2017 archives
Part VIII: Conclusion | Dec 28, 2017
Part VI: Deepening documentation's value by simplifying complexity | Dec 28, 2017
Part V: Influencing the content experience | Dec 28, 2017
Part IV: Enabling information flow | Dec 28, 2017
Part III: Determining value through usage | Dec 28, 2017
Part II: Reviewing past research | Dec 28, 2017
Part I: Introduction to the series | Dec 28, 2017
Why is TC Camp's unconference format so popular? Interview with Liz Fraley, TC Camp Founder | Dec 22, 2017
Write the Docs Podcast episode 12: Founding ideas behind Write the Docs | Dec 14, 2017
Biking down Coyote Creek Trail | Dec 10, 2017
How to become a voracious reader | Dec 1, 2017
Write the Docs Podcast episode 11: Exploring the Mozilla Developer Network's Web Docs project | Nov 28, 2017
How do you communicate user progress in a course without a Learning Management System (LMS)? | Nov 28, 2017
Case study: Switching tools to docs-as-code | Nov 21, 2017
Intro to API Documentation -- recording of presentation to STC Silicon Valley chapter on 11/20/2017 | Nov 19, 2017
Balancing writing, editing, and learning in equal measures | Nov 18, 2017
New OpenAPI 3.0 specification tutorial in my API Course | Nov 7, 2017
The Untold Story of Techwriter.pl: A Polish website about technical communication for technical writers, trainers, and translators | Oct 31, 2017
Question: Which software tools should I use if my goal is to write API docs? | Oct 12, 2017
Write the Docs Podcast episode 10: What's going on in our lives as documentarians and product owners | Oct 10, 2017
SwaggerHub: A collaborative platform for working on OpenAPI/Swagger specification files, and more | Oct 5, 2017
Convert Google Docs content to Markdown or HTML using the gd2md-html add-on | Sep 22, 2017
Has plain language deepened or ruined our delight in language? | Sep 20, 2017
Write the Docs Podcast episode 9: Chatbots in Documentation | Sep 19, 2017
Discoveries and realizations while walking down the Docs-as-Code path | Aug 23, 2017
Write the Docs Podcast episode 8: Stack Overflow's Documentation Failure and Open Source Challenges | Aug 22, 2017
Why Stack Overflow's Documentation effort failed -- a few thoughts from a technical writer's perspective | Aug 5, 2017
Tech docs and Agile: Alternatives to integrating into engineering Scrums (Part 2) | Aug 4, 2017
Tech docs and Agile: Problems with integrating tech writers into engineering Scrums (Part 1) | Aug 4, 2017
Why simple language isn't so simple: the struggle to create plain language in documentation | Jul 27, 2017
When the pain of ignorance exceeds the pain of learning | Jul 23, 2017
Transparency in documentation: dealing with limits about what you can and cannot say | Jul 13, 2017
Write the Docs Podcast episode 7: Let The Robots Do The Work | Jul 6, 2017
Circle review -- How to manage your kids' access to Internet devices | Jun 30, 2017
My second-chance points strategy with documentation | Jun 25, 2017
The problem with Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in documentation | Jun 23, 2017
Recording of my WTD Portland 2017 presentation on Building navigation for your doc site -- 5 best practices | Jun 8, 2017
Write the Docs Podcast episode 6: Metadata and UI copy | Jun 8, 2017
Limits to the idea of treating docs as code | Jun 2, 2017
How big should your documentation repo be? | May 26, 2017
Impressions from the Write the Docs Conference -- and thoughts on achieving sustainability without selling out to vendors | May 23, 2017
Slides for Write the Docs Portland presentation on doc navigation best practices | May 14, 2017
Testing your documentation -- updates in API doc course | May 4, 2017
Write the Docs Podcast episode 5: Where do we belong? | May 1, 2017
My Calm Meditation app -- another experiment to test my docs | Apr 27, 2017
Tutorial on converting an HTML site into a Jekyll theme | Apr 13, 2017
Following instructions involves learning a new language -- adventures with Tinker Crate projects | Apr 13, 2017
Write the Docs Podcast app now on Fire TV, and the importance of testing your docs with sample apps | Apr 9, 2017
Amazon begins pilot with voice-interactive user manuals | Apr 1, 2017
Tutorials versus docs -- why you need both | Mar 30, 2017
Moved my API doc site into separate repo | Mar 30, 2017
Simplifying my life and writing | Mar 15, 2017
Guest post -- The effects of terminology consistency on the reader's comprehension and attitude | Mar 10, 2017
Crowdsourcing docs with docs-as-code tools -- same result as with wikis? | Mar 8, 2017
Write the Docs Podcast Episode 4 -- Continuous Integration and Docs as Code | Mar 6, 2017
Adobe FrameMaker 2017 -- time, tools, and the tech writer’s focus on content | Mar 6, 2017
Upcoming 2017 Write the Docs Conference in Portland | Mar 3, 2017
Guest Post -- MadCap Central: A Review for Companies Delivering Technical Communication Services | Mar 2, 2017
How do you learn what you need to learn to be successful as a technical writer? | Feb 24, 2017
Guest post: Design choices for organizing API reference content with other documentation | Feb 21, 2017
Recording of User-Centered Design Principles for Organizing Documentation | Feb 18, 2017
Write the Docs Podcast episode 3: Trends for 2017 | Feb 3, 2017
Technical Writing Trends and Predictions for 2017 | Jan 28, 2017
Simplified Technical English and HyperSTE | Jan 25, 2017
Recording: Modern Technical Writing, by Andrew Etter (STC Silicon Valley chapter) | Jan 24, 2017
Recording: Writing tech docs like a hacker with Jekyll | Jan 18, 2017
My top 3 posts of 2016 are all Swagger-related -- lessons learned from 2016 analytics | Jan 17, 2017
Swagger presentation recording -- Harnessing the Chi of Swagger in your REST API documentation | Jan 17, 2017
FrameMaker and the mobile web: Evaluating Adobe FrameMaker's responsive HTML5 output | Jan 16, 2017
MadCap Central -- a first look at MadCap’s new cloud-based collaboration and publishing solution | Jan 16, 2017
How much code do you need to know to create API developer documentation? | Jan 6, 2017
Attend my upcoming TC Dojo presentation on Swagger on Jan 9, 2017 | Jan 6, 2017
TC Camp in Santa Clara to be held Jan 21, 2017 | Jan 6, 2017
About Tom Johnson
I'm an API technical writer based in the Seattle area. On this blog, I write about topics related to technical writing and communication — such as software documentation, API documentation, AI, information architecture, content strategy, writing processes, plain language, tech comm careers, and more. Check out my API documentation course if you're looking for more info about documenting APIs. Or see my posts on AI and AI course section for more on the latest in AI and tech comm.
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