ASTC Conference 2019
Topics covered in 2019
Where to next? Exciting trends and technologies from around the world
Our opening presenter, Gareth Oakes, has developed a reputation with ASTC conference delegates as being enthusiastic and knowledgeable about whatever topic he tackles. Gareth has an exceptionally wide range of global experience and this year aims to identify future trends for technical communications for the many diverse industries within which we work.
Can I do JavaScript?
The word 'JavaScript' can send a chill up the spine of some technical communicators, but is this reaction warranted?
To get to the bottom of the JavaScript mystery, we've got two presentations planned for this conference. Tony Self will help us define some desirable features that we can add to our documentation to improve its usability. Dave Gash will follow Tony to explain just how JavaScript achieves the effect we want and how to tweak it - without having a lot of coding knowledge.
Standards for public documents
When we received this presentation proposal from Professor David Sless, the immediate reaction was: "standards are fine, but how do you manage to convince people that they're needed?". So David is going to give us some case studies on how it can be done. Every technical communicator surely has an interest in this subject!
Docs-As-Code: What, Why and How
Alec Clews will describe the Docs-As-Code implications to technical writing and why many in the software industry are adopting this approach. It may not be new, but it certainly has a place in the race to produce up-to-date documentation in a continuous delivery environment.
Are you the Artificially Intelligent Technical Writer?
It's timely that we have two presentations that include artificial intelligence (AI) in our conference program. Prashant Mathpathi has a particular interest in this subject and will tell what he thinks: Is it something to be feared? Can we harness it to help us? In his view, "technical communicators need to be capable of using Artificial Intelligence to stay ahead of the competition".
Silicon Paper – Farewelling a millennium of paper
Tony Self revisited an ASTC (NSW) conference presentation he gave a few years ago to see just how much technical communication had changed since then. To think, history has been made and most of us have lived through it. Didn't realise it? Attend this presentation to refresh how far technical communication has come - since the middle ages.
Short and sweet: how to tighten your writing
In a world that delivers a constant stream of ideas, facts, opinions and distractions, it is vital to convey our own message quickly and effectively. Kylie Weaver will show you some techniques to help you cull both words and syllables from your writing to make it even more succinct and engaging.
AI and editing: An introduction to Acrolinx
Most of us will have heard of Acrolinx and how it ticks all the boxes to "enable organisations to improve the quality of their content and to speak with one voice" but what is it and how does it do that? If you've ever wondered, Grant Butler will tell us all about it during this presentation. It's interesting that Artificial Intelligence is in use in this product. Grant will tell us about that too.
CSS: Back to basics
With web developers at all levels focussed on gee-whiz CSS features, its basic beauty -- separating formatting from structure and content -- often gets lost in the excitement. Dave Gash looks at what CSS is, what it's for, and how it's meant to
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Intellectual Property 101 for technical writers
It's so easy to inadvertently violate someone else's copyright. Our presenter will explain some of the no go areas and the pitfalls to be aware of. First, the Big 5 related to Technical Writing: Trade Secrets, Patents, Trade Marks, Copyright and Designs. Then we have Ownership issues, Overlapping IP, Use issues and Disclosure of IP to be aware of. It's not all bad news though: there are also opportunities for technical communicators in this area.
Why the fuss about GitHub?
You may have heard a mention of GitHub, or simply git, in your workplace. It's been a popular open source storage facility and tool for software projects for some time. It could also be useful for technical writers and Grant Noble plans to show us why with a demonstration of how it works.
Case Study: Getting onboard with Appcues
Steve Moss will pose (and answer the question): How do people trialling software downloaded from the cloud learn about the product? Steve will tell us about the solution chosen for WorkflowMax job management software after it was found that triallists were frequently missing out on key features, not setting things up properly or – even worse – not sticking around for long.
Social headlines, thought leadership and other business writing trends
Like the formats we use to publish, business writing continues to evolve. Grant Butler from the Editor Group will discuss some of the latest trends in business writing, including the shortening of documents, the importance of punchy headings, the rise of advice-style content, the shifting rules of search and a narrowing of vocabulary. But not everything has changed, so he’ll also touch on aspects of good business writing that never go out of style, such as succinct sentences and sound logic.
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