2011 #Techcomm Top Influencers

Last year MindTouch compiled a list of the most influential techcomm bloggers. This year I am pleased to present an even more robust list.

This year we’re providing:

1. Top Listeners
2. Most Influential (a variety of factors impact this, but the primary driver is being followed by topic insiders)
3. Most Emergent (fastest growing in influence)
4. Most Followed (on Twitter)
5. Oldest (on Twitter)
6. Most Frequent Tweeters

We also complied a Twitter List of the top 400 Twitter-ers and posted this for all to follow and enjoy. You can subscribe to this Twitter list here: twitter.com/MindTouch/techcomm-2011-influencers. The Twitter list is in no particular order, but you will find the top 10 lists below and tomorrow we will publish the entire list of top 400 sorted based on their influence.

The Process

Previously, our team spent literally weeks pouring over a variety of data sources including, but not limited to, Klout, Google Pagerank, Technorati Authority and Twitter. This year we had the benefit of a phenomenal social media analysis tool that hasn’t launched yet (contact me if you want early access). You can read more about this process in our preliminary post.

The Leaders, Influential and Emerging

Top 10 Most Influential

1. @tomjohnson | Tom Johnson
   Technical writer, blogger, podcaster in Salt Lake City, Utah
   Influence: 256
2. @sarahokeefe | Sarah O’Keefe
   Principal at scriptorium.com, XML strategist, cook, occasional kayaker, terrible quilter
   Influence: 237
3. @techcommdood | Bill Swallow
   Technical communication, content strategy, content management, technical writing… There’s so much more I could list. I’m all about technical communication.
   Influence: 226
4. @rjacquez | RJ Jacquez
   Former Adobe Senior Evangelist. Writing an eBook on what I learned at Adobe. Social Media Enthusiast. Loving the mobile revolution, #eLearning & #mLearning.
   Influence: 225
5. @stc_org | stc_org
   Society for Technical Communication
   Influence: 214
6. @annegentle | Anne Gentle
   Author of Conversation and Community: the Social Web for Documentation. I’m a writing fiend, technical geek, community doc nut, + Content Stacker for OpenStack.
   Influence: 211
7. @ellispratt | Ellis Pratt
   Locator of Technical Authors, software Help strategist & Director at Cherryleaf: helping technology companies gain a competitive advantage via user assistance
   Influence: 201
8. @dfarb | David Farbey
   Tech writer, info designer, content [strategy|management|whatever] malcontent #techcomm, #informationdesign, #contentstrategy, and I’ve a pain in all my diodes
   Influence: 201
9. @CharJTF | Char James-Tanny
   Help author, writer/editor, content strategist, website hosting and design, accessibility advocate, mom. Available for contracts/consulting.
   Influence: 199
10. @arh | Alan Houser
    Technical publishing consultant and trainer;Vice President, Society for Technical Communication
    Influence: 199

Most Emergent

1. @ATC_intl| ATC
   Tweets from the Association of Technical Communicators #atcomm.
   emergence ratio: 0.4664
2. @arnoldburian| Arnold Burian
   Founder of Technical Writing World, the social network for technical communicators.
   emergence ratio: 0.4647
3. @davidwagUA| David Waghalter
   Content Strategist, Symantec. (opinions, etc., are my own.) UA/Help design, CMS, XSL, technical writing, training, mobile.
   emergence ratio: 0.3209
4. @TechComms| Technical Comms
   Latest technical communication news!
   emergence ratio: 0.3088
5. @TechWriteIT| Technically Write IT
   Getting your message right by delivering professional & customer-focused technical writing, editing, & documentation solutions for your products & services.
   emergence ratio: 0.2679
6. @WritingTechDocs| Catherine Hibbard
   I deliver onsite technical writing training seminars. It is focused on groups who write technical documents, technical reports, and policies and procedures.
   emergence ratio: 0.2673
7. @techwritertoday| TechWhirl (Techwr-l)
   Online Magazine providing information, networking and knowledge for Technical Writers.
   emergence ratio: 0.241
8. @TOTechWriter| Nina Kolunovsky
   Providing technical writing job postings and other links of interest. Separating my professional tweeting from personal and semi-political tweeting.
   emergence ratio: 0.2354
9. @ihearttechdocs| Ivan Walsh
   Technical Writing Tips, Tools & Templates.
   emergence ratio: 0.2322
10. @LavaCon| LavaCon Conference
    The LavaCon Conference on Digital Media and Content Strategies Nov 13–16, 2011, Austin, TX.
    emergence ratio: 0.2306

Top Listeners

1. @davidwagUA| David Waghalte
   Content Strategist, Symantec. (opinions, etc., are my own.) UA/Help design, CMS, XSL, technical writing, training, mobile.
2. @arnoldburian| Arnold Burian
   Founder of Technical Writing World, the social network for technical communicators.
3. @tomjohnson| Tom Johnson
   Technical writer, blogger, podcaster in Salt Lake City, Utah</span
4. @ATC_intl| ATC
   Tweets from the Association of Technical Communicators #atcomm.
5. sarahokeefe| Sarah O’Keefe
   Principal at scriptorium.com, XML strategist, cook, occasional kayaker, terrible quilter
6. @TOTechWriter| Nina Kolunovsky
   Providing technical writing job postings and other links of interest. Separating my professional tweeting from personal and semi-political tweeting.
7. @mattrsullivan| Matt Sullivan
   Husband, dad, single sourcing and technical communication resource. If you decide to follow me, please @ me to say Hi.
8. @cfidurauk| Christie Fidura
   EMEA Marketing Manager for Adobe eLearning and Technical Communication Suites. Former Technical Writer. Full-time rock & roll chick.
9. @mwrk| MasterWorkConsulting
   Freelance techcomm pro with obsessive need for variety. Wordstuff, webstuff, computerstuff. My personal Twitter account is @katnagel.
10. @tclibrary| EServer TC Library
    a free, open-access categorized index of over 21,400 works available online for professional and technical communicators (such as technical writers).

Top 10 Most Followed

1. @WritingTechDocs | Catherine Hibbard
   I deliver onsite technical writing training seminars. It is focused on groups who write technical documents, technical reports, and policies and procedures.
2. @paulcbrady | Paul Brady
   Writer/Trainer with expertise in tools & technology, including: Linux, Collaborative authoring, CMS, etc. Father to a beautiful girl and handsome boy w/Autism.
3. @tmaldous | Thomas M. Aldous
   Director – TechCom Business Development and Evangelism Adobe Systems, Inc..
4. @tmaldous | Thomas M. Aldous
   Director – TechCom Business Development and Evangelism Manage Adobe TechComm Development Managers and Product Evangelist.
5. @TechComms | Technical Comms
   Latest technical communication news!
6. @technicalwriter | Ugur Akinci
   Fortune 500 technical writer and a movie fan. Technical documentation and communication expert.
7. @Roebot | Aaron Roe Fulkerson
   Co-founder and CEO of MindTouch, family dude, entrepreneur and retired anarchist. Bio: http://mndt.ch/roebot
8. @billtrippe | Bill Trippe
   Publishing industry consultant and analyst.
9. @tomjohnson | Tom Johnson
   Technical writer, blogger, podcaster in Salt Lake City, Utah
10. @ihearttechdocs| Ivan Walsh
    Technical Writing Tips, Tools & Templates

Top 10 Oldest Accounts

1. @adrianh | Adrian Howard
   Passionate about creating great software. User Experience advocate. Agile fanatic. Testing bigot. Lean Startup convert.
2. @martinpolley | Martin Polley
   An interaction designer transitioning from tech writing, Brit in Israel, Johnny TV dude: http://johnnyholland.tv
3. @gstuckey | Ginger
   Wife, mom, tech writer. Trying to understand life.
4. @tomjohnson | Tom Johnson
   Technical writer, blogger, podcaster in Salt Lake City, Utah
5. @mojoneill | Michael O’Neill
   Writer, reader, former teacher. Interested in creativity, innovation and quality in software development, product identity, and communications.
6. @ddbeck | Daniel Beck
   I’m a technical writer. I write (for money) stuff people would rather skip, but these tweets are on the house.
7. @WorkingWriter | Mike McCallister
   Author, openSUSE Linux Unleashed & WordPress in Depth.
8. @Roebot | Aaron Roe Fulkerson
   Co-founder and CEO of MindTouch, family dude, entrepreneur and retired anarchist. Bio: http://mndt.ch/roebot
9. @annegentle | Anne Gentle
   Author of Conversation and Community: the Social Web for Documentation. I’m a writing fiend, technical geek, community doc nut, + Content Stacker for OpenStack.
10. @stcchicago | STC Chicago
    Chicago Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication

Top 10 Most Frequent Tweeters

1. @bshermcincy | Bryan Sherman
   Instructional Design and Delivery consultant. Photographer Wannabe. Father. Urban resident. Tech Writer @ The-Gadgeteer.com. Pseudo-Foodie @ pFoody.com.
2. @paulcbrady | Paul Brady
   Writer/Trainer with expertise in tools & technology, including: Linux, Collaborative authoring, CMS, etc. Father to a beautiful girl and handsome boy w/Autism.
3. @willsansbury | Will Sansbury
   Agile UX design manager making web apps for nonprofits. Dad to three, husband to @salaughs. Tweets are my thoughts and represent me alone.
4. @juliov27612 | Julio Vazquez
   Information Architect and DITA advocate at SDI. Author of Practical DITA
5. @seanb_us | seanb_us
   Geeky about technical communication, collaboration, sharing content, dynamic content. Parent, part-time professor, Subaru and soccer nut, EMT…
6. @PattyBlount | Patty Blount
   Tech writer by day and author by night. Look for SEND, a YA coming in September, 2012 from Sourcebooks. Represented by The Ethan Ellenberg Agency.
7. @kmdk | Karen Mardahl
   Geeky, nerdy, webgrrl, technical communicator (a11y, UX, CS) – mostly just me – and occasionally in Danish.
8. @afox98 | Alyssa Fox
   Mother of 2 boys, tech comm manager at software company, likes books, coffee, laughing, shopping, dogs, and good manners. Candidate for STC Secretary, 2012.
9. @kvashee | K Vashee
   Translation Technology, Crowdsourcing, Global Collaboration, Dreamer, Digital Sound Technology, Driving Change — Finding Passionate Work & Connection
10. @techcommdood | Bill Swallow
    Technical communication, content strategy, content management, technical writing… There’s so much more I could list. I’m all about technical communication.

Badges

Congratulations, here is your badge! You have earned it for your work in pushing the edges of your field. You’re an innovator that is elevating and promoting the field of techcomm and content strategy. Thank you.

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