Re: Benchmarking Technical Documentation

Subject: Re: Benchmarking Technical Documentation
From: Andrew Plato <intrepid_es -at- yahoo -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 09:42:48 -0700 (PDT)

"Jane Carnall" wrote...

> If I am writing instructions on how to program the VCR or how to use
> voicemail on a phone, I don't *need* to know how the VCR works or how
the
> phone works. (Though I maintain that the more you learn, the better. But
> then I enjoy information, the more arcane and useless the better... <g>)

> I *do* need to know how the user will use that item of equipment or this

> piece of software.

No - you do *NEED* to know.

Its a matter of evaluation. Even if you are not going to document exactly
how something works, you need to comprehend the functions. This allows you
to accurately evaluate the information you're presenting to the user.

Maybe you can gloss over some of the more esoteric aspects of the "How."
But a basic understanding of how something works is necessary to
documenting it properly. It should never be "optional."

Andrew Plato

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