ISTC News
ISTC Awards – Volunteer JudgeS
The ISTC is looking for volunteers to act as judges for the UK Technical Communication Awards in 2026.
The ISTC Awards recognise the value of clear, concise and effective information products across our profession. From traditional documentation to modern digital formats, they celebrate the impact that high-quality technical communication has on organisations and, most importantly, on users.
Why volunteer as an ISTC Judge?
As a volunteer judge, you will engage with a wide range of current technical communication practices. You will be central to recognising excellence across the profession and help shape what ‘good’ looks like in our field. Judging the awards is a fantastic way to support your own Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
It requires some short-term flexible commitment during the judging period. You are expected to review the award entries and assess them against the entries’ own briefs and industry best practice. As the Judge, you are also expected to give overall feedback and recommendations for improvements to each entry.
You may choose to involve additional reviewers to support you. All judging is carried out anonymously.
Who we are looking for
We are ideally looking for technical communicators with 5 or more years’ experience. A broader range of experience is very welcome.
More important than anything else is your enthusiasm for the profession and an interest in helping to recognise and shape high standards in technical communication.
Your contribution is highly valued and plays an important role in maintaining the quality and credibility of the awards.
Interested?
If you would like to volunteer or find out more, please contact istc@istc.org.uk by 30th June 2026.
Call for volunteers for the accreditation of courses for ISTC members
We are also looking for a team of volunteers to review courses in our field. These courses cover entry to intermediate level courses for technical communicators as well as a number of specialist areas that include GenAI and content strategy.
Volunteers should be Corporate Members (Member or Fellow) and be able to review courses according to a set of ISTC guidelines. This experience can give you an insight into current benchmarks and trends in technical communication from the training providers’ perspective. You will also be in a position to provide feedback which would allow the ISTC to guarantee a good educational standard.
This experience can be recorded in your CPD journal that can then be used for applying for and maintaining your Fellow status.
If you would like to volunteer or find out more, please contact istc@istc.org.uk by 30th June 2026.
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
it’s been a bit quiet
We’re all volunteers, sometimes we need to take a break from what we’re doing and concentrate on those real life matters instead.
We’ll be back next month with a more informative update on what we’ve been doing to the ISTC website.
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
MAY newsletter
The May newsletter wasn’t sent out as it only had a single ADITL article. This would have been a smaller issue than the previous month, so it will be postponed until the June newsletter.
Future Topics
I’m still (yes, still!) working on a follow-up to my NotebookLM plugins article.
This time I’m covering lots of different ones that do various things with (or to) your source material within NotebookLM.
Each time I think I’m ready to hit the Post Article button, I spot another plugin being pimped out in the NotebookLM Reddit channel!
The IJTC website is here. Please note that to be able to log in, you must be a member of the ISTC.
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.
When you’re ready to get your article(s) published, send it to editor@ijtc.net.
ISTC Slack
The details of where to find our Slack channel can be found on the Members’ Portal page when you log onto the ISTC Website.
Note: Slack are withdrawing support for Windows 10 users of their app.
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 meetups are Wednesday 3rd June and Wednesday 24th June. The May meeting was postponed twice, so the relocated one is for 3rd June. We are finally back to doing face-to-face meetings and we will be meeting at the usual place on the South Bank.
The meeting invite will be posted in the WhatsApp chat for the group nearer the time.
A Request for Back Issues
We’ve added the list of missing issues to the Communicator Archive page.
If you’ve got any of the missing issues in .PDF format, then please get in touch.
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 June ISTC Meets is on 26th June at 13:00 and Dr Lori Eide will be discussing “Building a ‘digital first’ infrastructure“.
This talk provides insights to building a modern digital first infrastructure that is based on three content pillars: delivery, access, and accuracy. Then, Lori will discuss four ‘digital first’ concepts that are key to transforming publishing environments to the modern era: optimised images, publishing pipeline, AI rags and agents, and finally web-hosted help. As a common thread throughout, together we’ll discuss how AI can help us get there.
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
Pope Leo’s Ruling on AI
Pope Leo XIV just released Magnifica Humanitas, his first encyclical, to the Church’s 1.4B members, warning that a moral AI means nothing “if that morality is determined by a few” and calling to “disarm” the tech before it dominates humanity.
hack tools remove guardrails
The Financial Times recently reported how easy it was to remove the guardrails from open-source AI that are generating thousands of “de-censored” models.
These models are then able to ask the “dangerous” questions. Obviously I’m being very guarded with my descriptions here, but the full article can be found here – note that this article is behind the FT’s paywall.
Uber finds AI too expensive?
Uber’s COO, Andrew Macdonald, said in an interview with Rapid Response that it’s getting harder to justify the company’s AI spending as higher AI activity isn’t necessarily translating into proportional gains. Watch the full video here, or jump straight to the part about costings, here.
Microsoft 365 Accounts under attack via AI
The FBI has issued a warning about a growing phishing scam targeting Microsoft 365 users that can give attackers access to accounts without victims directly handing over their passwords at all.
The threat is known as Kali365, a phishing platform that security researchers say is specifically designed to target Microsoft accounts by tricking users into authorising access themselves.
As they said in the old Hill Street Blues, “”Let’s be careful out there.”
New Tools
A round-up of some new AI tools that might be of use to all tech comms people.
Note: 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‘s newsletter if you want to keep yourself up to date on all things AI.
Napkin
Napkin turns your text into visuals so sharing your ideas is quick and effective. No more prompting, just import your documents and then ask it to create.
sharepost
SharePost AI is an artificial intelligence-powered tool designed to automate and streamline social media management.
This tool facilitates the creation, scheduling, and publishing of content across multiple platforms, all from a unified dashboard.
Rename Click
RenameClick is a desktop AI workspace (for Mac and Windows) that renames files based on what’s inside them, not their original filenames. Drop 500 photos named “IMG_4832.jpg” and get back “sunset-over-lake-como-italy.jpg” — all processed locally on your machine.
(My ‘Pictures’ folder on OneDrive won’t know what’s going to hit it!)
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 this year. If you think we’ve missed any out, please get in touch via newsletter.editor@istc.org.uk, or send me a message via the ISTC Slack channel.
Unfortunately the TechCommNZ event has had to be postponed until September 2027.
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.
The full programme is now available on their website.
Title: UX Scotland
Date: June 10th – 11th, 2026
Online/In-Person: John McIntyre Conference Centre, Edinburgh
Website: https://uxscotland.net/
UX Scotland is a friendly international conference, established in 2013, for people working in UX, UCD, HCD, Service Design, or other digital specialisms.
Title: Adobe DITAWorld
Date: June 23rd – 25th, 2026
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.
Over the past ten years, more than 30,000 content experts from all over the world have been inspired by the comprehensive program with the world’s leading Technical Communication, Marketing, Content Management, and Content Strategy experts about DITA©, and Adobe’s DITA CCMS Adobe Experience Manager Guides.
Featuring thought leaders and practitioners who know what they talk about. Who tell real-life stories and deliver hard facts.
Title: Knowledge Summit Dublin
Date: June 29th – 30th, 2026
Online/In-Person: Trinity College Dublin
Website: https://www.knowledgesummitdublin.com/
Knowledge Summit Dublin is an immersive global gathering of thought leaders in AI and Knowledge Management.
Hosted at the historic Trinity College Dublin, this year it brings together 42 top industry leaders from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.
At this conference, we’ve curated a line-up of internationally recognised AI and KM experts who advise Fortune 500 companies, governments, and global institutions. Speakers and attendees come together to share insights that help organisations protect and amplify what makes us uniquely human, while scaling machine intelligence responsibly.
Title: Write the Docs, Berlin
Date: September 6th – 8th, 2026
Online/In-Person: Both – Paul-Lincke-Ufer 21, 10999 Berlin
Website: https://www.writethedocs.org/conf/berlin/2026/
Write the Docs is a global community of people who care about documentation: Programmers, Tech Writers, Customer Support, Designers, Project Managers, Developer Advocates, and anyone else who wants people to have a great experience with software.
Created in 2013 in Portland, Oregon, WTD has hosted conferences around the world in Prague, Sydney, Amsterdam, London, and Melbourne.
We invite you to our Berlin conference to join 200 other attendees to explore the art and science of documentation!
Title: Lavacon 2026
Date: October 25th – 28th, 2026
Online/In-Person: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Website: https://www.lavacon.org/
LavaCon is a gathering place for Content Strategists, Documentation Managers, and other content professionals willing to share their best practices and lesson learned – what worked, and what didn’t.Our Mission: To help organizations reduce costs, increase revenue, and improve the Customer Experience through better content.
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 Technical Authoring Training Programme run by Armada 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 – 1st-5th June, 2026
- Birmingham/Bromsgrove: Classroom-based – 1st-5th June, 2026
- Bristol: Classroom-based – 14th-18th September, 2026
- Reading: Classroom-based – 23rd–27th November, 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
- Aimed at beginners and career changers. Intakes are from 22nd June 2026, with additional slots on 21st September 2026 and 23rd November 2026.
- Aimed at beginners and career changers. Intakes are from 22nd June 2026, with additional slots on 21st September 2026 and 23rd November 2026.
- TCTrainNet Expert
- Aimed at experienced technical writers. Intakes are from 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 wet your whistle, then come and join us.
About InfoPlus
InfoPlus is your go-to source for staying informed about our profession, featuring news not only from the ISTC but also from across the technical communication community.
This complimentary newsletter is emailed to approximately 1500 individuals.
Subscribe to InfoPlus by clicking here, you can unsubscribe at any time from within the email sent out each month.
For advertising enquiries, contact istc@istc.org.uk.
Submitting content
If you have noteworthy information to share with your peers, please send it my way at newsletter.editor@istc.org.uk. We want to ensure that your news reaches as many people as possible.
About our publishers
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.
Published and distributed on the first working day of each month, InfoPlus occasionally experiences slight delays until the first week of the month. Keep this in mind when submitting time-sensitive information.
Explore the benefits of ISTC membership and find out how to join.
Back Page
Technical communicators live in a unique, highly specific world where a single missing comma or ambiguous phrase can cost a company thousands. This precision – and the daily battle against vague developer inputs – leads to some very recognisable, recurring funny occurrences in the profession.
Here are a few relatable, humorous scenarios technical writers encounter on the job:
The Subject Matter Expert (SME) Dictionary: A developer proudly explains their complex, undocumented new feature using seven acronyms and three made-up verbs, then finishes with, “It’s really intuitive, just write a one-page guide!”
The Magic Step-by-Step: You document a 5-step software installation.
A user complains the instructions are terrible, and when you ask why, it turns out they started on step 4.
The Haunted “Blank Page”: You track down the previous writer’s cursed codebase to find a missing manual.
You open a page titled “This page intentionally left blank” and question if it’s an existential joke or an actual error.
The Emergency: A user accidentally stuffs a USB-A cable into a USB-C port with a hammer, then submits an IT ticket saying, “The manual didn’t warn me not to do this.”
The Vague Request: An executive or project manager sends you a message that just says, “Can you do what you do best? Make it pretty.”
The worst part? After years of writing for clarity, conciseness, and correctness, your friends will start complaining that your text messages and greeting cards read like one of your own manuals … or is that just mine?
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 22nd June 2026.