This is an interesting appointment to undertake, as by working with one client, I am able to work with many.
Many that I already have had the pleasure of working with over the years, and even more I am yet to meet, listen to, and share stories with.
In my experience, certainly when I started writing online, written content is not very forgiving. Print, even less so. At least social media has edit & delete buttons, even then, a slight technical blunder or keyboard fisticuffs can land you in a screenshot that gets ‘forwarded many times’. Cue the see-no-evil monkey emoji.
There is a balancing act to be had with technical writing: show enough personality and authenticity to survive being deemed AI, while maintaining enough machine-like technical precision to survive any scrutiny.
That precision matters now more than ever. Across our sector, the call for continual improvement is clear, demanding clarity and transparency to drive what matters most: safer outcomes, above all.
This said, achieving that requires genuine inclusion, and I want to encourage you to be part of the discussion. I am of the belief that we need a diversity of opinions and voices to challenge long-held assumptions. Different stances exist for good reason, whether driven by professional judgment, practical experience, or commercial interest, as examples. Independent journalism should be the space that fosters those rigorous professional discussions, grounding them in technical accuracy and a sharp distinction between opinion and statement of fact.
If I am to lead with transparency, there is no better time to say this. My approach as technical editor will be to keep things as simple as possible: uphold the editorial guidelines.
A published article may not be representative of my personal views, those of Iron Out Ltd, or those of the FDJ. What it will have, where it applies, is verifiable claims, arguments with visible reasoning, and explicit opinions—so that you, dear reader, have total clarity on what is being stated.
And if, for any reason, my humanity shows and something slips through the net (and stages of quality assurance)—or if you simply have a counter-opinion— please, send me the screenshot. Just don’t forget the monkey emoji.
