---
title: "Learning how developers think, and other API doc insights: Podcast with Joe Malin"
date: 2014-12-22
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# Learning how developers think, and other API doc insights: Podcast with Joe Malin

**Listen here:**

[Audio](https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/podcasts/joemalin.mp3)

[![](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/apple_podcasts.png)](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id-rather-be-writing-podcast/id277365275) [![](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/watchonyoutubeblack.png)](https://www.youtube.com/@idratherbewriting) [![](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/spotify.png)](https://open.spotify.com/show/4HeOZfPGMMfViOhVS40QBD)

In this podcast, I talk with [Joe Malin](https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=2698799) about a variety of topics within API documentation, including how developers think, best practices, and more. Joe is a former software engineer who turned to technical writing many years ago. He has worked at a variety of companies in API documentation roles, including 7 years at Google.

Here are a few of the topics we cover in the podcast:

- Why Joe turned from software programming to writing
- What kind of API documentation he is currently working on
- Best practices for API documentation
- The brilliance of REST APIs as a means of interchanging information
- Whether REST API doc is easier than platform-API doc
- How much programming a person needs to know to do API documentation, particularly Javadoc
- How developers think, and other insights gained from learning programming
- Benefits of using Github and other source control repositories to share documentation
- His response to someone who says, "Well if I could write code, I would be a programmer instead of a technical writer."
- Contributions tech writers can make with code samples, including style guides for code
- Applications for visual communication with code

You can learn more about Joe Malin by visiting his [Linkedin profile](https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=2698799). To ask questions about API documentation, see the [API Documentation group on Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/groups/API-Documentation-3709151).

## Add a review for the "I'd Rather Be Writing" podcast in iTunes

If you like this podcast, please add a review for the podcast in iTunes. Just click [this link](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id277365275), and then launch iTunes. Find and subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. On the Ratings and Reviews section, add a rating and optionally a review. This will help increase the visibility of the podcast in iTunes.

![You can help support my podcast by reviewing it in iTunes.](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/review_in_itunes.png)