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I'd Rather Be Writing podcast
United States
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 20 ส.ค. 2017
Videos for the podcasts on idratherbewriting.com, which covers topics related to technical writing, API documentation, AI, content strategy, developer experience, and more.
Using long-token contexts to quality check an entire API doc set
You can use AI prompts when creating release notes for APIs by leveraging file diffs from regenerated reference documentation. The file diffs from version control tools provide a reliable, precise information source about what's changed in the release. For more details, see idratherbewriting.com/ai/prompt-engineering-entire-doc-set-prompts.html.
To watch more of the Keren Brown podcast, see idratherbewriting.com/blog/value-techcomm-zoomin-podcast.
To watch more of the Keren Brown podcast, see idratherbewriting.com/blog/value-techcomm-zoomin-podcast.
มุมมอง: 58
วีดีโอ
Task decomposition and complex tree diagrams
มุมมอง 13221 วันที่ผ่านมา
This tutorial will help you understand task decomposition by guiding you through the process of creating a complex tree diagram that's too sophisticated for an AI tool to create at once. For more details, see idratherbewriting.com/ai/prompt-engineering-task-decomposition.html. To watch more of the Keren Brown podcast, see idratherbewriting.com/blog/value-techcomm-zoomin-podcast.
Populating documentation templates using AI
มุมมอง 13721 วันที่ผ่านมา
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to use AI to populate documentation templates with the source material you’ve gathered. For example, API overviews often follow a highly structured template. This technique can be a quick way to get an initial draft of documentation, which you can then edit and review with SMEs. For more details, see idratherbewriting.com/ai/prompt-engineering-populating-docum...
Using file diffs for better release notes in reference docs
มุมมอง 3421 วันที่ผ่านมา
You can use AI prompts when creating biweekly release notes for APIs by leveraging file diffs from regenerated reference documentation. The file diffs from version control tools provide a reliable, precise information source about what’s changed in the release. For more details, see idratherbewriting.com/ai/prompt-engineering-release-notes-reference-docs.html. To watch more of the Keren Brown p...
Gathering source material for context input
มุมมอง 6721 วันที่ผ่านมา
One of the most successful strategies for using AI is to pass in an abundance of source material that can augument and inform the AI’s responses. In this tutorial, I cover strategies for gathering this material, including what types of documents to look for, optimal ordering, pitfalls to look out for such as outdated or slanted information, and more. To learn more, see idratherbewriting.com/ai/...
Creating high-fidelity, thematically organized notes from engineering meetings using AI
มุมมอง 11121 วันที่ผ่านมา
For AI tools to generate accurate information for documentation you’re writing, you need to pass in source material. This usually means meeting with engineers and product managers to gather information about the product. In this tutorial, I share prompts for turning those meeting transcriptions into organized, readable meeting summaries. These cleaned up summaries can then function as input con...
Uncovering and communicating the value of your tech comm teams' work, with Keren Brown
มุมมอง 2182 หลายเดือนก่อน
In this podcast episode, I talk with Keren Brown, VP of Marketing and Value at Zoomin Software, about strategies for technical writers to demonstrate their value within their organizations, especially in light of recent layoffs in the tech industry. We discuss aligning documentation work with high-priority initiatives, quantifying the impact of technical writing, and making this work visible to...
My 2024 technical writing trends and predictions
มุมมอง 1.1K7 หลายเดือนก่อน
These are the trends and predictions I have for technical writing / tech comm for 2024. There's a detailed written version of similar ideas in this video here: idratherbewriting.com/blog/2024-tech-comm-trends-and-predictions.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance -- notes and themes from a technical writers' reading.
มุมมอง 7278 หลายเดือนก่อน
These are some notes and thoughts from reading Robert Pirsig's classic philosophical novel, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, published in 1974. My reading here focuses more on the technical writing aspects and themes from the book. Some themes include Classic versus Romantic modes of thought, the concept of Quality, our relationship with technology, doing your own maintenance, caring ...
Experiments and use cases for AI from a tech writer’s perspective (webinar recording)
มุมมอง 3828 หลายเดือนก่อน
This is a recording of a webinar I gave to the STC Washington, DC - Baltimore Chapter. Here's the title and description: Experiments and use cases for AI from a tech writer’s perspective Since AI has gone mainstream and promised to transform many professions, including tech comm, many of us have been exploring and experimenting with AI in different use cases. We know it’s important to learn the...
30+ ways I’m using AI in everyday writing life as a technical writer, blogger, and curious human
มุมมอง 5268 หลายเดือนก่อน
In this video, I provide over 30 real-life examples of how I'm using AI on a daily basis, not just for technical writing tasks but more broadly in life, including summarizing content, explaining concepts, answering questions, troubleshooting problems, and having engaging conversations for a variety of tasks and scenarios. In my view, AI use cases are ubiquitous, equivalent to the use cases for ...
The evolution of podcasting, with Ed Marsh
มุมมอง 578 หลายเดือนก่อน
In this podcast, I talk with Ed Marsh about podcasting. You may have listened to Ed Marsh's Content Content previously. As an experienced podcaster, Ed has a lot of insights and thoughts about podcasting. We discuss what initially drew him to start podcasting, why he eventually put his show on hiatus, the equipment and logistics involved, different formats that engage listeners (from co-hosts t...
Podcast: Tech writing and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, with Dan Grabski
มุมมอง 1929 หลายเดือนก่อน
In this episode, I chat with Dan Grabski, a tech writer based in Portland, both about his recent WTD talk titled Zen and the Art of Manually Creating API Documentation and Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Dan explains the importance of focusing not just on technical details of implementations but also the people side, on understanding the perspectives of different user...
Doing research with AI tools -- avoiding the trap of fabricated URLs
มุมมอง 1579 หลายเดือนก่อน
In this short podcast, I explore using AI tools to do research, the potential for fake URLs, and how to deal with the fabrication. I started by using Claude to summarize a podcast and provide a list of salient points, including the potential counterarguments. What I didn't expect was for Claude to fabricate a list of imagined research and then summarize the fictitious research to conclude that ...
Thoughts on Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality
มุมมอง 1779 หลายเดือนก่อน
Thoughts on Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality
Movemate standing board review - fixing your back, legs from sedentary decline from a tech job
มุมมอง 1.2K9 หลายเดือนก่อน
Movemate standing board review - fixing your back, legs from sedentary decline from a tech job
My experience trying to write original, full-length human-sounding articles using Claude AI
มุมมอง 4709 หลายเดือนก่อน
My experience trying to write original, full-length human-sounding articles using Claude AI
Chatting about AI news with Fabrizio Ferri Benedetti
มุมมอง 34810 หลายเดือนก่อน
Chatting about AI news with Fabrizio Ferri Benedetti
AI and API documentation: What works, what doesn't, by Tom Johnson
มุมมอง 66910 หลายเดือนก่อน
AI and API documentation: What works, what doesn't, by Tom Johnson
Specialization myopia syndrome and the content journey
มุมมอง 262ปีที่แล้ว
Specialization myopia syndrome and the content journey
Snoqualmie Falls waterfall (lower falls)
มุมมอง 113ปีที่แล้ว
Snoqualmie Falls waterfall (lower falls)
Podcast: All about Redocly, with Adam Altman
มุมมอง 334ปีที่แล้ว
Podcast: All about Redocly, with Adam Altman
Balance board with single and double roller options
มุมมอง 1.2Kปีที่แล้ว
Balance board with single and double roller options
Archbee -- a documentation tool with a world-class editor, API publishing capability, content re-use
มุมมอง 493ปีที่แล้ว
Archbee a documentation tool with a world-class editor, API publishing capability, content re-use
Trends to follow or forget: STC India keynote presentation 2022
มุมมอง 3522 ปีที่แล้ว
Trends to follow or forget: STC India keynote presentation 2022
Best practices in API docs: Product overviews and getting started tutorials
มุมมอง 1.8K2 ปีที่แล้ว
Best practices in API docs: Product overviews and getting started tutorials
Biking in Seattle down 2nd Ave in the protected two-way bike lane
มุมมอง 2382 ปีที่แล้ว
Biking in Seattle down 2nd Ave in the protected two-way bike lane
Tech comm and marketing: How to make your tech comm group more visible to those within your company
มุมมอง 2272 ปีที่แล้ว
Tech comm and marketing: How to make your tech comm group more visible to those within your company
Product overviews vs. getting started tutorials - striking a balance
มุมมอง 4323 ปีที่แล้ว
Product overviews vs. getting started tutorials - striking a balance
Thanks for adding this to a playlist. Otherwise I was overwhelmed by website navigation
Thanks for your continuing commitment to provide resources in this unsung hero field.
I’m wrestling with this exact problem for a client - thanks for making
Loved it. ❤
Great learning material! Million Thanks to you for sharing your valuable knowledge to all the tech writers.
Thanks Tom, very pleasant listening, it helped with collating my thoughts on our own API Docs strategy 🙂. Interesting times.
Good one Tom!
Great talk. Speaking of innovation is this space, I hope you don't mind if I mention a docs-as-code tool I'm working on, OpenSquiggly. Just Google for it and it should come up with the first link. It's not a static site generator, but rather what I call a dynamic site generator that dynamically retrieves Markdown files from Git and assembles it on-the-fly into a documentation site. It can also be used by developers as a code note-taking and research tool. It supports both internally authored documents, like a wiki, as well as external authored documents, like docs-as-code. So it's a hybrid solution that addresses a lot of the challenges that you mentioned in your talk. Thanks.
Tom's podcasts, talks, and idratherbewriting site are a gift to the tech writer community.
I’ve recently finished reading Curbing Traffic the human case for fewer cars in our lives by the same authors. Have you read this one too?
I haven't read Curbing Traffic, but I'll add it to my list. Thanks!
11:20 OMG yes my city in New Zealand is so frustrating as we had the option to build out a system similar to OV feits but the instead went with Lime bikes and scooters! 😔
6:30 Yeah, so awesome that you considered it! Next step is to email you councillor and ask them to build more bike infrastructure for all ages and abilities 😊
One thing to note, (and I don’t have any concrete evidence on this) but when you say that most new bike sales are ebikes, I would point out that it’s similar to how most new cars sales are electric (in some countries) yet we still see plenty of ICE cars on the road, simply because there were so many before hand. This would be the same as bikes in the Netherlands, lots of people already have a normal pedal bicycle and they don’t just disappear. Another thing to consider is that many Dutch will have a beat up old bike they use to get to work or the train station that they leave on the street (because they don’t care if it does get stolen) and they will keep their expensive bikes inside or for trips where they won’t be leaving it outside all day or all night long. Those older bikes are what you predominantly see parked everywhere.
good point -- thanks for adding your notes.
I personally believe we're in a AI bubble, I don't think it will ever replace humans. Nevertheless we still need humans to supervise AI work. This goes into a deep philosophical debate of whether AI/robots will ever replace us, i.e creative beings. I was looking for a technical writing podcast. Glad I've found you! Cheers from Indonesia.
Thanks for this video, this book is on my must read list as an avid motorcyclist and technical but intuitive minded person. I constantly struggle with these two modes of thought, which one is right or wrong or better or worse, and it’s such a gray area. I intuitively know that with any work I’ve ever produced, or anything of greatness I have ever achieved, there was more to it than technical knowledge and practice. There was some sort of intuition or flow, or feeling of connection, that’s completely unexplainable, and that these two things can coexist makes the whole concept of this book is so interesting.
The ideal podcast length for me is about 1.5 hours because I will want to listen on 2x speed and spend about 45 mins on a topic.
Good insights.
I used the severance money from my layoff to buy Microsoft stock as my personal UBI!
10:31 the funny thing is his writing style was purposefully made to be easier and less technical than traditional analytic philosophy
My favorite philosophical work and I graduated from UCLA with a degree in philosophy.
Great talk! I'll pushback a bit on citing AI tools: IMHO you should cite them, and Bard/ChatGPT will let you generate shareable URLs that show the exact conversation you had.
Glad I found you on TH-cam!
Great list! Good to document concrete everyday use cases.
Promo-SM 🙌
Many talk about this in the abstract, but I really appreciated this deep-dive into the nitty gritty details. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Such a good chat. Thank you!
Hey Tom, just letting you know that I really appreciate this format. Kept me focused. Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback! I plan to continue with more of the same.
Do you think that the only benefit is saving time? Or did Claude come up with certain ideas that actually enhanced the substance of the info?
That is a great question! I'm not sure. I'd need more experience using this technique to say for sure, but definitely AI tools helped me understand ideas better. I'm working on a new post now and, while I'm not using AI to write it, I'm using AI to better understand a book's themes and argument. This clarity of understanding is certainly helping me write better. The challenge is discerning whether the AI responses are accurate or not, as it's been a while since I've read the book. I'm having to go back and reread the book. But in rereading it, I can better see the themes that the AI tools were articulating.
@@idratherbewriting that's a fair response! I've fiddled around with AI on image related projects, but that's about it. This vid inspired me to create a Claude account, so thank you!
Thank you!!
very well explained, I study this and already struggled with the various usual tools but starting to figure them out. Interested in software documentation, so good to know what I have to focus on. thankss
Archbee is not bad, but I’ve been trying out Theneo and I found the experience much better. Their latest editor, with the AI assistant, was super helpful for me and my team, and the published doc looks much neater
HELP
Does it mean that i can't have a final version of an Api before i've finished the development of the api it's self ?
This video is underated
SECURITY
SECURITY
it's very surprising how little these guys know about software. I'm going to make a video for them. 30 minutes in and I'm wondering why people get paid for this. The amount of work he's talking about is what I do by accident while getting real stuff fixed.
This presentation is so thorough and helpful. Thanks!
Hey tom, please i would love if you could do a video on how to start a portfolio as a technical writer. I'd appreciate your feedback
Minor correction: HTTP is an application protocol not a transport protocol.
He said, transfer protocol not transport. 🙂
Ah, my bad. Thanks
Starts at 8:21
Not all heroes wear capes.
Hi...I'm from Louisiana so I'm not familiar with the area..My little brother was killed June 26,2020 In the Guadalupe River at Hedding and ruff drive..He was a science teacher and a cross-country track coach at evergreen Valley high school.. I'm just trying to see if anyone saw him around..if you need a photo please let me know.. Thank you
Great intro into API Documentation. Thank you.
Thanks 👍
Good learning for a beginner !
1) Suppose, I have a schema for Project model which contains 20 properties. Now for my project-dropdown API I only need 3 properties from the schema then how I can refer the schema and pick few properties only? 2) I have 2 schemas, one for Project with 20 properties and another one is Task with 10 properties. Now for ProjectDetails API I have response something like { id: 1, name: "ProjectName", tasks: [ {id: 1, name: "TaskName"} ] } Now how I can accomplish this nested object by referring both individual schema which are Project and Task 3) Can I have search box in Swagger UI to filter APIs?
The best intro i have seen.
Very interesting Tom
By product overview do you mean the whole web page given on websites in product section?? Or one particular section in guides that we write??
San tomas and guadalupe trail on a full moon is very pleasing and calming. Whats the soundtrack?