Tech Leading - Documentation and Technical Writing

Training Courses and Videos

• Birgitta Boeckeler - We're Agile, We Don't Do Documentation [26:03] Takeaway: Explains some of the reasons that documentation can be valuable, what to keep up to date and why its OK for not all documentation to be up to date.

• Tracy Osborn - Writing So Your Words Are Read [29:48] Takeaway: A lot of documentation is written at the level of the writer not the intended audience. Teach - don't tell. Add really short examples, get them to the success moment as early as possibly.

• Michael Hartl - Learn Enough Tutorial Writing to Be Dangerous [34:57] Takeaway: Process of successive refinement for writing tutorials. Use concrete examples. Asking yourself - What does the reader know at this point in the tutorial?

• Beth Aitman - Writing effective documentation [9:50] Takeaway: Start with what the reader needs. Write less. Write an outline. Write so your reader can read it. Editing guidelines

Karissa Peth - Document Like a Scientist [23:31] Takeaway: When writing docs make sure the reader knows what they need to be successful (prerequesites). How long each stage takes, how far through the process you are. Put dates on things so people know how old the documentation is. Include confirmations that they are going the right way. Explain why you would do a thing, not just why.

Articles

• Josef Blake - When should I write an Architecture Decision Record?

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