James' Coffee Blog ☕

• Moments of joy

  Published on January 25, 2024 under the Moments of Joy (Series) category.

  One kind act can stick in someone's memory for a day, a month, a year. Part of the wonder is in the not knowing; the unknowable truth that something you do might be the fuel that keeps someone going in a difficult time. I was thinking back to the moments last year that made me smile. A common theme is that most of them involve the kindness of another person. The note left on a piano for me to read, someone looking around anxious only to turn excited as a loved one turns up, the person who holds open a door for someone else. Kind acts make the world go around.

• Using components to avoid repetition in technical writing

  Published on January 19, 2024 under the Technical Writing category.

  Recently, there was a discussion about whether some quickstart guides in the Inference Python package should contain installation information. The alternative was to defer users, with a callout box, to our package installation page to learn more, which was the setup we had at the time. Having installation information on several quickstart guides is useful because we know that the audience for those guides are people who may not have used our product before. With that said, there were concerns.

• Follow the on-screen instructions

  Published on January 19, 2024 under the Technical Writing category.

  Earlier today, the following question was asked in a community of which I am a member:

• Scenes from the coffee shop

  Published on January 19, 2024 under the Moments of Joy (Series) category.

  "It is a glorious day," remarked a barista walking to the counter, occupied with his tasks of the day. I gazed out the distant window with curiosity to remind myself of the weather outside. The light shone on the building opposite, leaving the kind of impression of light only possible in winter.

• The what, why, how formula of technical writing

  Published on January 18, 2024 under the Technical Writing category.

  When I am writing technical content, or editing others' work, I ask myself three questions:

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