Blogging Groups San Francisco

Rethinking Documentation in the AI Era

​AI is changing how we create, maintain, and deliver technical documentation. But what does that mean for technical writers and the future of our profession? ​Join Write the Docs Bay Area and Mintlify for an evening of learning, networking, and conversations about the evolving role of AI in technical documentation. ​We'll explore emerging trends, practical applications, and how AI is reshaping documentation workflows and the skills technical writers need to succeed. ​Whether you're experimenting with AI or already incorporating it into your daily work, come exchange ideas and connect with fellow documentation professionals. ​**We're still finalizing the agenda. Speakers, session topics, and additional details will be announced soon!** ​We look forward to seeing you! A special thank-you to our event sponsor, Mintlify, for generously providing food and beverages! Learn more about Mintlify at https://www.mintlify.com.

Spiritualism and its Evidential Theologies

AI, What is the Future of “Public Truths”? - Panel Discussion

Blood on the Clocktower in Berkeley!

Depending on runtime of games, we could be playing 2-4 games. It's beginner-friendly, so we can teach you how to play the game. We're usually start with Trouble Brewing and play a custom script later as the group gets comfortable. There's space for one circle. Sign-up link will be messaged to attendees when it is available, and added to the event description later. We will be in the back! Stop by the front desk to register and get a name tag.

Panel Discussion - Propaganda Machines (In the Age of Ai)

In the age of AI, what is the future of “public truths”? AI-driven tech platforms and companies, influencers, and deepfakes are issuing ever-new challenges for journalism, media integrity, and related mechanisms through which democratic societies hold power to account. At the same time, universities – erstwhile guardians of critical inquiry and independent knowledge production – are increasingly entering into partnerships with AI companies, in a new kind of knowledge compact. This panel brings together scholars of AI and influence in journalism, media, and California’s universities to address this technology’s increasingly powerful role in the current U.S. landscape of information and knowledge politics Event Website Link: https://events.berkeley.edu/events/event/332345-matrix-on-point-propaganda-machines

Blood on the Clocktower in Mission Bay!

Our next Genentech Hall event will be on **Sunday** November 8th! This will be our only November event at the UCSF location, since most of us will be at Kublacon Fall and/or gone for Thanksgiving. Check out Kublacon Fall here: https://register.cardboardconnect.com/kublacon-game-convention/kublacon-fall-2026/main-registration We usually have 2-3 games going on, there will always be a circle for any newcomers! We expect about 30-40 people to RSVP on Discord. Let us know if there is any particular script you want to play or if you want to storytell! **Please review and be familiar with our [best practices](https://docs.google.com/document/d/15WL2Da0003h5V-5p_JRNxjJ_gLsl2KKFzkfxyNM7K6E/edit?usp=sharing).** Call 510-457-1355 or ping Felicia (@crimson_flowers), Lily (@lilyblep) or Jim/ddz (@ddz7137) on Discord in the event thread if you need to get in or are lost. Make sure to have us added as friends as we don't get notifications for friend requests. A good number of attendees arrive between 11:00-11:30, but people come and go throughout the day, so feel free to show up and leave whenever you like - no need to be there for the whole day. If you text or call us, please give your Meetup/Discord name (some people both call and message on Discord and it's unclear whether we've already picked them up or not). Please come to the side entrance (not the main entrance) when you search for 1705 Owens St on Google Maps. You need badge access to enter so contact us to get inside. See [these images](https://imgur.com/a/roVuZ3S) for entrance location and parking details. If you're a beginner, we have beginner-friendly games and teaching available between 11 and 4! If you are unavailable those times and still want to join, we will likely be running more experienced games. Don't worry, if you want, you can get paired up with another player as a revolutionary pair, double-headed role, or take a chance and jump into a custom script! There will be snacks and drinks and feel free to order food. The area has free and paid parking. Free parking is around a 5 min walk from Genentech Hall (near Mississippi and 17th). Join the [California Clocktower discord](https://discord.gg/ACwrXxtWyY) to sign up to storytell or join games and for more events in the Bay Area!

Can we read the language model's mind?

This month we saw some progress in machine interpretability, the ability to peer into the black box of language models. Here are a few readings to bring you up to speed. Read as much or as little as you like. [https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/10/ai-neuron-blog-post/689058/](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/10/ai-neuron-blog-post/689058/) [https://already-clean.goodfire.com/](https://already-clean.goodfire.com/) [https://files.twohands.co/chalmers2025.pdf](https://files.twohands.co/chalmers2025.pdf) We're trying something different. Let's gather for drinks and snacks after work and just make friends and discuss the topics freely. There will be no coordinated discussion, only the assurance that most of us have done the reading, or anyway wish we had.

Take Time to Write at Cafe Leila

Let's meet up to write on Sunday at Cafe Leila at 1724 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley (cross street is Francisco St). Anyone who writes is welcome! Please not that this event is in ADDITION to the ongoing meeting at Cafenated Coffee on Vine St. (we are outgrowing that space). We'll be inside of the cafe, and I'll have a sign saying "Take Time to Write". We'll write in two 50-minute blocks, with breaks in between and after. Come find us between 10 and 10:30 to get set up in time for our first one at 10:30. Schedule: 10:00 - arrive, get drinks, chat 10:30 - Focused writing block 11:30 - End. (This is the time that we need to vacate to make space for other customers of the cafe) About the location: There will be wifi and some (limited) outlets. We'll be indoors, but they typically leaves the doors open so that the space is well-ventilated. The casual restaurant offers coffee, tea, bottled drinks, and a wide range cooked food. Please buy something to support them! About the group: Anyone who writes is welcome -- novelists, playwrights, academics, journalers. This isn't a critique group, and there's no pressure to share your work. We're here for camaraderie, moral support, and friendly peer pressure, so you can focus on taking time to do what you love to do. This meetup is for people who want to write! Take some time to sit down with other writers and focus on your work. We're here for camaraderie, moral support, and friendly peer pressure, so you can focus on taking time to do what you love to do. Anyone who writes is welcome -- novelists, playwrights, academics, journalers. This isn't a critique group, and there's no pressure to share your work. We meet in the East Bay and use the pomodoro method, with blocks of focused writing and breaks to socialize in between. Come join us!

IN PERSON Saturday Morning Writing Meetup

After a six-month haitus, this weekly Saturday morning writing session is back! I'm pleased to say this group has been meeting for four years. This is a place for women looking for time, space and community to work on their writing goals -- poetry, fiction, journaling, non-fiction, essays, whatever words you need to get out. We meet in person, writing at my home in Emeryville (which has different rooms and corners where folks can plug in a laptop or sit with a notebook and work on their poems, journal entries, novels, plays, memoirs, etc. I'll provide coffee and tea :) Schedule: 10:00-10:15 a.m.: Introductions and socializing. 10:15-11:15: One hour of writing. A prompt will be provided, but if you have an idea for your morning writing, work on that :) 11:15 to noon: Regroup and (optional) share. Everyone gets five minutes to read their work out loud to the group. This is voluntary and there is no critique from others. Vaccination required. My address will be sent to those who RSVP.

Shut Up & Write!® at Precita Park Cafe

Join us for some focused writing time. All writers and all experience levels are welcome and don’t worry, no one will see what you've written. This session is about getting your writing done and meeting other writers in your area. When you show up, say hello to everyone, grab a drink, and get your writing tools ready. Once you’re all settled, take some time to chat with your fellow writers. Once everyone’s arrived, I will lead quick introductions and then set the timer for our quiet and focused writing session. Afterward, we’ll have time to chat and get to know each other. We often talk about our successes and challenges as writers. If you don’t have time to stick around, no worries! **A note about the format** We don’t host critiques or readings. These events are a safe space for writers of all skill levels and genres to work on their craft, so no one will read or critique your writing. For our full event schedule, visit [https://shutupwrite.com](https://www.shutupwrite.com). **Other Important Details:** Free WiFi available. Venue Guidelines: Please thank our hosts by purchasing something.

Sit Down and Write

Writers write. And if you haven't written in a room full of writers writing, you haven't lived! It's a nice feeling, at the least. 11:00 a.m. Arrive, find a spot, support our patron by purchasing a beverage and/or snack and tipping well. Then socialize until writing-time begins! A few minutes before, we'll go around the circle introducing ourselves, our writing passions, and our goal for the day. 11:15 a.m. The organizer will start the clock, and for the next 1 hour conversation shall be discontinued as everyone works on whatever writing or reading (or what-have-you) strikes his or her fancy. The key here is a nice, courteous quiet. Headphones are recommended. 12:15 p.m. Writing-time ends. You're welcome to continue writing, resume socializing, hail a cab, do whatever you want, because you're an adult.

Golden Gate Park Swing Dance & Picnic

**RSVP via:** https://app.gistirl.com/event-details/QV9bbzZf1bksuq62uk7v **Early Bird Discounts | More $ Later** Hey vintage jazz fans, Grab your most comfortable dancing shoes and join me this morning to catch the fresh breeze off the promenade while moving to some classic big band tunes. We'll spend the first bit of the morning using the app for quick, paired chats to meet fellow swing lovers, then pick a small group to actually jump into the beginner lesson and share a picnic on the grass together. During the first hour, the Gist IRL app takes the guesswork out of mingling by setting up short, focused conversations for us. It's a fantastic way to figure out who shares your passion for vintage rhythms and outdoor dancing. Once the rounds wrap up, you'll pick the people you vibed with most. From there, we'll gather into small groups and head straight to the promenade for the free beginner swing dance lesson, followed by lounging on the grass with whatever snacks you brought. By the end of the hour, you are laughing through swing footwork and sharing picnic snacks on the lawn with a fun new crew. Whether these folks become your regular Sunday swing dance crew or it just turns out to be a beautifully sunny morning out, I promise it's going to be a blast. The Plan: - 11:00AM: Check-In. Follow the link to set up your quick profile on your phone. - 11:05AM - 12:25PM: One-on-One Rounds. The app pairs you for focused chats. Find out who shares your love for vintage jazz, swing music, and outdoor dancing. - 12:25PM+: Form Groups & head over to the promenade to join the swing dance lesson together. Reconnect with your favorite matches, form groups of 4-6, and head over to the promenade to join the swing dance lesson together — your group leaves together today. Instead of just talking about wanting to try swing dancing but never actually hitting the dance floor together, we're going to dive right in to take a swing dance lesson and picnic. You might just walk away with your go-to group for future swing dance socials, live jazz nights, and park picnics. To keep things super easy, you can keep in touch with everyone you met directly through the app later on, completely skipping the awkwardness of asking for personal phone numbers. I'm so ready to enjoy the morning sunshine and some great music with you all on the dance floor. A few favorite spots nearby: Lindy in the Park - This long-running Sunday gathering on the JFK Promenade features a vibrant open-air dance floor and a free noon beginner swing lesson open to everyone. de Young Cafe - Located right off the concourse, this cafe offers fresh seasonal salads, sandwiches, and espresso drinks that you can grab to go or enjoy on the serene sculpture garden patio. Japanese Tea Garden Tea House - Perched just steps from the concourse, this historic open-air pavilion serves steaming pots of sencha, iced matcha, and traditional Japanese sweets surrounded by calming koi ponds. Arizmendi Bakery - Just a short walk south on 9th Avenue, this worker-owned cooperative turns out incredible sourdough focaccia, daily vegetarian pizza slices, and fresh pastries built for a lawn picnic. The Yellow Submarine - An old-school Inner Sunset staple on Irving Street, this cash-only corner shop specializes in hearty, toasted sub sandwiches wrapped up and ready for an afternoon in the park. **RSVP via:** https://app.gistirl.com/event-details/QV9bbzZf1bksuq62uk7v **Early Bird Discounts | More $ Later**