Documenting information through writing articles offers several significant benefits, and one of the key advantages is combating the limitations of human memory, time to work. To get more people to interact on a project simultaneously – you need coordination – and the word of mouth fades away in the minds.
Here are some more reasons why writing articles for documentation is valuable:
No Ads
Sites with tutorials needs to monetize somehow. They either offer course, books, integrate ads banners, popups or videos. By having it inside your own CMS, you are in full control over the documentation and how it is presented.
Learning from Experience
Documenting experiences, whether personal or professional, enables you to reflect on your journey. This reflection can lead to insights and lessons learned, contributing to personal and professional growth.
Problem-Solving
Writing articles can be a problem-solving tool. When faced with challenges, documenting the issue, the steps taken, and the solution can be valuable for future reference and for helping others facing similar problems. Every more technical article on this blog comes from some issue I’ve faced – and tried to share it, so after going through my hands and eyes – I could remember that I have the solution written here.
Memory Aid
Writing articles allows you to record information in a structured and organized manner. You – as anybody else – most likely go to vacation or get onto another project. When you need to recall details, you could refer back to the articles as a reliable memory aid.
Knowledge Retention
The act of writing itself helps in reinforcing your understanding of a subject. This process enhances knowledge retention and makes it more likely that you’ll remember the information. The information goes through several of your sensors – visual, typing it, practicing it. Having internal, own reference is as good as gold.
Clarity and Precision
Writing requires you to articulate your thoughts clearly. This not only helps you understand the topic better but also ensures that the information is communicated effectively, reducing the chance of misunderstandings. Writing Good Action Items is The most Important Part of Software Development in a team.
Reference for Others
Documented articles provide a valuable resource for others who may benefit from the information. It allows knowledge to be shared and transferred across individuals, teams, or even generations.
Historical Record
Articles serve as a historical record of events, decisions, and achievements. Common idea in self-development is – to reflect on the problems that we have found solution for. They capture a snapshot of a particular moment in time, preserving the context and details that might otherwise be forgotten after some vacation, years or getting on new employee.
Continuous Improvement
By documenting processes and workflows, you create a foundation for continuous improvement. Regularly reviewing and updating articles allows you to adapt to changing circumstances and optimize your approaches over time.
Communication Tool
Articles can serve as a means of communication within teams or communities. They provide a shared knowledge base that team members can refer to, fostering collaboration and avoiding the need to rely solely on individual memories.
Legal and Compliance
In certain professional fields, accurate documentation is crucial for legal and compliance purposes. Writing articles ensures that important information is documented and accessible when needed.
In summary – in my personal opinion – writing documentation is one of the steps into – scaling the unscalable – your limited time to work.