Christie Koehler on Nostr: So one thing I absolutely despise is when I’m specifically looking for reference ...
So one thing I absolutely despise is when I’m specifically looking for reference documentation and can only find or am aggressively funneled to tutorial-type documentation.
HashiCorp product docs are among the worst offenders in this regard among docs I have to use frequently. And they keep making it worse!
Anyway, I’m looking at what Mozilla is trying to do with adding AI-driven features to MDN and it’s making me want to scream. I don’t want more narrative in my technical documentation.
That presentation of technical material has a place, usually for folks earlier in their journey with a particular subject. It is in no way a substitute for reference docs!
You want a dictionary and an encyclopedia and a fixit manual. Anyway.
Tech writers know these things. Too bad hardly anybody hires them any more.
HashiCorp product docs are among the worst offenders in this regard among docs I have to use frequently. And they keep making it worse!
Anyway, I’m looking at what Mozilla is trying to do with adding AI-driven features to MDN and it’s making me want to scream. I don’t want more narrative in my technical documentation.
That presentation of technical material has a place, usually for folks earlier in their journey with a particular subject. It is in no way a substitute for reference docs!
You want a dictionary and an encyclopedia and a fixit manual. Anyway.
Tech writers know these things. Too bad hardly anybody hires them any more.