Write the Docs
docs.writethedocs.org
Write the Docs
1–10 of 23 posts
Re: Write the Docs
#2I really like ReadTheDocs and I like this encouragement to write documentation but I think it'd be good to add more information that isn't specific to use RST and Sphinx for non-Python developers. I personally really like RST and Sphinx but it'd be a good way to make this a common resource.
Re: Write the Docs
#3I recently spent a good portion of 2 weeks working on a documentation strategy for my company, so I have a lot to say on this topic. It is a daunting task and this site definitely nails some of the pain points and offers great starting steps.
Highly recommend!
Re: Write the Docs
#4This is great - the kind of thing product managers and technical documentation writers should definitely know about. Thanks to the authors for providing it and the conference.
Another cool thing about docs written this way is they are very developer friendly but still accessible to non-developer writers - and in some cases/organizations, getting developers to provide documentation can be difficult. Having this be low friction between the two groups (say, non-developers and developers) is really quite nice - both can contribute to internal and external documentation.
I still find some folks trying to do this kind of thing in Word, and find the markup, source control with the document conversion workflow to be many many times more efficient.
Between generating static html for documentation sites, PDFs for embedded/shippable/more "end user friendly" docs and more technical/plain text formats for developers - this workflow has something for every audience/consumer of documentation - at least for written docs.
Re: Write the Docs
#5+1, love this initiative. Great-looking page, useful content. Looking forward to more :).
Re: Write the Docs
#6Hey -- creator here. I would totally love to expand this content, as mentioned in the comments. Let me know if you have any more questions, and would love contributions if there are things people want to say. I have a basic outline for some content I was thinking about turning into an ebook here: http://docs.writethedocs.org/book/ -- if you want somewhere to start.
Also, note that if you're interested in this kind of thing, we have a yearly conference in both the US and EU, and local meetups in many US cities. More info here: http://conf.writethedocs.org/
Re: Write the Docs
#7I really like ReadTheDocs and I like this encouragement to write documentation but I think it'd be good to add more information that isn't specific to use RST and Sphinx for non-Python developers. I personally really like RST and Sphinx but it'd be a good way to make this a common resource.
The beginners guide is explicitly using general markup, instead of Sphinx specifically. Almost none of the content on the site is actually Sphinx-specific..
Re: Write the Docs
#8Great work! I will definitely be using this resource.
Re: Write the Docs
#9This is great - the kind of thing product managers and technical documentation writers should definitely know about. Thanks to the authors for providing it and the conference. Another cool thing about docs written this way is they are very developer friendly but still accessible to non-developer writers - and in some cases/organizations, getting developers to provide documentation can be difficult. Having this be low…
A lot of the experience from writing this has come from running Read the Docs: https://readthedocs.org/ -- which we've been hosting OSS docs built this way for over 4 years.
We're taking these ideas and building a paid, private version for companies that is just getting going. The goal is to take these ideas, with a product that embodies the philosophy, and try and spread it across private companies: https://readthedocs.com/
Your comment that it is important and valuable is a great validation. I hope that we're successful in being part of the solution to bringing this workflow to the world :)
Re: Write the Docs
#10Hey -- creator here. I would totally love to expand this content, as mentioned in the comments. Let me know if you have any more questions, and would love contributions if there are things people want to say. I have a basic outline for some content I was thinking about turning into an ebook here: http://docs.writethedocs.org/book/ -- if you want somewhere to start. Also, note that if you're interested in this kind of…
I went to the first Write the Docs conference in Portland and had a great time. It was a well organized conference with plenty of fun events and useful knowledge. Highly recommended! Thanks again.