Podcasts for Technical Communicators

by Evan Jones, Newsletter Editor

As technical communicators, we are always on the lookout for useful tips, ideas and the latest trends in technology. Just do a quick Google search, and plenty of related books, websites and affiliations abound. There is another avenue, however, in which you can still receive the same amount of useful material, yet can listen to while driving to work or taking a break from reading your documentation countless times: podcasts! So...without any further ado, here are four podcasts that I suggest you check out and download to your computer at your leisure.

IT Author

Alistair Christie, a Documentation Manager for a UK-based software company, has been doing his ITAuthor podcast since 2005. Here, he presents a wealth of useful information for technical communicators - from career tips to interviews with notable figures in the field. He also likes to make blogs on the latest "techie" things, as he has a great love of software. In fact, he's even created a little free Memory Builder program that's available for download on the site! You can find out more information at www.itauthor.com.

I'd Rather Be Writing

Tom Johnson works as a senior technical writer for a non-profit organization in Utah and writes about the latest trends in technical communication. In his podcasts, he often interviews other tech writing luminaries, so you can learn a lot from his guests as well as himself. Aside from his work and his podcasts, he also does presentations and WordPress consulting on the side! To find out more, visit his website: www.idratherbewriting.com.

Communications from DMN

DMN Communications is a Toronto-based company that provides a wide variety of technical communications and consulting services. Their podcast topics include everything from interviews about current trends in the field to discussing the latest software. Check out their podcast website at: dmn.podbean.com, and their main site: www.dmncommunications.com.

SDR News (Formerly Slashdot Review)

In your technical writing career, you must keep track on the latest trends in technology. This daily podcast higlights the major events to help you stay on top of what is happening in the high-tech industry. You can visit their website at: www.sdrnews.com.

So far, the number of podcasts is quite small compared to the large variety of blogs out there that deal with technical communication. Having said that, they should be enough to give you a unique format to learn more about what is new in the field - and give your eyes a break, too! Happy listening!