---
title: "I’d Rather Be Writing blog"
description: "{% for post in paginator.posts %} {{ post.title }} {{ post.date | date:"
canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/page48/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.

# I’d Rather Be Writing blog

[Examples of linear workflow user maps built with JS and CSS](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/30/building-a-workflow-user-map-with-css-and-js/)

May 30, 2016 • [visual-communication](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-visual-communication)

[![Examples of linear workflow user maps built with JS and CSS](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/thumbnails/usermapthumb.png)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/30/building-a-workflow-user-map-with-css-and-js/)

Maps are an essential tool for helping users navigate unfamiliar territory. Providing maps to users is the 101 of visual communication — these maps helps guide through the overgrown documentation forest, especially when users are trying to complete procedures that require them to visit multiple pages, or take different paths through the [undergrowth] content. The map is as essential to end-users as it is to hikers on an unfamiliar trail.

[8 image translation issues for tech doc — guest post by Jeanine Shepstone](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/26/image-translation-with-technical-documentation-guest-post/)

May 26, 2016 • [visual-communication](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-visual-communication)

[![8 image translation issues for tech doc — guest post by Jeanine Shepstone](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/thumbnails/jeaninethumb.png)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/26/image-translation-with-technical-documentation-guest-post/)

The following is a guest post by Jeanine Shepstone. In this post, Jeanine talks about some of the issues technical writers face when translating images in technical documentation. She outlines the workflows for both text translation and image translation, and the challenges of extracting, translating, and merging text back into images. Image translation is certainly one of the most difficult aspects of tech comm, and for this reason many people avoid it and stick with text only.

[11 images issues for tech doc systems — guest post by Jeanine Shepstone](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/26/image-handling-strategies-guest-post/)

May 26, 2016 • [visual-communication](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-visual-communication)

[![11 images issues for tech doc systems — guest post by Jeanine Shepstone](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/thumbnails/legothumb.png)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/26/image-handling-strategies-guest-post/)

The following is a guest post by Jeanine Shepstone. In this post, Jeanine talks about some of the issues that images present with tech docs. For example, sorting out references to the images, single sourcing re-used images, converting SVG image formats to ensure browser compatibility, and ensuring the right file size for optimal page loading are some of the challenges that tech writers face when working with images in tech docs.

[Presentation recording: Move Fast And ... Document Things? Lessons learned in building documentation culture at a startup, by Ruthie Bendor](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/22/move-fast-and-document-things/)

May 22, 2016 • [podcasts](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-podcasts)

[![Presentation recording: Move Fast And ... Document Things? Lessons learned in building documentation culture at a startup, by Ruthie Bendor](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/idratherbewritinglogo.png)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/22/move-fast-and-document-things/)

During the May WTD meetup, Ruthie Bendor, a web engineer, gave a presentation titled Move Fast And ... Document Things? Lessons learned in building documentation culture at a startup. This post contains the audio and video recording of her presentation.

[Recording of 'Move fast and ... document things,' by Ruthie Bendor at Write the Docs](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/22/ruth-move-fast-document-things/)

May 22, 2016 • [technical-writing](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-technical-writing)

[![Recording of 'Move fast and ... document things,' by Ruthie Bendor at Write the Docs](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/thumbnails/writethedocsthumb.png)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/22/ruth-move-fast-document-things/)

We recently hosted a Write the Docs meetup in Redwood City with a couple of excellent presenters. A recording of Ruthie Bendor's presentation is below.

[Recording of 'Two great teams that work great together: Bridging the gap between documentation and support,' by Neal Kaplan at Write the Docs](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/22/neal-kaplan-work-together/)

May 22, 2016 • [technical-writing](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-technical-writing), [podcasts](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-podcasts)

[![Recording of 'Two great teams that work great together: Bridging the gap between documentation and support,' by Neal Kaplan at Write the Docs](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/thumbnails/writethedocsthumb.png)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/22/neal-kaplan-work-together/)

We recently hosted a Write the Docs meetup in Redwood City with a couple of excellent presenters. Below is the recording of Neal Kaplan's presentation. I also explain a bit about my new lapel mic and recording process.

[Some post-STC Summit thoughts](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/20/conference-recap-and-thoughts-stc-summit-2016/)

May 20, 2016 • [api-doc](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-api-doc), [technical-writing](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-technical-writing)

[![Some post-STC Summit thoughts](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/thumbnails/stcsummitanaheimworkshopthumb.png)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/20/conference-recap-and-thoughts-stc-summit-2016/)

I attended the 2016 STC Summit in Anaheim, California this year. This is a brief, rambling post that recaps some of my thoughts and experiences.

[Slides for Writing Tech Docs Like a Hacker with Jekyll presentation](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/17/slides-for-writing-tech-docs-like-hacker-with-jekyll/)

May 17, 2016 • [jekyll](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-jekyll)

[![Slides for Writing Tech Docs Like a Hacker with Jekyll presentation](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/thumbnails/techdocslikehackerthumb.png)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/17/slides-for-writing-tech-docs-like-hacker-with-jekyll/)

Here are the slides for my STC Summit 2016 talk on Writing Tech Docs Like a Hacker with Jekyll presentation. In this presentation, I introduce the tech comm conference attendees to Jekyll and how it can be used for authoring technical documentation. I'll try to demo a few of the tasks I describe.

[Slides for Documenting REST APIs Workshop — 2016 STC Summit Anaheim, Calif.](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/14/slides-for-api-workshop-stc-summit-anaheim/)

May 14, 2016 • [api-doc](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-api-doc)

[![Slides for Documenting REST APIs Workshop — 2016 STC Summit Anaheim, Calif.](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/thumbnails/anaheimstcslidesapithumb.png)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/14/slides-for-api-workshop-stc-summit-anaheim/)

Here are my slides for the Documenting REST APIs workshop I'm giving at the 2016 STC Summit in Anaheim, California. The workshop lasts 3.5 hours. These slides cover a host of topics, including how to use APIs, how to document APIs, how to publish APIs, and more. There are lots of hands-on activities throughout. Some of the activities involve using the command line, the Chrome JavaScript Console, Postman, Git, reading JSON, and more.

[How do you establish more context in a topic-based writing model?](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/11/establishing-more-context-in-tech-comm/)

May 11, 2016 • [technical-writing](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-technical-writing), [visual-communication](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-visual-communication)

[![How do you establish more context in a topic-based writing model?](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/thumbnails/contextworkflowmapthumb.png)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/11/establishing-more-context-in-tech-comm/)

I'm trying to come up with way of providing more context for users in documentation. Providing context is essential to helping users understand how all the various pieces fit together. Without context, the information becomes fragmented and seems unorganized, maybe even random. I've tried a couple of approaches to establishing context -- consolidating the information more while I draft it, and also putting maps with signposts throughout the content. I still have a ways to go to figure this out.

[Getting sharp, clear text in screen captures — and making sense of Retina displays](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/10/visualcommunication_sharp_clear_screenshots/)

May 10, 2016 • [visual-communication](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-visual-communication)

Capture and display at a 1:1 ratio Zoom out on your browser’s magnification Capture from a Retina display Examples of Retina versus non-Retina screen captures Summary Technical writers take a lot of screen captures, often showing interfaces with both text and graphic elements. Usually these are partial screen captures that focus on the part of the screen they are highlighting. (By “screen capture,” I’m referring to captures taken ...

[Jekyll Conf 2016 slides and video: Overcoming Challenges in Using Jekyll for Tech Docs](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/07/slides-for-jekyllconf-overcoming-challenges-with-jekyll/)

May 7, 2016 • [jekyll](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-jekyll)

[![Jekyll Conf 2016 slides and video: Overcoming Challenges in Using Jekyll for Tech Docs](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/thumbnails/jekyllconfslidesthumb.png)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/07/slides-for-jekyllconf-overcoming-challenges-with-jekyll/)

My slides and video for Jekyll Conf 2016 are available below. In this presentation, I talk about the various challenges I've had in using Jekyll for technical documentation. I explain my attempts to overcome requirements with everything from conditional filtering to generating PDFs, publishing across different environments, re-using content across projects, templatizing notes and alerts, and more.

[Creating professional looking graphics in the easiest, simplest way possible](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/05/visualcommunication_noun_project/)

May 5, 2016 • [visual-communication](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-visual-communication)

I recently gave a lightning talk at a Write the Docs meetup in downtown San Francisco. My talk was titled Creating professional graphics in the easiest, simplest way possible. This post contains the slides, recordings, and other notes.

[Visual communication overview](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/05/01/visualcommunication_course_overview/)

May 1, 2016 • [visual-communication](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-visual-communication)

In this series on visual communication, I'm going to explore in a variety of topics in visual communication, such as screenshots, diagrams, concept illustrations, SVG graphics, translation, image file management, graphics programs, getting professional-looking images, images on mobile displays, print versus online images, design principles, and more.

[Three types of knowledge every technical writer needs to be successful](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/04/27/triangle-for-tech-comm/)

Apr 27, 2016 • [technical-writing](https://idratherbewriting.com/category-technical-writing)

[![Three types of knowledge every technical writer needs to be successful](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/thumbnails/techcommtrianglethumb.png)](https://idratherbewriting.com/2016/04/27/triangle-for-tech-comm/)

Today I was thinking about the most important element in a successful technical writing career, and I think it's knowledge. The more you know, the better information you can write. There are at least three main types of knowledge: product knowledge, technical knowledge, and user knowledge. Just knowing one of the three won't provide you with the kind of information you need to write good documentation.

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