Three Takeaways from Write the Docs Portland for a Technical Writing Newcomer
Virtual conferences are a part of the “new normal” that’s extended into 2021. One positive of this necessary adjustment was the chance to attend the Portland Write the Docs 2021 conference without actually trekking down to Portland. Logging in from Alberta, Canada connected me with documentarians from all areas of the world and all levels of experience. As a newcomer to the industry interested in writing for software, this was a fantastic opportunity to identify some next steps in my skill development. I’ve narrowed down my top three takeaways to share.
1. The Door is Open to Contribute to Open Source
If you’re getting started in a documentation career or just looking to expand your portfolio, you’ve likely been encouraged to consider contributing to open-source documentation. But where do you start? What’s the right project?
Abigail McCarthy’s talk A Guide to Getting Started in Open Source was the perfect breakdown of navigating the process. Open-source projects are always looking for help. It’s a matter of finding the right project for you and understanding what you want out of the experience. Abigail’s essential tips to getting started were:
1. Learn open-source project tools like Git and Markdown
2. Look for tags that indicate it’s a good issue for first-time contributors
3. Join groups, Slack channels, and project meetings to introduce yourself and collaborate with others
The ‘good for new contributors’ label on GitLab makes it easy to find a suitable first contribution.
2. Get on Git
Before the conference, Git was on my list of tools to learn. Post-conference, it’s an absolute must. Git is listed in a majority of job descriptions, open-source documentation projects and docs-as-code toolchains. Swapnil Ogale stated in his talk Putting the Tech in Technical Writer that you should “learn enough Git to be deadly”—i.e., enough to work with developers.
As Git is originally a method of version control for code, getting started using it for writing can be daunting. The conference’s Writing Day—where we could jump into sessions and contribute to projects—was a fantastic opportunity to make my first merge request with GitLab. They patiently guided us through taking on an easy first issue to become successful first-time contributors. GitLab’s contribution guide also makes it easy for anyone to get involved.
My successful first contribution on GitLab.
3. Take Advantage of Templates
The universal writer’s experience is staring at a blank document with your mental wheels spinning—where to start? Attending this conference was a great reminder that you don’t always need to re-invent the wheel. Chances are, there’s some sort of documentation template, style guide, or tool that provides an excellent base for you to work off. As Deanna Thompson remarked in her talk Building a Style Guide from the Ground Up, “stand on the shoulders of giants.” One such giant that stood out during the conference was the open-source project The Good Docs, whose mission is “to improve open-source software documentation by providing high-quality templates and writing instructions to the open-source community and beyond.” Making use of templates is a smart move in efficiency, consistency, and time management.
Some of the available documentation templates from The Good Docs.
In a time of such isolation, knowledge sharing is more valuable than ever, especially for those like me who are finding their footing in a new industry. If the virtual attendance option continues, I will be back to Write the Docs Portland again. If not, maybe I’ll make the trek next time! If you’re interested in attending the next virtual chapter of Write the Docs, keep an eye on registration for Write the Docs Prague this October. Or, check out their YouTube channel to watch the 2021 Portland talks yourself.
by Megan Albert