Tom Johnson

Stakeholders say one thing. Technical writers hear another. It's not cynicism. It's pattern recognition. Here are 6 phrases technical writers hear differently: 1. "Can you just update this real quick?" → Check every instance, verify screenshots, update cross-links, maintain terminology → "Quick" ignores the ripple effects we're tracking 2. "Users will figure it out." → Support will be overwhelmed in 3 days → We've watched this pattern before 3. "Can you make it simpler?" → Can you explain what engineering couldn't design intuitively? → We're solving design problems through documentation 4. "We're launching tomorrow." → You should have started last week, but no one told you → Documentation is always last 5. "Nobody reads docs anyway." → So why are we getting support tickets and losing customers? → We see the line between bad docs and revenue impact 6. "The engineers can explain it to you." → Extract information from people who don't have time → Engineers explaining ≠ engineers having time This isn't cynicism. It's experience. Which phrase do you hear most often? Drop the number (1-6) in the comments. 👇 Save this for the next time someone says "just update it real quick." Reshare if you've heard all 6 this week. Want more career insights for writers: 1. Follow Joshua Gene Fechter 2. Like the post 3. Repost to your network

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Drupal's robust access control system allows you to manage content creation, editing, and deletion permissions for specific roles. But what if you need to control access to individual fields within content types? Enter the Field Permissions module. This powerful tool enables granular control over field-level access, perfect for scenarios where you want to: 1️⃣ Restrict editing of specific fields to certain roles 2️⃣ Limit viewing of premium content fields to specific user groups Implementation is straightforward: 1️⃣ Download and install the Field Permissions module 2️⃣ Edit a field in your content type (or any fieldable entity) 3️⃣ Look for "Field visibility and permissions" 4️⃣ Choose from three options: ➜➜ Not set: Module doesn't control access ➜➜ Private: Only author and admins can edit/view ➜➜ Custom permissions: Specify detailed access controls For a comprehensive overview of field permissions, navigate to Reports > Field list > Permissions. This report helps identify and troubleshoot permission-related issues. By leveraging the Field Permissions module, you can fine-tune your Drupal site's access control, ensuring the right users have the appropriate level of access to your content's fields. #drupal #fields #access ~~~ If you found this post helpful. ♻️ Please repost and follow. 📧 Join my newsletter; link in the first comment.

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The “soft skills” technical writers bring (that are actually the whole job) Technical writing is often treated like a hard-skill role: tools, templates, style guides, and whatever CMS is popular this week. But a technical writer's real superpowers are the “soft” skills: the ones that make the hard skills useful. Curiosity 💥 Technical writers are professionally nosy. We ask: 💡 “What happens if the user doesn’t know that term?” 💡 “What’s the prerequisite you’re assuming?” 💡 “Where do they get stuck?” Curiosity is how we find the gaps before your customers do. Learning fast 💥 We’re constantly dropped into new products, new systems, and new jargon. The job is basically: walk into a room mid-conversation and still produce clarity. Distilling complexity into steps people can actually follow 💥 We take: 💡 engineer-brain jargon 💡 product-speak 💡 internal acronyms that have… opinions …and turn them into instructions a real human can use on a Tuesday afternoon when they’re already annoyed because they have to look something up. That’s not “making it simple.” It’s translation, prioritization, and empathy with just enough technical understanding to be accurate. A technical writer’s soft skills are what made the docs readable in the first place. What’s the most underrated skill you’ve seen in a great technical writer?

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✨Empathy in Technical Writing ✨ At first glance, “empathy” and “technical writing” might seem like an odd pair. But in my years as a writer, I’ve learned that empathy is what transforms documentation from dry text into a powerful guide. When we write with empathy, we ask ourselves: ✅ What does my audience already know? ✅ Where might they get stuck or confused? ✅ What information do they need right now to solve their problem? This shift in perspective makes writing not just clearer—but more human, relatable, and effective. Because the truth is: good documentation isn’t just about explaining, it’s about helping. As I continue to grow in the technical writing space, I’m curious: 👉 What other practices do you think make documentation more empathetic and user-friendly? As we usher in this new week always remember that writing is as much about people as it is about words. 🚀 If your team needs clearer, user-friendly documentation that empowers your audience, let’s connect—I’d love to help.

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𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (Part 2 of 4) Technical writers aren’t just documentation creators; we’re also caretakers. Our responsibility doesn't stop once a document is published. When content becomes outdated, it confuses and frustrates users, impacts support teams, and erodes trust. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘀 𝟭. 𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 & 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘀 Maintain an internal index that maps documents to owners and doc locations, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks. 𝟮. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘀 Schedule recurring reviews to identify stale content before users do. Tie reviews to release cycles so product changes don’t get missed. 𝟯. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀 (𝗦𝗠𝗘𝘀) Loop in developers, QA, and product managers to validate accuracy. A short SME review can save hours of user frustration. 𝟰. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 If SMEs are unavailable or requirements are unclear, don’t “fill in the blanks.” Outdated or inaccurate docs are worse than missing docs. Leave it out and flag it until you can obtain the correct information. 𝟱. 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗰 When updating a doc, check the entire doc for accuracy, not just the section you edited. 𝟲. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘀 Archive, never delete. Old content may be required for audits, reference, or compliance purposes. Use versioning to track changes and clearly label deprecated material to avoid confusion. 𝟳. 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 Use tooling (CMS workflows, scripts, or doc-as-code pipelines) to trigger alerts when APIs, features, or release notes change. Automation catches what humans miss. 𝟴. 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 Add a feedback option to every doc. When users flag an issue, act quickly and thank them. Fast updates show the docs are active and that feedback is valued. 𝟵. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 & 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 Watch for documentation-related tickets or repeated questions. They are signals that something in the doc isn’t clear or current. 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Treat docs like code. If your devs wouldn’t ship untested, outdated code, neither should you publish stale documentation. (Stay tuned for Part 3: Keeping Docs Fresh Is a Team Effort.) 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀? How do you handle outdated documentation in your organization? Do you use scheduled audits, automation, or feedback loops to keep content fresh? Share your strategies! #TechnicalWriting #DocumentationMatters #WritersHelpingWriters

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💫 New Opportunities for Expert Technical Writers in 2025 🌟 New technological, operational, and user-experience trends have elevated the role of technical documentation from a “nice-to-have” to a strategic necessity. Companies of all sizes—from agile startups to global enterprises—are experiencing pain points that directly translate into high demand for seasoned technical writers and knowledge management experts. ➡️ Here’s how technical writers can provide critical value: ⭕ AI and Automation Projects: ✔️ Companies integrating AI and autonomous agents into their products urgently need clear, user-friendly documentation. ✔️ An AI-certified technical writer bridges the gap between complex technology and user understanding, crafting user guides, chatbot content, and optimized documentation for seamless AI support. ⭕ Cybersecurity and Compliance Initiatives: ✔️ Businesses facing stricter cybersecurity and compliance demands require precise, audit-ready documentation to mitigate risks and pass inspections. ✔️ Experienced technical writers deliver comprehensive compliance manuals, detailed security guidelines, and accessible training materials aligned with standards such as GDPR, ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and ISO 42001:2023 - the world’s first international standard for AI Management Systems (AIMS). ⭕ Consolidating Knowledge Bases Post-Layoff: ✔️ Organizations experiencing layoffs or talent loss risk losing critical institutional knowledge. ✔️ Technical writers quickly capture and organize centralized knowledge bases to protect operations and preserve expertise. ⭕ Tool Integration and Workflow Documentation: ✔️ As companies consolidate their fragmented digital tools, clearly documented workflows become essential for efficiency and productivity. ✔️ Technical writers produce SOPs, integration guides, and user-friendly training resources to smoothly transition teams to unified platforms. ⭕ Customer Education and Self-Service Content: ✔️ Modern users demand immediate, frictionless self-service options to solve their issues, prioritizing robust customer education. ✔️ Certified technical writers design intuitive tutorials, contextual intelligent help tools, and comprehensive knowledge bases to empower users and reduce support costs. ⭕ Developer Relations and API Docs: ✔️ SaaS companies expanding platforms and developer integrations rely heavily on high-quality API documentation to drive adoption. ✔️ Experienced technical writers create engaging developer portals, interactive API references, and practical use-case guides to ensure successful integration and sustained developer engagement. ⭕ Continuous Documentation & DocOps: ✔️ Rapid technological changes have driven companies to adopt continuous documentation workflows (DocOps) embedded directly into agile development cycles. 💬I’m listening… share your take in the comments below ⬇️ Your input helps shape the future. #AIintegration #AIsolutions #documentation #technicalwriting

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If your writer arrives after code freeze, they aren’t a writer. They’re a historian, recording the mistakes you already shipped. Last week I spent three days inside a 150-page technical report.  The logic jumped like version control gone wrong, and the business risk was measurable in dollars per paragraph. That draft was written after the platform rolled out. Here’s the pattern I keep seeing in client calls: 1.⁠ ⁠Product ships. 2.⁠ ⁠Support inbox melts. 3.⁠ ⁠A brief lands on my desk: “Explain what went wrong.” Here’s how I work instead: •⁠ ⁠I embed while the Figma files are still sketch-ups. •⁠ ⁠I sit in the GitHub issues, the Loom walkthroughs, the roadmap debates. •⁠ ⁠I run duplication checks on every outline so we don’t publish the same answer twice with different keywords. •⁠ ⁠I flag gaps before Customer Success has to write them in Slack thirty times. The result isn’t extra documentation. It’s fewer tickets and faster onboarding. That’s why I call Firecrab Tech Writing Solutions a product function, not a cost centre. A technical writer who codes, audits, and questions the roadmap is cheaper than cleaning up after one who doesn’t. Agree?

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As a technical writer, you should always care about your audience and get genuinely worried about how your docs is helping them solve problems, understand the product or get to solutions quickly. #technicalwriting

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The real test: Is your AI solving your problems, or creating new ones? Let’s say you're using an AI tool to summarize a research paper 🟥 When the AI works for you You upload the PDF, type: “Summarize this in 5 bullet points with citations” It gives you a coherent, accurate summary with linked references You only need to tweak 10-20% of the output You save 30+ minutes of reading and note-taking Result: You’re leveraging the AI to do the heavy lifting You stay in control, the AI is your assistant 🟥When you work on the AI tool You paste the text, and the AI gives vague or wrong summaries You spend more time fact-checking or rewriting than if you had done it yourself You’re constantly adjusting the prompt, repeating tasks, or redoing everything manually Result: The tool becomes a burden, not a boost Here is a way to make tools work for you Establish the FIT-RITE framework 1. F – Functionality Fit What does the tool do? ✔ Writing? Reading? Data? 2. I – Integration & Input Can it integrate with your workflow/tools? ✔ Supports PDFs, Word, LaTeX? 3. T – Type of Research Stage Which stage of research is it for? ✔ Ideation? Lit Review? Writing? 4. R – Reliability & References Is it trustworthy and academically appropriate? ✔ Does it cite sources? Peer-reviewed? 5. I – Interactivity & Intelligence Is it passive (a tool) or intelligent (an assistant)? ✔ AI-powered? Feedback-enabled? 6. T – Time & Training Benefit Does it save time or require steep learning? ✔ Is the learning curve worth it? 7. E – Economics (Free/Freemium) Is it free or cost-effective for you? ✔ Does the free version work well? A well-chosen AI tool should feel like a productivity boost and a natural extension of your daily process, not a source of new headaches, manual rework, or complexity Please Repost to people who might find it useful in their research journey Hi, I'm Dr. Gunjan Chauhan, a postgraduate professional with over 1430 completed scientific research and medical writing projects. My company, Professional Writer Co., lets you prioritize the science while we help shape your message to reach the right audience through the right channels. If you're looking for a reliable partner, we're here to make your life easier.

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🚀 Ready to master DITA? Learn how to create clear, reusable, and structured content with the DITA Concepts course — taught by structured authoring expert Tony Self. In this ISTC-accredited course, you’ll explore: ✨ The nature of open-source standards 🧩 The basics of XML technologies 🗂️ The principles of structured authoring 🔁 How topic-based architecture and modularity promote content reuse 📄 The practical benefits of separating content and format 🗺️ The role of maps in organizing and structuring content — and much more! Whether you’re a technical writer, editor, or content professional, this course will help you understand the foundation of modern documentation. 👉 Find out more and register today: https://lnkd.in/dfEAPT6h #DITA #techcomm #documentation #onlinelearning #upskilling

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Sometimes writers think working with subject matter experts is all about asking questions and taking notes. But the fundamental shift happens when you start treating those conversations like a product discovery session. In this video, I break down how a writer can gather requirements the way a product manager does. It covers how to map problem statements, validate assumptions, and shape documentation decisions using the same mindset teams use when building features. If you’re trying to level up your collaboration with experts, this might offer a new angle to work from.

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When people think of technical writers, they often picture someone polishing grammar or fixing typos. The reality is that we are designers of information systems. We don’t just create documents. We engineer the pathways that connect users to knowledge. A well-crafted help article, release note, or knowledge base entry isn’t random. It is the result of deliberate design choices around structure, accessibility, and flow. Our work shapes how people experience a product. Documentation isn’t extra. It is the scaffolding that supports product adoption, customer trust, and user success. Great documentation doesn’t simply explain. It empowers.

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