Re: About The Cloud: Quick-Read Suggestions

[Richard Hamilton <dick -at- rlhamilton -dot- net>]

Hi Chris,

I can't recommend any specific books on either topic (I guess I should expand XML Press offerings to include those topics:-), but I do have a couple of suggestions.

Regarding APIs, one strategy would be to look at some existing API documentation for the type of API you'll be documenting (by type I mean the technology behind the API, which might be a web protocol, a programming language, an interpreted language, or something else entirely). API documentation for a C language library will be a lot different from documentation for a web-based protocol. Even when the basics are similar, the styles often diverge, and programmers get used to the predominant style for a particular technology.

You should be able to find examples of pretty much any style of API documentation on the web.

Regarding cloud computing, check out the major vendors. For example, at rackspace.com, under their "Fanatical Support" tab, there is a set of resources that include an introduction to cloud computing and even something called CloudU that has videos, white papers, a certificate program and other resources. I didn't dive too deeply, but it looks interesting enough that I may try it out myself, and I don't think there's any cost. I'll bet the other vendors have something similar.

Good luck,
Richard
-------
XML Press
XML for Technical Communicators
http://xmlpress.net
hamilton -at- xmlpress -dot- net



On Apr 3, 2013, at 6:24 AM, Chris Morton wrote:

> Hi All,
> 
> I may have an opportunity to join a pre-IPO startup involved in
> enterprise-level cloud computing. My job would entail documenting APIs, one
> of the few things I've never done during my 20+ year career as a tech
> writer.
> 
> Looking for something a step beyond "Dummies" books, I'm in need of some
> primers and am asking for your suggestions. These could be books or
> websites. Given that I need to quickly get ramped up, hopefully there are
> some quick-reads available on both topics:
> 
>   - An executive overview: Enterprise level cloud computing
>   - Documenting APIs
> 
> I'm wanting to avoid propeller-head volumes that might get bogged down in
> daunting geekspeak, for that would be beyond my level of comprehension at
> this juncture (later=OK).
> 
> Thanks for your suggestions.
> 
>> Chris
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