[277391] in TECHWR-L
Re: [TECHWR-L] - Differences in perception of the consequences large
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Tony Chung)
Wed Oct 29 11:15:04 2025
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From: Tony Chung <tonyc@tonychung.ca>
Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2025 11:14:39 -0400
Message-ID: <CAPnOPiH_rihVOK0qJSkq1whQS7ssCDgpWvCnttvqRRL_OVidAQ@mail.gmail.com>
To: techwr-l@techwr-l.com
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I hear you, Doug. I snuck into tech writing through the back door of Web
development. And now I=E2=80=99ve migrated solely into documentation tool s=
upport.
AI tools have helped me navigating learning new frameworks quickly to get
sample code working. Then I enhance it with my own vision (good or bad).
I started working on a photo gallery/slideshow app that I=E2=80=99ve open s=
ourced
to get others to contribute ideas towards. The URL is:
https://github.com/codemaestro/platypix =E2=80=A6 although, after using cus=
tomized
deployments for three different events, I have more ideas to rebuild the
app from the ground up and deploy it a different way in Google cloud.
But that=E2=80=99s less technical writing, and more app development informe=
d by the
usability awareness afforded me by my experience as a technical writer.
It=E2=80=99s a full circle: web development taught me what the developer au=
dience
needs from documentation. Technical writing taught me content strategy and
information architecture to speak to that audience. Being both the user and
the writer helps me to navigate the best of both worlds.
Because AI can only share from what has been done before, it can=E2=80=99t =
take
that human aspect of wonder and ingenuity away from us. Sure, it will
eventually be able to connect different ideas, but I doubt the algorithms
will be able to discern the value or utility of those connections.
-Tony
On Wed, Oct 29, 2025 at 10:27 Doug Cuff <dgcuff@gmail.com> wrote:
I'm going to try to remain amused as long as I can, especially after a week
> in which I learned that software developers are more easily replaced by A=
I
> than tech writers are.
>
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<div dir=3D"auto">I hear you, Doug. I snuck into tech writing through=C2=A0=
the back door of Web development. And now I=E2=80=99ve migrated solely into=
documentation tool support. AI tools have helped me navigating learning ne=
w frameworks quickly to get sample code working. Then I enhance it with my =
own vision (good or bad).</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto=
">I started working on a photo gallery/slideshow app that I=E2=80=99ve open=
sourced to get others to contribute ideas towards. The URL is: <a href=3D"=
https://github.com/codemaestro/platypix">https://github.com/codemaestro/pla=
typix</a> =E2=80=A6 although, after using customized deployments for three =
different events, I have more ideas to rebuild the app from the ground up a=
nd deploy it a different way in Google cloud.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></=
div><div dir=3D"auto">But that=E2=80=99s less technical writing, and more a=
pp development informed by the usability awareness afforded me by my experi=
ence as a technical writer. It=E2=80=99s a full circle: web development tau=
ght me what the developer audience needs from documentation. Technical writ=
ing taught me content strategy and information architecture to speak to tha=
t audience. Being both the user and the writer helps me to navigate the bes=
t of both worlds.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Becaus=
e AI can only share from what has been done before, it can=E2=80=99t take t=
hat human aspect of wonder and ingenuity away from us. Sure, it will eventu=
ally be able to connect different ideas, but I doubt the algorithms will be=
able to discern the value or utility of those connections.</div><div dir=
=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">-Tony</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></di=
v><div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir=3D"ltr=
" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Wed, Oct 29, 2025 at 10:27 Doug Cuff <<a href=
=3D"mailto:dgcuff@gmail.com">dgcuff@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><div =
dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr"><br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote=
" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><=
div dir=3D"auto"><span style=3D"font-family:-apple-system,sans-serif">I'=
;m going to try to remain amused as long as I can, especially after a week =
in which I learned that software developers are more easily replaced by AI =
than tech writers are.</span></div>
</blockquote></div></div>
<p></p>
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