About Michael Fraase

By Michael Fraase

Monday, 01 February 1993 09:09PM CST

Section: Announcements

Michael FraaseAfter having produced more than 20 computer books and hundreds of articles for various trade publishers, Michael Fraase wrote the first Internet books designed specifically for Macintosh and MS-Windows users (Internet Tour Guide series, Ventana Press 1993 - 1994). Fraase’s internationally best selling Internet Tour Guide series demystified using the Internet for non-technical readers while predicting the rush to cyberspace. He has appeared as a featured speaker at various conferences and has been a guest on nationally syndicated radio programs.

Michael Fraase specializes in information design and architecture, general and technical writing and editing, and general business and technology consulting.

Experience

2006 - present University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN

College of Design Senior Editor/Ecommunications Manager

The College of Design encompasses the full range of design disciplines from graphic design, apparel design, and interior design to architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design. The college also includes programs in housing studies and retail merchandising. The faculty and students in the college seek to advance the quality and value of the natural, designed, and social environments, with a focus on the interaction of people and their world.

  • Advanced critical marketing and communication strategies
  • Provided expertise and leadership throughout the college in electronic-based/formatted communication for both internal and external audiences
  • Developed and directed electronic-based strategies and formats in support of college-approved initiatives, academic departments and programs, and research and outreach centers
  • Ensured that University web practices and policy were honored throughout the college
  • Coordinated and convened a college-wide web communications team
  • Assisted in the development and production of event and promotional materials
  • Represented the college in appropriate University organizations
  • Provided leadership for college-wide web communications
  • Developed and implemented guidelines and standards
  • Provided leadership on usability and accessibility issues
  • Managed college web projects
  • Provided leadership to college web authors regarding effective content and editing
  • Provided ecommunications expertise to technical staff on production and implementation, testing and evaluation, training, and problem solving
  • Facilitated work by web design consultants
  • Chaired college-wide web communications team
  • Maintained key areas of college web site; managed faculty expert database
  • Initiated, created, and maintained websites for emerging projects, products, and services
  • Coordinated website design with instructional staff and IT web technical support to ensure best navigational and usability strategies
  • Developed and implemented guidelines and best practices for email newsletters
  • Drafted, wrote, and edited content for both online and print publication
  • Oversaw production of college electronic publications

2006 Twin Cities Daily Planet, Minneapolis, MN

Saint Paul Editor

A community newswire and syndication service, the Twin Cities Daily Planet features the best work of the neighborhood and community press and local independent journalists, and provides a public forum for engaged citizens. The goal is to produce citizen journalism with professional standards, and to become a national model for other communities.

  • Assigned, wrote, and edited news articles
  • Mentored citizen and professional journalists
  • Member of publication’s senior editorial team

2002 - 2006 Utne magazine/Lens Publishing Company, Minneapolis, MN

Online Managing Editor and Webmaster
Member, Executive Committee
Member, Management Committee

Our staff searches through thousands of small-press publications along with Internet sites, newly published books, and other off-the-beaten-path sources looking for the best articles and freshest ideas. Utne, by the way, rhymes with chutney and means “far out” in Norwegian. Utne magazine was founded by Eric Utne in 1984 as the “Readers Digest for the alternative press.” Today the publication produces original content and reprints the best articles from thousands of alternative media sources, focusing on the latest ideas and trends emerging in the culture. Utne draws attention to ideas and issues not getting attention in the mainstream media. We write about the America not being explored.

  • Managed the company’s online department; reported to publisher/president
  • Managed departmental budget
  • Contributed to the strategic direction of the company
  • Member of senior management team
  • Edited, produced, published, and maintained the online edition of the magazine and archive dating from 1995
  • Assigned, edited, produced, and published the company’s email newsletters and archive
  • Assigned, edited, produced, and published the company’s website articles and archive
  • Edited, produced, and published the company’s departmental online communications
  • Established journalistic style of online publications
  • Supervised assistant editor, staff writers, interns, and freelancers
  • Managed the schedules, writing, and editing function of the online publications
  • Designed, implemented, and maintained overall structure, information architecture, and content of website sections
  • Contributed editorial content to all of the company’s publications
  • Provided support services for the company’s business departments
  • Developed and maintained company’s website
  • Monitored and reported website traffic; scaled capacity to meet demand

2000 - 2002 Real Joe Media, Inc., Northfield, MN

Chief Technology Officer (Independent contractor)

Real Joe is the average Joe’s “Oprah,” a multimedia publishing company and community that takes a Motley Fool and Car Talk-type approach (fun, irreverent, no touchy-feely new agey tone) to men’s inner lives and their relationships with women, family, friends, work, and community. Our byline: Important stuff. Plain talk. Ordinary guys.

  • Managed company’s IT infrastructure
  • Managed company’s internet presence

1999 - 2001 3M, Saint Paul, MN

Web Project Manager + Technical Lead (Independent contractor)

3M is a diversified technology company with a worldwide presence in the following markets: consumer and office; display and graphics; electro and communications; health care; industrial and transportation; and safety, security and protection services. What makes us so diverse is our ability to apply our technologies—often in combination—to an endless array of customer needs.

  • Designed and implemented overall structure, information architecture, and content for various corporate intranet sites
  • Designed and implemented overall structure, information architecture, and content for a corporate intranet site design enhancement based on Lotus Notes/Domino
  • Designed and implemented Lotus Notes/Domino databases
  • Implemented intranet-accessible supplier diversity database
  • Defined and implemented methodology
  • Coordinated client, contractor, and engineering teams
  • Defined and implemented information plan
  • Defined website usability goals
  • Performed task analysis
  • Defined and implemented web strategy
  • Developed content specification
  • Created and implemented site style guide
  • Established and implemented validation, usability, and document testing procedure

1984 - present Independent contractor, Various locations

Technical writer and editor

  • Designed, wrote, edited, and published end-user documentation for company products
  • Coordinated client and contractor teams
  • Defined and implemented publication strategy
  • Defined and implemented information plan, information architecture, usability goals, content specification, validation, and document testing procedures

1979 - present Independent contractor, Various locations

Contributing editor and writer

  • Wrote product reviews, journalism, essays, opinion pieces for various national trade and consumer publishers
  • Helped define editorial direction for various national trade and consumer publications
  • Helped manage editorial calendar for various national trade and consumer publications

1979 - present ARTS & FARCES LLC, Saint Paul, MN

Co-founder and President

ARTS & FARCES is a multi-faceted communications concern specializing in all aspects of print, electronic, and online publishing, information design and architecture, general business consulting, and technology consulting.

  • Co-managed the company’s business processes
  • Developed, maintained, and managed company’s internet presence since 1993
  • Defined and implemented company’s web and print strategy, usability goals, methodology, information plans, and validation procedures
  • Provided IT services, web development services, business consulting services, and publication services to company’s clients, ranging from sole practitioners to members of Fortune 100

Education

1978 - 1979 West Georgia College

M.A. Humanistic psychology (incomplete; one foreign language credit required for graduation)

  • Creativity
  • Holistic studies
  • Values clarification
  • Crisis intervention
  • Cognitive psychology
  • Transpersonal psychology
  • Teaching practicum

1972 - 1976 West Georgia College

B.A. Humanistic psychology and philosophy (double major)

Publications

  • ARTS & FARCES internet; ARTS & FARCES, 1993 - present
  • Information Eclipse: Privacy and Access in America; ARTS & FARCES, 1999 (general nonfiction)
  • Internet Membership Kit series (2 volumes); Ventana, 1994 (best seller, first suite of Internet productivity software with national connectivity)
  • Internet Tour Guide series (3 volumes); Ventana, 1993 - 1994 (international best seller, multiple translations; first non-UNIX-specific Internet books)
  • Guide to the Macintosh Underground; Macmillan, 1993 (with Bob LeVitus)
  • Rapid Reference Guide series (15 volumes); Irwin, 1992 - 1993 (no-nonsense, 100-page guides to leading computing productivity applications)
  • Structured Publishing From the Desktop: Frame Technology’s FrameMaker; Irwin, 1992 (first book about FrameMaker)
  • Groupware for the Macintosh: A Complete Guide to Collaborative Computing; Irwin, 1991 (networking guide in the era when networking meant a long printer cable)
  • Farallon MediaTracks: The Ultimate Training Tool; Irwin, 1990 (guide to Farallon’s computer training software environment)
  • Hypermedia series (3 volumes); Scott Foresman, 1988 - 1989 (introduction, methodology, and reference guides to using hypertext)
  • MacWEEK (contributing writer) 1988 - 1994
  • MACazine (columnist, contributing editor) 1987 - 1989

Additional professional activities

  • “Deepening Online Deliberation” conference invited attendee, The Humphrey Institute, University of Minnesota, June 2005
  • Excellence and Ethics in Journalism Foundation fellowship, The Media Center at API, “Monetize the Web” seminar, San Francisco, September 2004
  • Convenor and Chair, House District 64B caucus, Green Party of Minnesota, March 2004
  • Judge, Minnesota Magazine & Publications Association (MMPA) Publishing Excellence Awards, 2003
  • Committee member; Caucus, Screening, and Endorsing Committee, Green Party of Minnesota, 2003
  • Delegate, Green Party of Minnesota, 2002
  • Expert witness, Jobs, Energy, and Community Development Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Technology, Minnesota Senate, 2000
  • Expert witness Judiciary Subcommittee on Data Privacy and Information Policy, Minnesota Senate, 1999
  • Featured speaker, “Workplace privacy and the Internet,” Business for Social Responsibility, 1998
  • Minnesota Internet Services Trade Association (MISTA) board of directors, 1996 - 1997
  • Publisher and Executive Editor, Cyberspace Settlers Guide (Internet publication), 1995 - 1996
  • Featured speaker, Internet World, 1993 - 1995
  • Featured speaker, Macworld Expo, 1993 - 1994
  • Apple Computer, Inc. certified developer, 1984 - 1989
  • Apple Computer, Inc. seeded HyperCard developer, 1987 - 1991
  • Publisher and Executive Editor, ARTS & FARCES Review (online publication), 1984 - 1987
  • Contributor, OWL Int’l. Introduction to Guide project (electronically-distributed hypertext publication), 1987
  • Contributor, Minnesota Creative Source Book, 1988
  • Cited as one of 200 most influential members of Mac community, 1988
  • Contributor, MacTV 2.0, 1988
  • Developed Telebit TrailBlazer Plus Disk, Telebit Corp., 1988
  • Produced independent videography, specializing in documentaries, 1979 - 1981
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