Welcome to Write the Docs¶

Hello Documentarians,

The conference is just a few days away. We have some reminders, late-breaking information, and a few thanks are in order.

We hope you’re getting excited!

Info¶

If you’ll be here on or before Saturday, be aware that TriMet, Portland’s public transit system, will be working on the light rail lines. Public transit is generally excellent in Portland, but through May 21 trains will be crowded, and schedules will be limited. For more information, see the TriMet website.
Get a ticket for the hike. If you’re planning to join us for the hike on Saturday at 2pm, make sure that you’ve gotten your free ticket. There’s a limited number of spaces, although there should be plenty of room for everyone who wants to join. It looks like it will probably rain, so make sure you have a rain jacket!
Read the Welcome Wagon Guide. It is packed full of information on how to get the most out of the conference.
Join us on Sunday at CENTRL Office. The Writing Day is from 9am-6pm, immediately followed by the reception from 6pm-9pm. Both events are at CENTRL Office. Here’s a map of the location. You can pick up your badge and enjoy a couple of drinks on us. This is a great chance to meet your fellow documentarians before the conference starts.
Follow the Code of Conduct. We have a wonderful community full of diverse and amazing people. We expect everyone to behave in a respectful manner at all conference events. Our code of conduct boils down to “Be excellent to each other”, but the full text is also available. Our cell phone numbers and email addresses are on that page if you ever need to contact us.
Plan a lightning talk. We’ll have lightning talks each day after lunch. These are 5 minute presentations and a lot of fun. They can be about anything you want. This is your chance to share something you are passionate about with the audience. Slides are not required.
Plan a discussion. We’ll be running the Unconference in the afternoon on Monday and Tuesday. Want to chat with like-minded folks about a very specific thing? This is the place. We’ll have a sign-up board so you know what’s happening, and supplies to help you brainstorm.
Come to the party on Monday night. This is a private party just for conference attendees. Plan to attend so you can get to know folks in the community. We’ll be at Jack Knife, 614 SW 11th Ave, with a bunch of free food and drinks.
Coffee, breakfast, and lunch are provided. Don’t worry about coffee before you come to the conference on Monday or Tuesday. Coffee and breakfast are served at 8:15, and the conference starts at 9.
Use the hash tag #writethedocs. Twitter is a great way to communicate at events. If you arrive into Portland early and want to find others, use the hash tag or tweet at @writethedocs. We can point you to something good.

Sponsors¶

The conference wouldn’t be possible without our wonderful sponsors. This year, our sponsors are:

A few words from Google¶

Google is our keystone sponsor this year, and has some fun things in store for the conference.

We’ll hear a bit more of what they’re doing at the conference from Jared Bhatti, a Senior Technical Writer at Google:

Hello!

I’m Jared Bhatti, a tech writer at Google. Let me be the first to welcome you to this year’s Write the Docs.

Back in 2013, I was convinced by several fellow tech writers to attend a little-known writing conference in Portland. I was amazed to be at an event that spoke directly to the work I do on a daily basis. I found myself hooked, and I’ve attended the conference every year since then.

I’ve always taken pleasure in connecting with others in the fun and challenging world of technical writing, which is why I’m proud that Google is sponsoring this year’s Write the Docs. We’ll be working to keep things interactive for you by moderating a tech writer panel, running a few break-out sessions, participating in the Writing Day documentation sprints, and doing a UX study on some of our documentation. I invite you all to stop by our booth, learn more about tech writing at Google, participate in our study, and pick up some fun swag.

There’s going to be a tremendous amount of tech writing knowledge and wisdom in the room. I hope you’ll join us by participating and sharing your experience. I’m looking forward to meeting you all in Portland.

Jared Bhatti

Get Excited¶

This is the fourth year of Write the Docs, and our community is growing. We have a fantastic venue in a beautiful city, and lots of interesting talks. Come ready to meet other people in the community, and have a great time.

See you soon!