Let's tech communicate

February 2023

Rainbow inclusive language guide

This is good advice to follow, even if you don’t work for an organisation that reports to the Public Service Commission. It includes high-level guiding principles on writing to include Rainbow communities, as well as appropriate terms and definitions to use.

Freya Morris-Cole, one of our board members, was involved in this awesome piece of work. Great mahi, Freya and team!

Rainbow inclusive language guide (Public Service Commission)

A11y toolbox

A collection of accessibility (a11y) resources, plug-ins, and tools for designers (which we know is all of us, because writers are designers, right?). We recommend looking at the 101 toolbox (the indispensable resources) as a starting point, but there’s plenty here to keep us going on our accessible content journey.

A11y toolbox

Stock images of Aotearoa New Zealand

Do you wish you could find stock images that look more representative of where we live? Truestock gives us royalty-free, locally produced stock images of local landscapes and local people.

Buy credits, then download any images you like until your credit runs out.

Authentic Aotearoa stock imagery (Truestock)

Research: simple writing pays off (literally)

We already knew this, but... researchers confirm that if you write simply and directly, it pays off. This article mentions a few different studies and their findings (handy to keep tucked away for someone who might need a little convincing that plain language is the way to go). The author, Bill Birchard, is also releasing a book in April 2023 that might be worth checking out.

Research: simple writing pays off (literally)

Writing for impact: 8 secrets from science that will fire up your readers’ brains

Spot and avoid greenwashing

Greenwashing is becoming more of a communications no-no as the world becomes more climate conscious. It may not be intentional, but it’s important to avoid in communication as it’s misleading and just not a great look. Here’s what it is and how to spot it.

Greenwashing – how you can spot it (Sustainability Trust)

Transliteration versus translation in te reo Māori

This is a short article published on Stuff earlier in the year. Academic David Kārena-Holmes talks about the difference between transliteration and translation with some familiar te reo Māori examples.

Transliteration vs translation in te reo Māori (Stuff)

Language tricks: German and French

In these couple of YouTube videos, RobWords teaches us how to read German and French (sort of) without knowing any German or French. We think these videos are clever, fun, and well-explained. If you don’t know any German or French, we’re confident you will soon!

How anyone (including you) can read German (RobWords - YouTube)

How to translate French words without knowing French (RobWords - YouTube)

OpenAI’s ChatGPT

It seems like everyone in the science, technology, and communication industries have been talking about ChatGPT lately. It’s pretty big news.

Not quite sure what it is?

Who better to explain than ChatGPT itself? We asked it:

“Hi ChatGPT. Can you please tell me a couple of sentences to explain what you are and what you do?"

ChatGPT replied:

“Hello! I am ChatGPT, a large language model trained by OpenAI. My purpose is to assist users in generating human-like responses to their questions and provide helpful information across a wide range of topics. As an AI language model, I use natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to understand user input and generate appropriate responses.”

Want to try it?

Learn more about it and sign up for an OpenAI account to try the demo for free:

ChatGPT free demo

The big question: what about technical writers?

Naturally, we’ve seen people having fun with it and letting their imaginations run wild with their questions. But we thought we’d better ask it this burning question first:

“Kia ora ChatGPT. Are you going to replace technical writers?”

ChatGPT replied:

“As an AI language model, my purpose is to assist and complement human writers, not to replace them. While I can generate text on a wide range of topics, including technical subjects, I still rely on human input and guidance to ensure that my responses are accurate, relevant, and appropriate for the audience.

Technical writing is a specialised field that requires a deep understanding of the subject matter and the ability to communicate complex ideas in a clear and concise manner. While I can assist with certain aspects of technical writing, such as suggesting appropriate terminology or providing examples of best practices, I cannot replace the expertise and experience of a human technical writer.

Ultimately, the role of AI in technical writing is to support and enhance the work of human technical writers, not to replace them. By leveraging the strengths of both humans and AI, it is possible to create more effective and efficient technical documentation that meets the needs of the intended audience.”

Phew! Good to know. Now that we’ve gotten that one out of the way...

Let’s chat (human to human)! Share what you think about ChatGPT

We’ve started talking about ChatGPT on LinkedIn. We’d like to hear about your experience and thoughts on it. Drop us a comment or see what others are saying!

TechCommNZ asking you about ChatGPT on LinkedIn

Articles on ChatGPT

If you’d like to read more, here’s a collection of opinion pieces, advice, and other information about ChatGPT we’ve come across lately. This is just a sample – we know there’s heaps more out there!

Using ChatGPT for technical writing plus demo (Amruta Ranade – YouTube)

How to stop AI stealing your job (Alicia McKay)

Will AI generated writing steal our jobs? ChatGPT responds (Stephen Moore - Medium)

OpenAI’sChatGPTis the world’s best chatbot (Alberto Romero - Medium)

How ChatGPT is changing the game for product managers (Calvin Lee - Medium)

AI copyright: nobody knows what will happen next (The Verge)