Shout out to all the mansplainers who have never won any science writing awards telling me how communication works

Disco Monk is gone. The statue of Junipero Serra beside Interstate 280 has been removed. On the one hand, good riddance to a tribute to brutal colonial subjugation. On the other, good riddance to a comical 1970s concrete turd. www.sfgate.com/bayarea/arti...

"I do not think it is radical to want to avoid suffering, especially while eating." There is so much truth here, put so eloquently, that it makes my heart sing.

It's time for the 2025 Write the Docs salary survey! Open to anyone in a documentation-related role, anywhere. Help us determine fair and appropriate pay ranges in our industry. Now shorter! 👉 buff.ly/pI0EnBW

Man, a lot of things get better. You don’t have to always try to find out what you like anymore. To “create” yourself. You’re you. You know what food you like. What movie genres. The spot around the corner. You’re provably also past living up to your potential; you’re BEING you. It rocks.

Freelancers: Here is my carefully crafted pitch on a story I've researched well and am excited to write about 🙏 (Plus I really need a paycheck.) Editors:

[sees article titled "How veterans exploit the VA"] Buddy, I don't think that's possible. I think you confused the word "exploit" with "use" in your head. The VA is the fulfillment of a deal with our service members. One that, historically, we haven't been very good at keeping.

Would you be interested in a panel episode that would bring together multiple tech writers to discuss a specific topic? If so, add a comment below with topic ideas! What would you want to hear tech writers discuss together? Your input will help us shape future episodes!

I've created a Visual Studio Code extension to edit the Elastic Docs documentation. It's now open source! github.com/elastic/elas...

Very nice and clean approach to serving Markdown content to LLMs and AI agents: dev.to/lingodotdev/...

To me, applying LLMs to style checking is like taming a bear into dancing a two hours ballet opera. It'll get distracted sooner or later and then bite you in the back.

Gonna get it in a few days and will probably wear it at Write the Docs.

Wife caught me throating a stromboli at the birthplace of stromboli: Romano's in Essington, PA. Amazing food & the nice folks gave two weary travelers table service right up to closing.

Creating great documentation is an act of giving great service. We love Zingerman's (@zingermans.bsky.social) 3-step recipe for giving great service: 1️⃣ Find out what your customer wants; 2️⃣ Get it for them accurately, politely, and enthusiastically; 3️⃣ Go above and beyond, or go the extra mile.

The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was to convince us to pay for Internet service, pay for streamed content, and still have to sit through ads.

We're using AI to integrate w/ 3rd-party systems. Our devs must feed the AI complete API reference & thorough, well formatted business docs for any chance of success. AI requires excellent documentation & devs can do it when the user is a machine. Ironic. #techWriterLife #writeTheDocs

Stuck in your career? Fabrizio Ferri-Benedetti from Write the Docs Berlin shares his professional journey and struggles with surviving failure. Get strategies to find purpose and intentionally direct your writing life as he shares his field guide for taking ownership of your career. buff.ly/m8zenWk

This quote from Kate’s latest solo episode (S3:E19) captures why she’s so passionate about documentation work. It's about creating a more thoughtful world, one helpful doc at a time. 🌍 🎧 Kate sounds off on docs as an act of service: thenotboringtechwriter.com/episodes/kat...

🗓️ Save the date! Write the Docs Portland 2026 is happening May 3-5. We're excited to be back at Revolution Hall, and excited to see everyone again. More info in our blog post, and CFP/tickets coming soon. buff.ly/Q6C2Ea5

You might have read Annie Mueller's post poking fun at developers’ tutorials. It puts a finger on “documentation theater”, a state where docs are performative and not addressing a need nor caring about it. Read my thoughs on this here: passo.uno/documentatio...

Why do computers mislead us, divorcing us from reality? Join Maximilian Rosin at Write the Docs Berlin as he explores computers as theatre. How do you write truthfully about products that are pure representation? Decide yourself if you must watch Brecht to write better docs. buff.ly/mpzGah3

🥁 Drumroll please… the full schedule is live for our October 27-28 conference in Berlin! We can’t wait to see you there. Time to start making your personal schedules. What are you feeling excited for? Full details in our blog: buff.ly/xuekGKH

“Serve the reader” is a solid guiding principle for technical writers. Listen to Sarah Walker’s (@quesarahsera.bsky.social) wisdom for technical writers in S3:E18!

Want to explore how technical communication and its communities have evolved? Join Jennifer Rondeau at Write the Docs Berlin to talk about WTD, STC, tekom, and others. Learn about their differences and similarities. Imagine what the future of techcomm holds for all of us. buff.ly/Z8pM0wM

Belated congratulations to scientist Bülent Şık @bulentilgaz.bsky.social for being named this year's #HrantDinkAward laureate by the @hrantdinkfnd.bsky.social for work that "tirelessly reminds us that scientific data is inseparable from social responsibility". hrantdink.org/en/internati...

We invite all listeners to reach out with any questions or feedback! Kate may respond in a future episode. 😊 In addition to Bluesky, you can reach us via: 📧 Email: [email protected] 💼 LinkedIn: /the-not-boring-tech-writer

Check out the three stellar resources Sarah Walker (@quesarahsera.bsky.social) recommended in S3:E18! 🌎 Garbl’s Writing Center ✍️ "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft" by Stephen King 🦝 Sarah’s "Elect a Raccoon Overlord" article 🔗 Links in the comments!

Using a Python script, I downloaded the last 200 posts from /r/technicalwriting and asked Claude to analyze the main worries and sentiments. As most of us have gone, are going, or will go through some of these doubts at some point, I’ll try to provide my own answers here. passo.uno/tech-writing...

Don’t let inconsistent documentation be a roadblock to collaboration and a major challenge in your agile development. Join Dimple Poojary at Write the Docs Berlin as she shares how to automate documentation maintenance and integrate it into your sprint workflow. Learn more: buff.ly/WTBO2qD

It’s the weekend! Check out my latest newsletter for Istanbul cultural events to attend today, and to put on your calendar for the coming weeks, from artist talks to sonic explorations to fringe theater: istanbuletcetera.substack.com/p/whats-on-n...

Poetry in unexpected places: description of a crash site & body recovery near Manchester, UK in 1948: "The rim had been created by the B-29 ploughing into the moor as if it had tried to bury itself to hide the shame of not being able to fly." aircrashsites.co.uk/air-crash-si...

All the usual suspects dismissing the thousands of extra cyclists in London this week as “only because there’s a tube strike”. Oh so suddenly it is in fact possible for many people to change mode when it is made more convenient than the alternatives.

At Write the Docs Berlin, learn how Val Grimm began delivering documentation as an independent, containerized component, deployable like any other application. This approach can help European organizations regain digital sovereignty and transition from non-EU platforms. Learn more: buff.ly/4SY1Tzc

I find /r/technicalwriting to be quite depressing overall. I'm tempted to write a post just to answer some of the stuff I happen to read when browing it casually.

Listen to S3:E18 to learn why we affectionately refer to Sarah Walker (@quesarahsera.bsky.social) as the “Raccoon Overlord Lady” and to hear how Sarah has incorporated wisdom from her yoga practice into her technical writing practice! 🦝🧘‍♀️✍️ thenotboringtechwriter.com/episodes/yog...

Thinking of becoming a Docs Lead? Join Kat Stoica Ostenfeld at Write the Docs Berlin as they describe how to unlearn old habits, embrace new mindsets, and navigate leadership challenges. Get practical tips to excel in this new role! Learn more: buff.ly/CtlnDQt

Hey docs friends! Come hear my talk at Write The Docs: Berlin. It’s going to be a vulnerable, and hopefully helpful, talk about transitioning into a leadership position.

Grow your career with open source! Tiffany Hrabusa, a former law librarian turned technical writer, shares her journey at Write the Docs Berlin. OSS can help you build your skills, network, and confidence. Discover how to pick projects, overcome anxiety, and grow by giving back. buff.ly/95gNE6R

Wife went to the ER in pain. 5 hours later she'd passed a kidney stone & was back home. The Explanation of Benefits from her 2nd health insurer shows $69,000 in unpaid charges. Hoping her primary insurer covers it. Double covered & still worried. What was that about "shithole countries" again?

Gorn in 60 Seconds

Thank you Lisel! I'm still actively looking for new journalism assignments, writing or editing gigs, or other work using my communications skills, ideally to make positive social/cultural/environmental impact. Check out what I do and get in touch about projects that might be a match!

Discovering Istanbul's Street Art: From breakdancing cassettes to 3D printing, a short look at how Istanbul's street art & graffiti scenes have developed since the 1980s, out now in my latest newsletter. Plus: A street art flea market to catch this week. istanbuletcetera.substack.com/p/discoverin...

Uniting technical documentation and training is a game-changer. At Write the Docs Berlin Stephan Delbos explains how his team broke down silos, aligning on outcomes and goals. This mental shift turns "how it works" into "how to use it well” and drives adoption while empowering users buff.ly/k1fqh2m

Tired of scattered documentation? At Write the Docs Berlin Ian Cowley will share how his team took chaotic documentation sets on multiple websites and unified them. By centralizing info, they’ve made it easier for their users to find what they need when they need it. Learn more: buff.ly/LRsGrHX

5 ways to make docs easier to digest from S3:E17! 🍽️ 📚

One thing I've learned in this technocapitalist age is that anything you enjoy or depend on will be ruined and made ruinously expensive.

Really nice IT guy reminded me that I need to update Windows 10 to 11 before October 14th. He warned me that it will take a while and maybe I can do it over the weekend. Fuck. That. This Microsoft clusterfuckery will be 100% employer subsidized.

God grant me the confidence and capability that an engineering student with ChatGPT thinks they have. I would be nigh omniscient.