Tag: technical writing

Notes on Further Research into Aesthetics and Usability (and What It Means for Technical Writers)

~ Richard Rabil, Jr. ~ Leave a comment

Lately I've been studying the role of aesthetics in documentation. My research led me to an article titled "Is beautiful really usable? Toward understanding the relation between usability, aesthetics, and affect in HCI" by Alexandre N. Tuch, Sandra P. Roth, and others (2012, Computers in Human Behavior). You can download a copy of the manuscript … Continue reading Notes on Further Research into Aesthetics and Usability (and What It Means for Technical Writers)

On Writing, ChatGPT, Harry Potter, and Evil Equity Language

~ Richard Rabil, Jr.

What a week. One of the low points was the discovery that Clarkesworld magazine has temporarily halted short story submissions due to an overwhelming influx of fake content generated by AI tools. Clarkesworld is one of the venues where I was planning to submit a work of mine, so needless to say, I'm ticked at … Continue reading On Writing, ChatGPT, Harry Potter, and Evil Equity Language

The Impact of ChatGPT on Technical Writing

~ Richard Rabil, Jr. ~ 1 Comment

Update 03/31/2023: On his popular tech writing blog I'd Rather Be Writing, Tom Johnson has a more thorough treatment of this subject than my short comments below. I remain less optimistic than he does about AI language generators, but his concrete examples of how writers could work with ChatGPT rather than eschew it are helpful. … Continue reading The Impact of ChatGPT on Technical Writing

Whether AI Will Replace Writing

~ Richard Rabil, Jr. ~ 2 Comments

"Will Artificial Intelligence Kill College Writing?" asks a professor in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Micah Mattix gives what I think is a thoughtful response: "This is one of the problems with teaching writing exclusively as a tool. Most tools are replaceable. But I don’t think writing—real writing—is in any danger of being replaced by … Continue reading Whether AI Will Replace Writing

Do Attractive Documents Work Better?

~ Richard Rabil, Jr.

Design expert Donald Norman has written that when people are anxious, they narrow their thought processes. Conversely when people are happy, they become more creative and imaginative at solving problems. If this is true, it means that one of the best things a technical writer can do is create beautiful content that moves readers to a happier, more adaptive emotional state. Or so I contend.