It's time to get Slack

May 2017

April was a happening month for technical communicators in New Zealand. We concluded the 2017 TechCommNZ conference in Auckland just before Easter. The conference theme of collaboration got us thinking that we need a common platform for bringing technical communicators and other professionals in New Zealand together. It's time to get Slack!

While there are TechCommNZ groups on LinkedIn and Facebook, we know these platforms aren't for everyone. So, we've created a Slack team for all technical communicators in New Zealand: http://techcommnz.slack.com.

Why Slack?

We've chosen Slack because it aligns nicely with TechCommNZ's notion of collaboration and learning, and it's:

  • already used by a large majority of people at work
  • community-driven, so once the community builds, technical communicators can keep in touch using this common platform
  • multi-channel – we can provide open access to most channels, and have a few member-only channels
  • simple to join, without the need to set up a detailed profile.

Who can join?

Anyone! We think it might be of special interest to:

  • technical communicators looking to share ideas, ask queries, grow knowledge, learn new skills, or just meet other technical communicators
  • potential clients who are looking for technical communicators
  • UX specialists looking to understand how content helps in driving better user experience
  • content strategists wanting to stay aware of what is new in the field of technical communication
  • developers who have been tasked with a job of creating documentation
  • recruiters wanting to hire technical communicators in New Zealand, and
  • anyone else who's keen to develop writing as a secondary skill.

I would encourage you to join this awesome community and invite other professionals to do so too. Get in touch with me, Abhay Chokshi (abhay.chokshi@gmail.com), to request an invitation.