Perth: Moving from Word to the Web | Contributing to open source docs

5.30 to 6 pm Perth local time - Introduction to Write the Docs, Networking, Food and Soft drinks

6 to 7 pm Perth local time - 2 awesome presentations by local speakers

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Moving from Word to the Web via Gitbook and Markdown

Adam Limbert, Software Engineer/Writer, Fundi Software

Markdown is a popular format with developers for creating quick and easy documentation for software projects. Its utility is clear on sites such as GitHub where simple instructions and formatted code samples can be viewed directly in Markdown without additional styling, or as styled output within a web browser. This works well for small jobs, but how does Markdown scale when attempting to author something larger, more complex, and to a standard that a commercial product demands?

In this presentation, we will describe the process used to convert user documentation developed in Microsoft Word into an online documentation site using Pandoc, Python, and Gitbook and discuss some of the issues that the author faced along the way.

About the author

Adam Limbert is a software engineer and writer based in Perth, Western Australia. When he's not developing technical documentation, Adam divides his time between child wrangling and planning his first novel. Connect with Adam via LinkedIn.

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So you want to contribute to open source?

Dr Russell Keith-Magee, Django core team veteran, Founder: BeeWare Project

You know about Open Source software. You use it on a daily basis. You love the idea behind software that anyone can contribute to. But... you're a writer, not a coder. Is there any way that you can contribute?
Yes, there is.

Documentation is one of the most important parts of any Open Source project. If you've got technical writing skills, most Open Source projects would love to have your input.

So how do you get involved? What skills do you need? How do you find projects that can use your help? And how do you engage with them once you've found a project? In this talk, you'll learn the why, what, and how of contributing your writing skills to an Open Source project.

About the author

Dr Russell Keith-Magee is a 12 year veteran of the Django core team, and for 5 years, was President of the Django Software Foundation. He's also the founder of the BeeWare project, developing GUI tools to support the development of Python software.