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2019 archives

  1. Write the Docs Podcast episode 26: Technical writing and Reddit, with Alan Bowman

  2. 2020 Developer documentation survey

  3. Podcast: API Design and Usability with Arnaud Lauret (API Handyman)

  4. When reference docs lack a tutorial -- a look at Wescheme's Bootstrap documentation for students learning programming

  5. Upcoming API Documentation Workshop in Los Angeles, Calif., on January 23, 2020

  6. Reflecting on my latest SF API doc workshop

  7. Follow-up to 4 Technical Writing Tests Post

  8. 4 Technical Writing Tests to Screen Candidates

  9. Write the Docs Podcast episode 25: Researching how developers use API docs, with Andrew Head

  10. Long-term strategies for project productivity

  11. Matching documentation review practices to company culture

  12. Some specifications docs I've been working on -- and thoughts on strategies and techniques for managing specs

  13. Podcast with Jacob Moses on the Not-Boring Tech Writer: Skill #26: Getting Started with API Documentation

  14. Podcast: Dealing with Project Overload -- Strategies to Manage Overflowing Documentation Tasks

  15. Podcast: 10 myths about API documentation

  16. Expanding embedded Swagger UI instances in your docs

  17. Write the Docs Podcast episode 24: Conference chatter and the Australian scene, with Swapnil Ogaler

  18. Write the Docs Podcast episode 23: How to write inclusive tech documentation, by Lucie Le Naour

  19. An inside look at DeveloperHub -- hosted documentation portals for API docs

  20. Upcoming API Documentation Workshop in San Francisco, Calif., on November 19, 2019

  21. What I learned from organizing and running my first API documentation workshop from end to end

  22. New topic in API course: Following agile scrum with documentation projects

  23. Can you collaborate on doc projects in Git with other writers?

  24. New topic in API course: Five strategies for documenting code

  25. New topic in API course: Research on documenting code

  26. New topic in API course: Why documenting code is so difficult

  27. Write the Docs Podcast episode 22: Managing multiple doc projects across Git repositories, with Giles Gaskell

  28. Single-sourcing data into table templates in Jekyll

  29. Upcoming API Documentation Workshop in Mountain View, Calif., on August 30, 2019

  30. Every project is a monster you battle and slay

  31. If I am learning to write developer documentation, should GraphQL be on my radar? -- guest post by Casey Armstrong

  32. Recording of Tech Comm Trends Presentation (STC Puget Sound chapter)

  33. ClickHelp -- a flexible online platform for authoring and publishing technical documentation

  34. My documentation project plan template

  35. How to avoid inefficiencies even with context switching

  36. Reader question: Am I specializing too much by limiting my focus to docs only?

  37. Crash course in API documentation -- a one-hour video

  38. Reader question: Is it a red flag in the hiring process if they tell you that you'll be the only tech writer, with complete control over everything?

  39. Reader question: Recommended setup for docs-as-code tooling?

  40. Upcoming conference: The Tech Comm Roundup, by The Content Wrangler

  41. Season of Docs -- opportunities for both tech writers and open-source organizations to benefit from each other

  42. Technical writer position for Amazon Appstore team in Seattle or Irvine

  43. My slide links and presentation descriptions at the 2019 STC Summit

  44. The essence of technical writing, and my five stages of review for documentation

  45. First look at Document360 -- an authoring/publishing tool that satisfies both KB and tech pubs needs

  46. New video recordings of Raleigh API documentation workshop now available

  47. How I record audio and video in workshops — all the technical details, equipment, software, post-production techniques, and publishing methods

  48. Flare adds micro content feature, taking steps toward content management for AI scenarios

  49. When you're in the business of complexification

  50. Why I decided not to become a grasshopper expert, or, Not deciding your focus based on where readers are clicking

  51. A hypothesis on how to exert more influence and visibility inside the corporation

  52. Upcoming API workshops in Raleigh (April 6) and Denver (May 5)

  53. Recognizing Research Realities Across Technical Communication -- guest post by Kirk St. Amant

  54. Write the Docs Podcast episode 21: On career growth, leadership, and mentoring in Tech Writing

  55. Master's in technical writing at Mercer — FAQ

  56. Results from survey about engineers who write documentation

  57. My documentation takeaways from the Boeing disaster -- two essential doc questions to ask for any project

  58. Biking at Alviso County Park (Santa Clara)

  59. Should you get a degree in a tech comm program? Two considerations to keep in mind

  60. How to encourage risk-taking and idealism without falling prey to cynical attitudes born from experience

  61. XML Documentation for Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) — Integrating documentation and marketing content into a seamless whole

  62. How to design API documentation for opportunistic (active, experiential) learning styles

  63. Confronting the fear of growing older when you're surrounded by young programmers

  64. Write the Docs podcast episode 20: Minimum requirements for good tech docs, with Matt Reiner

  65. Corporate exodus narratives: A close look at the tension between the corporation and academia

  66. Recording and slides for my trends presentation at the Symposium for Communicating Complex Information (SCCI)

  67. Asserting your expertise as a SME in the workplace: Q&A with Jennifer Mallette and Megan Gehrke

  68. How to become a 10X technical writer in the workplace

  69. How to motivate users to provide feedback: Show that you're listening to their input

  70. Write the Docs Podcast episode 19: Static site generators, with Jessica Parsons

  71. Recording of Trends presentation on The Content Wrangler BrightTALK channel

  72. Site analytics from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2018 -- are more engineers writing docs now?

  73. Employment and salary outlook for technical writers based on the 2017-2018 STC Salary Database

  74. The absolute worst that can happen in 2019, or, Imagining a dystopian corporatocracy emerge after a permanent government collapse

About Tom Johnson

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.

If you're a technical writer and want to keep on top of the latest trends in the tech comm, be sure to subscribe to email updates below. You can also learn more about me or contact me. Finally, note that the opinions I express on my blog are my own points of view, not that of my employer.