Attending the Technical Communicators Association of New Zealand (TechCommNZ) conference is always a privilege. The knowledge sharing and networking opportunities they facilitate are incredibly valuable for technical communicators across New Zealand. Although these events were temporarily hampered by Covid-19, they are now back in full swing, with this year’s conference held at the Rydges Wellington Airport hotel.
I was one of two Author-it employees who attended. Abhay Chokshi facilitated the ‘unconference’—an event where attendees collectively choose topics and then discuss them in groups—while I soaked up knowledge and had the pleasure of meeting a few of Author-it’s users in person.
It was a great experience, and here are a few of my personal highlights:
- Changes afoot for the NZ Government Web Standards, presented by Jason Kiss, provided an important update on a series of standards that many New Zealand technical communicators need to follow.
- An introduction to Simplified Technical English, by Dave Newdick, was an insightful and accessible presentation on a standard that many Author-it customers use or are considering using. It included an introduction to STE, what it’s used for, how to implement it, and more.
- Beyond ChatGPT, a presentation by Emily Cotlier, served as an intro to AI, it’s impact on the technical communication field, and some AI options to consider. Those options gave me several new ideas about how Author-it could leverage generative AI to create user documentation.
I’d like to give a huge thank you to the members of TechCommNZ who organized this year’s conference. Your work made it possible for a passionate community to learn, share, and connect when it has few other chances to do so. The insights and connections made will undoubtedly contribute to the field of technical communication in New Zealand.
Ngā mihi nui,
Jamie Simmonds
Technical Communicator
