By the way, I rarely write guest posts. In my 3+ years of blogging, this is only the second guest post I have ever written. I hope you enjoy it.

Read my guest post on Unstoppability

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Scott touched on many angles I didn’t cover and went more in depth. Here are several things that struck me:

• Stewart’s Wikipatterns site shows wiki practices and techniques that work well in organizations. It’s a wiki that anyone can contribute to. Initially he started with about 30 patterns (best practices), and through the community influence expanded to more than 100.
• Stewart is so enthusiastic about wikis that he posts his slides and talks on his site because, although someone could conceivably steal his Powerpoints, he feels the benefit of gaining a new wiki convert through the Powerpoint theft is worth it.
• Stewart wrote his Wikipatterns book using a wiki, and the editors loved it because they could quickly see Stewart’s progress in writing the book. Stewart was also able to write the chapters he felt like writing (rather than proceeding chronologically). And because he travels a lot, the web-based wiki allowed him to write from anywhere he had Internet access.
• Stewart uses the term “security guards” to describe people in organizations who are defensive about contributing to wikis – they spend their energy keeping information from others. His argument to these people is that hiding information makes them less powerful than sharing it, because when you share information, you demonstrate your knowledge and allow others to build on it. People begin to seek you out because they perceive you as an expert on a subject. You make your expertise visible.
• A lot of people aren’t familiar with the term “wiki,” even though wikis have been around since 1995. When this happens, try calling the wiki a “collaborative space.” By the way, wiki means “quick” in Hawaiian. The unconventional name reflects the unconventional technology. And it is quick to write, edit, and publish content on a wiki.
• Stewart’s strategy for wiki adoption in organizations is to start small and restrict wiki access to a limited group of people until the demand rises from the outside. He says many organizations make a wrong move by opening wiki permissions to everyone at once.
• Stewart says that big companies often invest in expensive, complex authoring tools/systems. Employees resist adopting these new tools because of the learning curve. In contrast, people are much more willing to embrace a technology that’s simple.

Overall, while the wiki does have some limitations, wikis present such a major collaborative, community-based shift in the way organizations work that the benefits far outweigh any disadvantages. Stewart said he can’t think of any organization that couldn’t benefit in some way from a wiki.

For more on wikis, see Stewart’s blog, Grow Your Wiki.

(See, you can learn a lot listening to podcasts even while playing basketball.)

Also, coming soon: Screenshots of my new wiki/blog-based SharePoint help site.

Networking for Freelancers, Work-at-Homers, and Other Professionals

In this podcast on networking by the STC Washington D.C. chapter, Carolyn Kelley Klinger interviews two experts on the value of networking. Although I’ve never been aggressive in my networking, this podcast made me realize that my blog and podcast are infinitely valuable networking tools. What better way to connect and build relationships with others than through the mediums of Web 2.0. 

Outsourcing Technical Communications to India

This podcast by DMN Communications explores the positive implications of outsourcing technical writing to India. Outsourcing some of the lower-level tech writing tasks frees up non-outsourced technical writers to perform more of the higher-level information design and content development tasks that we want to do. Scott and Aaron also assert that outsourcing to India will force tech writers in more first-world countries to expand their skill sets beyond writing. We’ll have to become more technical, more savvy about content re-use and delivery, and eventually grow out of the “basic writer” role.

Things to Consider When Moving to DITA

In this podcast from Just Systems, Amber Swope gives a perfect introduction to the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA). DITA is a popular XML architecture that provides technical writers with the capability of single sourcing and re-use. Swope explains DITA basics, including the meaning of the name, topic-based authoring, the three topic types (reference, task, and concept), the DITA Open Source Toolkit, output formats, specialization, and other details. It’s a great introduction to the topic without any heavy product slant from the sponsor.

Tip for Listening to Podcasts

If you struggle to find good podcasts, subscribe to my recommended podcast feed. If you haven’t gotten into podcasts yet, be sure you’re not trying to listen to them while sitting passively at your computer. Load them up onto your MP3 player and listen to them while you’re at the gym or driving to or from work.

To enable the audio in your car, get a wireless FM transmitter from your local electronics store. You’ll find that once you start listening to podcasts, you’ll realize how much more informative and entertaining they are in contrast to whatever happens to be on the radio.

After a five-month hiatus, Aaron and Scott at DMN Communications returned to the podcasting scene. In this Sep 9 podcast, they discuss whether technical writing is calling or just a job? By calling, they refer to treating tech writing as if you were destined to be a tech writer, as if it was a sacred duty you were compelled by almost a higher power to complete.

Some writers exhibit this tech-writing-as-calling attitude by writing lavish introductions about the tech writing document itself. If you find yourself being too copious in your description of what you’re writing, rather than focusing on the instructional content itself, you fall into the tech-writing-as-calling syndrome. In the end, Aaron and Scott say to take your job seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously. Tech writing is only a job — a potentially lucrative job, and a rewarding job. But not a calling.

My Reaction

My reaction? I agree with their assessment, but it’s somewhat a sad observation about our careers. If technical writing is not a calling, why are we engaged in it? Shouldn’t we quit and become firemen or doctors or human rights activists (or whatever we dreamed of being)?

I think most will agree that we tech writers ended up in this profession as a second or third choice. I felt that I should go into the writing field — I wanted to be a nonfiction essayist writing for magazines. But as much as I enjoy creative writing, I can’t make a living at it (yet anyway). My three kids depend on me. I’d much rather make a comfortable salary than squeak by on carrots and top ramen, living a spartan, solitary life.

But there are facets of the tech writing job that I find occasionally inspiring. I am fascinated by technology. That’s what gets me excited about my job. And working closely with other project members. Plus I have a knack for bringing organization and clarity to complicated and scattered information. I like the rewarding feeling of creating a valuable, true document that makes a complicated interface or concept accessible. It’s like a puzzle to solve.

Even if we’re not following our true callings, most glamorous jobs turn out to be a bit boring anyway. Even prize-winning novelists approach their work as a job. They don’t always feel like writing, but they slug away at the keyboard nonetheless.

Final Thoughts

I’m so glad DMN returned to the podcasting scene. Thanks guys! You made my morning commute so much more enjoyable. Tech Writer Voices is coming back too. It’s been almost 3 months since I published a podcast. But this morning I finally found my wireless FM transmitter (I temporarily lost it), and listening to my favorite podcasts renewed my enthusiasm.