Viewing profile — DeborahWrites

Yeah. AI might replace tech writers (just like it might replace anyone), but it won't be a GOOD replacement. The companies with the best docs will absolutely still have tech writer…

Yes. Yes it is.

You sound unlucky in your tech writer encounters! There are plenty of people who can read code who don't work as devs. You could ask the same about testers, ops, sysadmins, technic…

An insight into the number of decisions a tech writer makes, even in a short document.

The point about advocating for your craft is a good one (and one of my weaknesses in my most recent perm role)

Some knowledge base or wiki tools build this in, but I don't know of a friendlier alternative for text-based formats (markdown etc.) Would love to hear of it if you find one . . . …

Yeah, if your primary contributors aren't already comfortable with version control, you likely want to choose another toolset.

Capitalization would probably be a good idea, based on the comments here! Thanks!

Very valid question. I have tested it a little! I wrote it because a less technical tech writer was asking me a ton of questions, and he found it helpful. I also got a non-technica…

Thanks for pointing this out. The post starts from the assumption that people have at least heard of "docs like code", because it's a widely-used term/practice in tech writing. So …

Most guides to docs like code, even the ones for non-devs, assume you have some developer knowledge: maybe you're already using version control, or you've encountered build pipelin…

Is there some rule that design tool companies have to be arseholes?

An approach to using AI that ensures you benefit from it, without damaging your thinking skills.

You're telling me the seemingly arbitrary 6 weeks of Prolog on my comp sci course 11yrs ago is suddenly about to be relevant? I did not see this one coming . . .

Yeah I freelanced for 4yrs before returning to employee-land in 2022. I think I'm going to go back to it eventually, but nervous in the current market.

This has a lot of appeal. I am instinctively wary of managers who can't do the actual job, which this obviously avoids. It also removes the 'management track', and presumably means…

I'm belatedly learning this lesson (you'd think I'd have caught on earlier in my career) I very much want to stick to small young startups in future, but there's less demand for te…

The process in my mid-20s of realising I was not going to have the career I'd expected since my mid-teens was pretty rough. I eventually dusted myself off and pivoted, but it might…

Yeah if an applicant/incoming hire is reaching out then definitely respond! But I'd wait for the applicant to initiate it - if the company does, the applicant is under pressure.