ISTC News
Returning and New Members
Thanks to all of you who have continued your membership or have joined as new members this year. If you’re one of the latter, then welcome to InfoPlus.
MadCap Flare article coming next month
MadCap Flare are going to be publishing a few articles in the forthcoming issues of InfoPlus. The first one will appear in the April edition.
INFOPLUS – New Layout
Feedback is always welcome on our ISTC Slack channel or by email (newsletter.editor@istc.org.uk) about our new look and feel of InfoPlus.
I got into a bit of trouble …
I’ve had my knuckles wrapped by the Apostrophe Protection Society (a reader of InfoPlus ‘dobbed me in’) after not removing one from an article in last month’s the AI section. As I’m definitely one of those kind of people that points them out, even taking photographs of them and uploading them to my own Facebook group, so the shame level is running quite high!
Advertise in InfoPlus
Get your company or products noticed in the TechComms community! We are offering new opportunities for advertising in our monthly InfoPlus newsletter.
These adverts are banners to be positioned as you choose. Placement examples are included in this PDF, which also contains all the necessary steps and costs involved to place an advert in future editions of InfoPlus.
If you would like to advertise with us please contact Chantel Sankey – istc@istc.org.uk.
Website Volunteer Team update
Here’s an overview of what the Website Team have been working on during February.
Website Updates
We have been discussing the Affinity exercise for taking our audit of the ISTC website one stage further. Part of that exercise will involve using the MoSCoW (Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won’t have) technique. This will create a priority list of what we should be looking at next.
We have also been working on the ISTC Style Guide, bringing up to date a document that was created over a decade ago. We’ve introduced a new structure and written new rules that support today’s standards for writing online content. We’ve also added an AI policy.
Resources Page
This is the next members’ only page that is long overdue some TLC.
We have posted (in the Slack channel) a request for any apps that you use that aren’t already on the page.
We also would like your input / review on what’s already on there and which ones, if any, that we should remove.
Want to lend a hand?
If you’d like to help the ISTC improve its website and collaborate with other ISTC members in the process, send an email to istc@istc.org.uk. We’re a friendly team and there’s no pressure to volunteer a particular number of hours – you can help out as and when your availability allows.
IJTC Update
February newsletter
The February issue was sent out (a few days late) on the 21st of February and included one article from Warren Singer and four articles from one of our regular contributors, Jean Rollinson.
Future Topics
We used to run a column in Communicator called ‘Day In The Life’. I posted a request for people from both hemispheres who’d like to appear in the new column. I’ve had two people from the UK asking to be in the first DITL articles, so I’d also like some tech comms people from Australia and New Zealand to join in.
My NotebookLM sequel article is running a bit late. Partly due to real life workload, but also because Google keep updating it. One item that was a bugbear (not being able to export other than a PDF) has now been updated to include PowerPoint files.
We want your articles!
Here are the rules:
- It doesn’t have to be of an epic length. We’re not expecting you to craft x-thousand words to fill a page.
- There’s nothing stopping you from sending in multiple small articles for a series, along the lines of our series from Jean Rollinson and CJ Walker.
- It has to be relevant to the technical communicators who are part of ISTC – as well as our Australian and New Zealand colleagues.
- It must not be generated using AI. You can, however, write about AI tools used within the tech comms field.
Take a look at the other articles already on the website and see if your subject would fit in. Send it to editor@ijtc.net.
ISTC Slack
The details of where to find our Slack channel can be found in the email sent to all ISTC members on September 17th 2025, with the title ‘A problem shared is a problem halved’.
Before joining please remember:
This is a professional space, and all areas, including any private messages, may be reviewed by the ISTC and are subject to the ISTC’s Code of Professional Practice.
We look forward to seeing you in there.
Area groups
If you wish to start your own Area Group, contact istc@istc.org.uk.
Thames Valley Area Group
The Thames Valley local group meeting is at the Bird-in-Hand pub in Knowle Hill, RG10 9UP on the first Tuesday of each month from 7.30pm. All are welcome.
They rarely have a set subject but the conversation always has a strong tech comms flavour. Maybe something from recent news, something that has happened at work, or some new technology to discuss.
London Area group
The next London Area Group meetup is Wednesday 18th March. This meeting is online and the meeting invite will be posted in the WhatsApp chat for the group nearer the time. We are hoping that the April meeting will be an in-person one, when the weather is a lot nicer.
A Request for Back Issues
We’ve added the list of missing issues to the Communicator Archive page.
ISTC Meets
This is our monthly series of online live presentations and discussions from industry experts across the Technical Communication spectrum.
For full details of all of our previous speakers, and for all future ISTC Meets, please visit our website.
Our March ISTC Meets is on 9th March at 18.00 and Sharon Burton will be discussing her book, “Women in Technical Communication: From Typewriters to Touchscreens” that captures the voices of women who built careers in a changing technological world.
Zoom link for March ISTC Meets
Contact the ISTC directly, istc@istc.org.uk, to be added to the ISTC Meets mailing list.
Talking heads wanted!
Do you want to give a 30 minute talk on any aspects of tech comms (via Zoom)? Get in touch with ISTC Meets.
Social Media
We recently pared back our social media areas to make them easier to manage and post to. Our FB pages for ISTC and TCUK will remain for the time being whilst they are archived, then they will be removed permanently.
Community Forums
The forums are available to all members once logged into the ISTC website.
AI News & Apps
Memory issues …
A global DRAM shortage is already hitting more than a dozen major companies. Apple CEO Tim Cook told investors it will compress iPhone margins this year.
AI has eaten the memory chips supply! The shortage is showing up in mobile phones, electric cars and server farms at the same time. It’s not a niche supply chain problem. It’s the whole consumer tech stack under pressure at once!
Some of the older members might remember a similar memory crisis when a significant, short-term crisis was sparked on July 4, 1993, by an explosion at a Japanese plant that produced 60% of the world’s epoxy resin used for semiconductor packaging. RAM prices went up, just as Microsoft released Windows 95 – which needed a lot more memory. This was short-lived, thankfully, as by 1996, there was then a glut of memory chips on the market.
Anthropic blocks chinese AI bots from
Anthropic blocked multiple Chinese AI services from illicitly extracting Claude’s capabilities to improve their own models.
Upgrading Legacy COBOL via Claude
Claude is being used to bring COBOL code from the 1970s & 1980s into the modern era. It doesn’t mention if the accompanying manuals will be updated as well.
New Tools
I spotted the (current) total of AI apps that the There’s An AI For That website knows about. There’s almost 47000 of them!
These (new or updated) tools caught my eye as being useful for people in our profession.
Naturally, just because I’ve included a particular AI app in the selection below, it doesn’t mean that ISTC are promoting these AI apps.
I do recommend, however, subscribing to the There’s An AI For That newsletter if you want to keep yourself up to date.
HappySRT
HappySRT is an AI workspace for transcription, translation, & summarization. Upload audio/video (or paste a media URL) and turn it into clean, export-ready output that’s available in minutes.
FastBots
Train a chatbot agent in minutes using your documents or website. Automatically handle customer questions, capture leads, and support visitors across your site and social platforms.
WonderWisp
For those amongst us with young children (or grandchildren), this tool will let you create books for them and featuring them. Your first story is free.
Free AI courses (care of Gov.uk) at AI Skills HUB
Technical Writer HQ Infographic
Our thanks go to Technical Writer HQ for the above infographic. We will be including one in every issue of InfoPlus for the remainder of this year.
Upcoming Events
There are multiple in-person and/or online-only conferences coming up in the first part of 2026 and we’ve listed all we can below.
Title: Nordic Techcom
Date: March 19th – 20th 2026
Online/In-Person: Stockholm, Sweden.
Website: https://se.nordic-techkomm.com/
Conference Topic: Managing Documentation Across Long Product Lifecycles: From First Flight to Final Service
In industries where products are designed to last for decades, such as aerospace, defense, energy and healthcare, technical documentation is crucial for ensuring safety, compliance and operational efficiency. However, as systems evolve and lifecycles expand, maintaining accurate, accessible and up-to-date documentation can present a significant challenge. This year’s theme explores how organizations can sustainably manage documentation across decades with the support of IPS frameworks, digital transformation and emerging technologies.
Title: Information Energy
Date: April 22nd – 24th 2026
Online/In-Person: Online
Website: https://www.informationenergy.org/
This three-day event from Wednesday to Friday will bring together people, who want to explore the novelties of technical communication. Join 300 other attendees who care about current and future trends. Check out the exciting topics, which range from AI and other new technologies in TC to content strategy, professional development, and the business value of TC. The entire event will be hosted online via Zoom, providing easy access for attendees around the world.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn, connect, and grow within the TechComm community.
Programme: https://www.informationenergy.org/program
Title: tcworld China
Date: May 21st – 22nd 2026
Online/In-Person: Courtyard by Marriott Shanghai Changfeng Park, Shanghai, China
Website: https://www.tcworld-china.cn/en/
Join tcworld China 2026, Asia’s leading international conference for professionals in technical communication, content, language, and product experience.
Here, global experts and innovators come together to exchange ideas, explore new technologies, and shape the future of intelligent communication.
Discover how AI, UX, localization, and global information strategies are redefining the way we create and manage knowledge. Learn about the latest practices in content operations, information architecture, and data asset management, and see how organizations are turning information into impact.
The programme is now available: https://www.tcworld-china.cn/en/program-2026/
Title: IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC)
Date: May 24th – 28th 2026
Online/In-Person: Glasgow, Scotland
Website: https://icc2026.ieee-icc.org/
This flagship conference of the IEEE Communications Society will present a comprehensive and high-quality technical program, featuring 12 symposia, cutting-edge tutorials, and diverse workshops spanning the full spectrum of communications research and innovation.
Title: Evolution of TC
Date: June 2nd – 3rd 2026
Online/In-Person: Sofia, Bulgaria
Website: https://evolution-of-tc.com/
Join industry leaders, innovators, and professionals in technical communication for two days of knowledge sharing, networking, and inspiration in Sofia.
No programme as of yet as the event is still in its ‘call for papers’ stage.
Title: Adobe DITAWorld
Date: June – exact dates not released as of yet
Online/In-Person: Online
Website: https://2026-adobe-dita-world.meetus.adobeevents.com/
The 11th edition of the world’s biggest DITA Online Conference for Marketing and Technical Communication Professionals. Streaming worldwide in June 2026.
Accredited courses have been reviewed by a professional panel of experienced ISTC members. A course listed as “ISTC Accredited” means that the panel believes the course meets its stated objectives and is suitable for its intended audience.
Course providers have to apply for renewal of accreditation every 2 years, which helps to ensure the courses reflect current best practice.
Training courses
Armada
The Armada course is run over 5 days. You can attend in-person at our dedicated training facilities at Bristol, Bromsgrove, Manchester or Reading, or participate live online.
The next course dates are:
- Online – 9th-13th March 2026
- Birmingham/Bromsgrove: Classroom-based – 1st-5th June 2026
- Bristol: Classroom-based – 14th-18th September 2026
- Manchester: Classroom-based – 12th-13th March 2026
For further details, see www.armada.co.uk/course/tatp.
Cherryleaf
The Cherryleaf courses are available online and can be booked for single tech comms people or as a group.
Using Generative AI in Technical Writing: https://cherryleaf.teachable.com/p/using-generative-ai
Technical Writer – Induction Course: https://cherryleaf.teachable.com/p/technical-writer-induction-course
TCTrainNet – tekom Certificate training in Technical Communication
There are two accredited courses available from TCTrainNet:
- TCTrainNet Professional
- Aim to beginners and career changers. Intakes in 20th April and 22nd June 2026.
- Aim to beginners and career changers. Intakes in 20th April and 22nd June 2026.
- TCTrainNet Expert
- Aim to experienced technical writers. Intakes in 20th April and 12th October 2026
Firehead
Firehead offer a number of accredited courses. They are supplied in a format of videos, PDFs, eBooks and assessments.
- DITA Concepts
- Make Search Better: An Introduction to Keywording
- Structuring Prompts for Technical Communicators and Content Developers
- Presenting in English with Equal Impact
- Content Strategy Overview
IMPORTANT
Attending an ISTC Accredited course does not automatically make you an ISTC Member. Becoming an ISTC member is separate from attending an accredited course and requires applying separately. If the training course has whet your whistle, then come and join us.
About InfoPlus
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InfoPlus, the Monthly Newsletter from the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators (ISTC), is a valuable resource for the largest UK body representing scientific and technical communicators.
Whether you are involved in technical writing, technical illustration, or other forms of communicating technical information, ISTC is the professional association dedicated to supporting your career.
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Back Page
Whilst not an ‘Oops!’ as per our previous examples, one member has sent in a “Well, you should have listened” example instead.
“Well, there was the one time at a big tech company that I survived two complete turnovers of the development team and effectively became the SME. They then gave me the manager I told them not to give me. So I quit and they lost all that knowledge. Moral of the story: don’t take your tech comms people for granted. But I guess the readership already knows that.”
Can you do any better?
If so, you can send them to newsletter.editor@istc.org.uk, or send me a message via the ISTC Slack channel, by 16th March 2025.