---
title: "2018 archives"
description: "{% for post in site.posts %} {% capture year %}{{post.date | date:"
canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/archives-2018/index.html
---

> For AI agents: a documentation index is available at https://idratherbewriting.com/llms.txt. Markdown versions of all pages are available by appending .md to any page URL.

# 2018 archives

1. [Is Premium Grammarly worth it for identifying style and grammar issues in tech docs?](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/12/28/evaluating-grammarly-as-a-style-checker/) | Dec 28, 2018
2. [Obituary for my dad - David Tait Johnson, 1935 - 2018](https://idratherbewriting.com/blog/obituary-for-my-dad-1935-2018/) | Dec 26, 2018
3. [Research on code documentation -- when not to comment on code](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/12/20/when-not-to-comment-on-code/) | Dec 20, 2018
4. [Top 10 holiday gifts for technical writers](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/12/18/holiday-gifts-for-technical-writers/) | Dec 18, 2018
5. [My podcast about writing with Ellis Pratt on Cherryleaf](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/12/13/podcast-with-cherryleaf-should-you-specialise/) | Dec 13, 2018
6. [Recording for Menlo Park API documentation workshop now available -- and some thoughts on using cardioid versus omnidirectional microphones for recording](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/12/04/api-documentation-workshop-menlo-park-recording/) | Dec 4, 2018
7. [New post in Simplifying Complexity series -- Principle 11: Be both a generalist and specialist at the same time](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/11/30/trends-generalist-specialist-topic-in-simplifying-complexity-series/) | Nov 30, 2018
8. [My upcoming presentation and workshop at the 2019 STC Summit in Denver](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/11/29/upcoming-presentations-at-stc-summit/) | Nov 29, 2018
9. [Upcoming BrightTALK webinar on trends -- January 15, 2019](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/11/29/upcoming-brighttalk-webinar-trends/) | Nov 29, 2018
10. [Write the Docs Podcast episode 18: Recap and thoughts on the WTD Australia 2018 conference](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/11/25/write-the-docs-podcast-episode-18-write-the-docs-australia/) | Nov 25, 2018
11. [Bibliography of API documentation articles](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/11/25/api-documentation-bibliography/) | Nov 25, 2018
12. [How to avoid being a secretary for engineers](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/11/19/avoid-being-secretary-for-engineers/) | Nov 19, 2018
13. [I'd Rather Be Writing is now an Alexa Flash Briefing skill](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/11/05/now-id-rather-be-writing-is-an-alexa-skill/) | Nov 5, 2018
14. [Upcoming full-day API documentation workshop in Menlo Park](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/10/31/upcoming-api-doc-workshop/) | Oct 31, 2018
15. [The Tell-Tale Project — Guest Post by Edgar Allan Poe, Technical Writer](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/10/31/guest-post-by-edgar-allen-poe-the-tell-tale-project/) | Oct 31, 2018
16. [Preferring technical acuity over specialized knowledge](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/10/24/technical-aptitude/) | Oct 24, 2018
17. [Write the Docs Podcast Episode 17: Structured Writing -- reasons and approaches, with Mark Baker](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/10/23/structured-writing-write-the-docs-podcast-with-mark-baker/) | Oct 23, 2018
18. [Brainstorming by transposing patterns from one category to another](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/10/19/transposing-patterns-from-one-category-to-another/) | Oct 19, 2018
19. [The ideal number of slides for an hour-long presentation, and other thoughts on preparing slides](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/10/15/ideal-number-of-slides-for-an-hour-long-presentations/) | Oct 15, 2018
20. [Tech comm trends -- why tech writers will be collaborating more with engineers](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/10/09/tech-comm-trends-more-collaboration-with-engineers/) | Oct 9, 2018
21. [Tech comm trends: Providing value as a generalist in a sea of specialists (Part I)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/10/02/providing-value-as-generalists-in-specialist-contexts-part-1/) | Oct 2, 2018
22. [Tech comm trends: Providing value as a generalist in a sea of specialists (Part II)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/10/02/providing-value-as-generalists-in-specialist-contexts-part-2/) | Oct 2, 2018
23. [Tech comm trends: Providing value as a generalist in a sea of specialists (Part III)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/10/02/providing-value-as-generalists-in-specialist-contexts-part-3/) | Oct 2, 2018
24. [Tech comm trends: Providing value as a generalist in a sea of specialists (Part IV)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/10/02/providing-value-as-generalists-in-specialist-contexts-part-4/) | Oct 2, 2018
25. [Tech comm trends: Providing value as a generalist in a sea of specialists (Part V)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/10/02/providing-value-as-generalists-in-specialist-contexts-part-5/) | Oct 2, 2018
26. [Tech comm trends: Providing value as a generalist in a sea of specialists (Part VI)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/10/02/providing-value-as-generalists-in-specialist-contexts-part-6/) | Oct 2, 2018
27. [Tech comm trends: Providing value as a generalist in a sea of specialists (Part VII)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/10/02/providing-value-as-generalists-in-specialist-contexts-part-7/) | Oct 2, 2018
28. [Tech comm podcasts roundup and survey](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/09/15/podcasts-list-cherryleaf/) | Sep 15, 2018
29. [Pages at a glance -- the importance of the first two sentences of any topic](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/09/15/pages-at-a-glance-feature/) | Sep 15, 2018
30. [Write the Docs Podcast episode 16: An open-source Grammarly for tech docs?](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/09/06/wtd-podcast-episode-16-open-source-grammarly/) | Sep 6, 2018
31. [How I handled data for about 10 device specifications on the same page -- the advantages of a flexible, customizable web-based framework like Jekyll](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/08/31/handling-multiple-versions-of-content/) | Aug 31, 2018
32. [New article in Simplifying Complexity series -- Iterate and increment on content following an agile approach](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/08/31/iterate-and-increment-on-content/) | Aug 31, 2018
33. [Getting a job in API documentation -- new topics and expansions in my API doc course](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/08/22/expanded-sections-in-getting-an-api-doc-job/) | Aug 22, 2018
34. [Strategies for learning technology -- podcast recommendation and a poll](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/08/10/how-much-time-devoted-to-learning-tech-is-needed/) | Aug 10, 2018
35. [If writing is no longer a marketable skill, what is?](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/08/09/writing-no-longer-a-skill/) | Aug 9, 2018
36. [My conflicted thoughts about the decentralized web (while taking the Census of Technical Communicators survey)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/08/06/conflicted-thoughts-on-decentralized-web-and-survey/) | Aug 6, 2018
37. [The right story for tech writers to tell in a corporate blog post](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/08/02/what-story-to-tell-in-a-corporate-blog-post/) | Aug 2, 2018
38. [Articulating stories that influence product adoption (new article in Simplifying Complexity series)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/07/31/articulating-stories-that-influence-product-adoption/) | Jul 31, 2018
39. [Reciprocal knowledge networks and the iFixit Technical Writing Project -- Conversation with Guiseppe Getto](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/07/25/how-the-network-shapes-knowledge-conversation-with-guiseppe-getto/) | Jul 25, 2018
40. [Looking at the theoretical foundations for tech comm -- Conversation with Lisa Melonçon](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/07/24/theoretical-foundations-for-tech-comm-conversation-with-lisa-meloncon/) | Jul 24, 2018
41. [Adventures of a Techie Academic with Lightweight DITA (LwDITA): Conversation with Carlos Evia](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/07/23/adventures-of-techie-academic-conversation-with-carlos-evia/) | Jul 23, 2018
42. [Write the Docs Podcast episode 15: User research, tech writer stereotypes, and conversations](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/07/22/write-the-docs-podcast-assumptions-users-writers/) | Jul 22, 2018
43. [Teaching Technological Adaptability to Bridge the Gap (Guest post by Melonie McMichael)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/07/18/learning-technology/) | Jul 18, 2018
44. [Combatting the "Make-It-Pretty" Philosophy: Technical Writers Fight Back (Guest post by Emily January Petersen)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/07/18/stereotypes-about-tech-writers-in-workplace/) | Jul 18, 2018
45. [Results from my Academic/Practitioner Attitudes surveys now available](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/07/17/interpreting-results-of-academic-practitioner-survey/) | Jul 17, 2018
46. [The relationship between academics and practitioners -- Podcast with Kirk St. Amant](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/07/11/research-as-bridge-between-academics-and-practitioners-kirk-st-amant-podcast/) | Jul 11, 2018
47. [Reducing the complexity of technical language (new article in Simplifying Complexity series)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/07/11/reducing-the-complexity-of-technical-language/) | Jul 11, 2018
48. [Random reflections on the throwaway mentality in our culture](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/07/03/reflections-on-throwaway-mentality/) | Jul 3, 2018
49. [Thoughts on docs-as-code after 3 years -- it works!](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/07/03/docs-as-code-after-three-years/) | Jul 3, 2018
50. [A short survey to measure academic/practitioner attitudes](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/07/02/survey-for-academics-and-practitioners/) | Jul 2, 2018
51. [10 ways technical writing is just like the World Cup](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/06/19/how-tech-writing-is-just-like-the-world-cup/) | Jun 19, 2018
52. [MadCap Flare 2018 and MadCap Central Review for the May 2018 Release -- Guest post](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/06/19/review-of-madcap-central-and-flare-2018/) | Jun 19, 2018
53. [Evaluating the user experience of documentation -- Podcast with Bob Watson](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/06/18/podcast-on-the-user-experience/) | Jun 18, 2018
54. [Non-Reference Content section updated in API course](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/06/12/updated-the-nonref-sections-in-api-course/) | Jun 12, 2018
55. [Hiding Complexity -- A new Simplifying Complexity article](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/06/12/hiding-complexity-article/) | Jun 12, 2018
56. [New article in Simplifying Complexity: Reconstructing the absent user](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/05/31/reconstructing-absent-user-simplifying-complexity/) | May 31, 2018
57. [The reason I always find time to write on this blog](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/05/18/the-reason-i-find-time-to-write/) | May 18, 2018
58. [Stoplight -- creating a single source of truth to drive the API lifecycle](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/05/11/stoplight-and-api-doc-tools/) | May 11, 2018
59. [My site now has Algolia search integrated](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/05/02/new-algolia-search-integrated/) | May 2, 2018
60. [Replaced the previous weather API example in my API course to now use OpenWeatherAPI](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/04/28/replaced-old-mashape-api-example-in-api-doc-course/) | Apr 28, 2018
61. [Do you have to relocate to an urban tech hub to find a technical writing job?](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/04/27/tech-dystopia-and-where-the-tech-comm-jobs-are/) | Apr 27, 2018
62. [Strategies from pickup basketball -- Why you shouldn't guard the worst player or focus too much on the documentation no one reads](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/04/19/why-watching-nba-can-make-you-a-worse-pickup-ball-player/) | Apr 19, 2018
63. [New Simplifying Complexity article on shaping information into familiar schemas, especially story](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/04/18/new-simplifying-complexity-article-on-schemas-and-story/) | Apr 18, 2018
64. [A Review of the MadWorld Conference -- guest post by Jayna Locke](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/04/18/madworld-conference-review/) | Apr 18, 2018
65. [New article on Simplifying Complexity: Reduction, layering, and distillation as a strategy for simplicity](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/03/28/reduction-and-distillation-as-form-of-simplicity/) | Mar 28, 2018
66. [The math game my daughter and her friend created with Codesters](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/03/28/math-game-created-by-students/) | Mar 28, 2018
67. [What can we learn from the homogenous profiles in the Stack Overflow 2018 survey?](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/03/27/stack-overflow-developer-survey-2018/) | Mar 27, 2018
68. [Write the Docs Podcast episode 14: Humanizing your documentation](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/03/23/humanizing-your-documentation-write-the-docs/) | Mar 23, 2018
69. [Recording of API documentation workshop in Denver](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/03/12/api-documentation-workshop-in-denver/) | Mar 12, 2018
70. [Guest post: The story behind DocToolHub, a site for finding tech comm tools](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/03/09/doctoolhub-finding-the-right-tool/) | Mar 9, 2018
71. [Recording of Docs-as-code tools and workflows presentation](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/03/09/docs-as-code-tools-and-workflows-denver-presentation/) | Mar 9, 2018
72. [Recording of STC San Francisco presentation: Beyond mere endpoint reference — the overlooked content in API documentation](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/03/08/stc-sf-preso-nonreference-api-docs/) | Mar 8, 2018
73. [New article in Simplifying Complexity -- Ensuring information harmony in the larger documentation landscape](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/03/07/ensuring-information-harmony-in-doc-landscape/) | Mar 7, 2018
74. [Perspectives on tech comm from the VP Candidates — Q&A with Pam Brewer](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/02/20/stc-vp-candidate-pam-brewer/) | Feb 20, 2018
75. [Perspectives on tech comm from the VP Candidates — Q&A with Ben Woelk](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/02/20/stc-vp-candidate-ben-woelk/) | Feb 20, 2018
76. [Recording of OpenAPI and Swagger presentation (for STC and WTD San Diego)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/02/14/openapi-and-swagger-presentation/) | Feb 14, 2018
77. [Two open-ended surveys to gauge practitioner/academic attitudes](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/02/06/survey-to-measure-tc-academic-practitioner-attitudes/) | Feb 6, 2018
78. [New Simplifying complexity tutorial: Discoverability through metadata](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/02/05/new-article-discoverability-through-metadata/) | Feb 5, 2018
79. [New section on my site: Simplifying complexity](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/01/24/new-section-on-simplifying-complexity/) | Jan 24, 2018
80. [Write the Docs Podcast episode 13: Postman for API development and docs — Interview with Postman Founder](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/01/22/postman-for-docs-podcast/) | Jan 22, 2018
81. [Recording of WTD South Bay presentation: Publishing tools for API documentation](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/01/19/wtd-south-bay-publish-api-documentation-presentation/) | Jan 19, 2018
82. [Unexpected realizations after a comprehensive review of my 2017 site metrics](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/01/11/comprehensive-metrics-for-idratherbewriting-in-2017/) | Jan 11, 2018
83. [New STC Intercom article: How to Research What You Need to Learn to Be Successful as a Technical Writer](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/01/03/intercom-article-on-research-for-practitioners/) | Jan 3, 2018
84. [What technical writing trends will we see in 2018?](https://idratherbewriting.com/2018/01/02/technical-writing-trends-2018-and-2017-review/) | Jan 2, 2018