I'd Rather Be Writing Podcast
Topics and issues for technical writers. Improve your technical communication role. Empower users with better documentation.
- Update frequency
- every 22 days
- Average duration
- 41 minutes
- Episodes
- 323
- Years Active
- 2006 - 2025
Developer portal strategies for complex landscapes -- conversation with Kristof van Tomme
Recently I chatted with Kristof van Tomme, CEO and co-founder of Pronovix, about a topic that's become increasingly relevant in the past several months: how to deal with complex, rapidly evolving lan…
00:52:24 |
Wed 24 Jun 2020
API the Docs recording: How Trends in API Documentation Differ from other Tech Comm Trends
I recently presented a session at the <a href='https://apithedocs.org/virtual'>API the Docs virtual series</a> on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, as part of the <i>5th edition</i>. My session covered dev do…
00:32:02 |
Thu 04 Jun 2020
WTD Australia event recording -- 'Remote discussion: Techcomm in the times of pandemic'
I recently co-presented in a <a href='https://www.meetup.com/Write-the-Docs-Australia'>WTD Australia event</a> titled <a href='https://www.meetup.com/Write-the-Docs-Australia/events/270641270/'>Techc…
01:10:47 |
Sun 31 May 2020
Are technical writers increasingly playing non-technical roles? Some thoughts on the evolution of technical writing roles
How is the role of the technical writer evolving? It seems we're moving away from writing and more towards other roles, such as reviewer/convener, user champion, editor, publisher, and promoter. Howe…
00:26:55 |
Mon 30 Mar 2020
Podcast: Users as producers of knowledge -- conversation with Nupoor Ranade about how tech writer roles are changing
How can users shape and influence the documentation you're producing? In this podcast, I chat with Nupoor Ranade, PhD candidate at North Carolina State University, about how the roles of technical wr…
00:50:06 |
Sun 29 Mar 2020
Webinar recording: How Trends in API Documentation Differ from other Tech Comm Trends
I recently gave a webinar on trends in developer docs to the STC Washington DC chapter on March 12, 2020. In this presentation, I presented the results and analysis of my Trends in Developer Document…
00:59:01 |
Thu 12 Mar 2020
Introduction to API documentation - Recording from Los Angeles API documentation workshop
In January I gave an <a href='https://idratherbewriting.com/blog/upcoming-api-documentation-workshop-los-angeles-jan-23/'>API documentation workshop in Los Angeles</a>, and I recorded the first secti…
01:28:07 |
Wed 11 Mar 2020
Podcast: How Paligo is filling a niche in the CCMS market for complex documentation, with Anders Svensson
I recently chatted with Anders Svensson about how Paligo, a cloud-based CCMS, is filling a niche in the CCMS market for complex documentation needs. Complex documentation refers to documentation with…
00:51:35 |
Mon 09 Mar 2020
Podcast with Andrew Davis: Hiring API doc writers -- an inside look at fixing broken processes
I recently chatted with <a href='http://www.linkedin.com/in/synergistech'>Andrew Davis</a>, a recruiter for API documentation positions in the San Francisco Bay area, about why it's so difficult to h…
00:55:11 |
Sun 23 Feb 2020
From API docs to developer portals
One comment I often hear from API workshop participants and other readers is that they want a more advanced API course. I've been thinking about what that more advanced course would involve, in addit…
00:32:29 |
Sun 09 Feb 2020
Podcast: API Design and Usability with Arnaud Lauret (API Handyman)
Arnaud Lauret, also known as the API Handyman, recently published a book called <a href='https://www.manning.com/books/the-design-of-web-apis'><i>The Design of Web APIs</i></a>. In this podcast, I ch…
00:54:39 |
Sat 07 Dec 2019
Podcast: Dealing with Project Overload -- Strategies to Manage Overflowing Documentation Tasks
In this podcast, I talk about how to deal with project overload, specifically covering strategies to manage tasks. Scrum is one framework for dealing with project work by allowing you to limit the wo…
00:20:07 |
Wed 02 Oct 2019
Podcast: 10 myths about API documentation
In this podcast, I debunk 10 myths about API documentation. For example, some myths are that only engineers can write API docs, or that you have to write API docs by deciphering an engineer's source …
00:31:53 |
Sun 29 Sep 2019
Recording of Tech Comm Trends Presentation (STC Puget Sound chapter)
I recently gave a presentation on technical communication trends to the STC Puget Sound Chapter in Seattle, Washington, on May 21, 2019. This is one of the better presentations on trends I've given a…
01:26:50 |
Sat 08 Jun 2019
Crash course in API documentation -- a one-hour video
If you want a condensed, one-hour version of what I cover in my API documentation workshop, check out this crash-course video.
00:58:04 |
Thu 16 May 2019
Corporate exodus narratives: A close look at the tension between the corporation and academia
Corporations often expect tech comm academics to fashion their curriculums to suit corporate needs; in contrast, academic departments want to give students a safe space free of corporate agendas for …
00:27:52 |
Fri 01 Mar 2019
Recording and slides for my trends presentation at the Symposium for Communicating Complex Information (SCCI)
This week I traveled to Louisiana to attend the Symposium for Communicating Complex Information and presented on tech comm trends. You can listen to the recording, view my slides, and read my latest …
00:42:01 |
Sun 24 Feb 2019
How to become a 10X technical writer in the workplace
How do you become a 10X technical writer in the workplace (10X means 10 times more efficient and productive than others)? In this post, I raise the question and then offer a few tips I try to follow:…
00:23:52 |
Thu 07 Feb 2019
How to motivate users to provide feedback: Show that you're listening to their input
To encourage users to leave more feedback, add a contact email field on your feedback submission form. When you receive feedback, provide a quick response that shows you're listening and taking actio…
00:09:48 |
Fri 01 Feb 2019
Site analytics from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2018 -- are more engineers writing docs now?
Every year, when I re-examine my site analytics, I take the time to reflect on trends I’m seeing with traffic to my own site. Not necessarily industry trends, just trends about which topics are popul…
00:33:35 |
Mon 14 Jan 2019
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