, and turn it into a user manual, guide, or plain English document as you require.

Document Proof-Reading

With our range of expertise, we are able to understand highly technical documentation as well as correcting the use of English for documentation written abroad.  We are also able to prepare functional design specifications and user manuals to your requirements, complete with graphical design and layout.  We have a wealth of experience and knowledge on which we can draw in order to ensure complete understanding of your documents and provide a fast, high quality service which can ensure the use of plain English.

Our dedicated team are able to offer high quality typed documentation for any requirements, including providing technical specifications, contractual documentation, program reviews, test reports and HTML web-pages.

Copy typing and editing is available, although we can also design your documentation from scratch if required, based upon your short notes and actual product - please contact our dedicated proof reading team for more information.

Our proof-reading charge rates start at £5 per hour, dependent upon the technicality of the document - you should allow approximately one hour per 1000 words.

Document Translation

Following requests from customers, we have started to introduce a translation service and are looking for additional operatives to perform translation services on our behalf.

Final proof reading of the translated document, is charged separately if required.

Software Testing

With over 15 years experience of testing software from a users point of view, we are amazed at the standard of some of the software which is sold to PC users and websites available, which are inefficiently coded and have errors at the time of release.  Many people claim that this is because there is no budget for software testing and they would rather release a program and await customer feedback.  The other main response is to say that you should do something according to the manual.

We believe that this is short-sighted - many users will not complain about software and simply do not use it if they find a specific error.  Sales of software tend to rely mainly on people recommending it to their friends and colleagues, so if you provide a product which fails to impress the user with look and feel, you will lose a large percentage of your possible market.

For example, we have come across one Ad removal tool which always downloads its update files over the internet, even if you already have the latest files.  This tends to lead to user frustration and confusion, since it ties up some of their system resources whilst it downloads already existing files.  At the end of the day, this is an essential point, since it will tend to prevent users from bothering with the update function.

Our software testing rates start at £50 per hour which would include an overview of the user interface and manual, a test of the main features of the program, and installation/removal tools, as well as a detailed report on any errors or suggested improvements.

Website Testing

We regularly come across websites which do not work in all of the major internet browsers (Netscape, Opera, AOL and Internet Explorer) or which even destroy their own windows when the user clicks on a link.  We have also put our programming experience to good use, by suggesting (and programming) methods by which the websites can be kept up to date more readily (rather than relying solely on human intervention) and how to ensure a much higher ranking in search engine results.

We also write Perl routines for forms submission and internet robots (spiders), which can be linked to an SQL or CSV delineated database, which are written based on our own library of tried and tested routines, ensuring fast code turn around with thorough testing.

Our charge rates start at £50 for a review of a short website, including marketing reports and comments on how to improve your search engine rankings (if we cannot make any recommendations, then the fee is refunded).

Team Experience

The RWAP Services team draws from a breadth of experience in a host of different fields, as follows:

  • Computer programming team with 15 years experience, including 68000 machine code programming, C, Perl, PHP, HTML coding, BASIC,  SCADA and PLC realtime programming

  • Computer industry journalist with 12 years experience, who has written both for web-sites and various top magazines - works include software and hardware reviews, as well as beginner's guides, press releases, programmers guides, functional design specifications and general marketing material.

  • Software test specialist with 16 years experience of testing a wide range of software packages from an end-user point of view, and providing in-depth reports on problems identified, how to replicate them, ideas for improvements and often providing suggested code to rectify the problems.

  • Former Solicitor of 4 years standing with a wide experience of conveyancing and property law, commercial law, trusts, probate and drafting contracts and Wills.

  • Company Secretariat skills producing Board agendas, minutes, resident involvement documentation and other prescribed documentation for housing associations

  • Technical Author with 7 years experience, writing functional design specifications, program workflows and end user manuals, including a hefty 1000+ page guide to programming in SuperBASIC.

  • Word Processing Skills including use of several word processors and other documentation packages, including Word, Excel and Access.

  • Knowledge of the inner workings of computers and the skills to build and repair computers.

  • Strong organisational skills used to create reports, agendas and minutes for Board and other meetings and reduce the number of errors contained in all reports, including cross-referencing the various reports and pulling together sets of papers for distribution.

  • 10 Years general office administration experience, including use of office equipment, word processing, maintaining and devising review systems, implementing health and safety reporting systems, letter writing, database and telephone skills.

  • In-depth knowledge of accounting and taxation systems in the UK with experience of administering trusts up to £1m, including bank reconciliations, accounts, tax returns and forecasts.

  • Graphic and Website Designer, including breadth of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) Skills - see our Internet Business Angels site for general advice on setting up a business online.

Details of Rich Mellor's CV