I describe the ending to my 2019 as a bumpy landing. While everything ended well if even on some high notes, the last few months were stressful for me. Things started to turn around in December, though. Here’s a review of my 2019:
Author: Will Kelly
Will Kelly is a technical writer living and working in the Washington, DC area. After years of contracting, he returned to a full-time corporate job in 2016. He writes thought leadership about the cloud, enterprise mobility, and cybersecurity. Will has written for Samsung Business Insights, Tom's IT Pro, TechBeacon, CNET TechRepublic, and other sites. Earlier in his career, he wrote technical documentation for end users, developers, and operations teams. His current areas of interest include multi-cloud solutions, mobile security, and managed services. Follow Will on Twitter: @willkelly.
My go-to apps for 2019
Throughout 2019, there were some applications that became my go-to apps for personal and professional projects. Here’s my shortlist:
Hiring a technical writer in the age of DevOps | Opensource.com
It’s common for enterprises to leave the technical writer’s role out of the DevOps discussion. Even the marketing department joins the discussion in some DevOps-first organizations—so why not the writers? Source: Hiring a technical writer in the age of DevOps | Opensource.com
The law of diminishing returns and content development
There’s a law of diminishing returns you have to watch out for when you’re developing thought leadership and other content. “Perfect is the enemy of good,” according to Voltaire. It’s possible to work on content for too long. For example, creating a PowerPoint deck that takes for months. Or, the fact sheets and white papers… Continue reading The law of diminishing returns and content development
Confessions of a dyslexic technical writer, Part 2
I wrote a post entitled Confessions of a dyslexic technical writer about how I use my dyslexia as an advantage as a writer. The post still draws some feedback from other adult dyslexics. Here are some other confessions I’d add to the post if I wrote it today:
Is there a thought leadership double standard for writers?
I work in an industry that’s hungry to have their VPs, directors, and senior technical staff to become thought leaders. Informed opinion leaders and the go-to people in their field of expertise. They are trusted sources who move and inspire people with innovative ideas; turn ideas into reality and know and show how to replicate… Continue reading Is there a thought leadership double standard for writers?
In defense of kindness in the editorial review cycle
I took an interest in editorial reviews early in my career. That interest drove me to become a technical reviewer in the computer book industry for several years. I’m not sure they even have that role anymore. At the least publishers may not pay for that review anymore. Sitting through curt and incomplete document reviews… Continue reading In defense of kindness in the editorial review cycle
