TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:RE: Hackos' minimalism seminar -- some insights From:Mike West <Mike -dot- West -at- oz -dot- quest -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Sun, 1 Dec 2002 15:13:33 +1100
Someone wrote, in what appears to be an
attempt at self-aggrandizement:
> Gee, I've been saying that for over a decade and nobody pays
> to attend any of my seminars.
>
> Hackos (and me of course) are correct. Most writers document
> surface-level instructions and do not take the time or effort to
> really think about HOW the product/technology works and might
> be used. As such, most tech docs are endless
> streams of pointless and worthless instructions.
But you see, Hackos never said that -- nor would she.
She writes clearly, specifically, concretely, making
constructive suggestions rather than blanket
condemnations of "most writers'" skills and efforts.
She has long been a strong and clear advocate of
user-oriented, task-based design as the key
factor in a successful help system or manual. She
advocates understanding the audience's needs, skills,
and goals as a first step to user-centered design.
Here's a quote: "We must stop writing
documentation as we know it, abandon the developers
and their need to explain how everything works, and go
to work for the users. We need to get closer to the
users, spending time in their workplaces, watching them
struggle with everyday tasks, listening to how they
describe their activities, and generally understanding
their environment from their points of view."
She would not use a phrase like "document surface-
level instructions" and expect people who care about
precision in language to know what in the world she
was referring to. What does it mean to "document
an instruction"? Is that something like writing an
instruction, or documenting a procedure, but different?
Gee. Maybe that's why her stuff is worth paying for.
Mike W
Melbourne, Australia
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Check out SnagIt - The Screen Capture Standard!
Download a free 30-day trial from http://www.techsmith.com/rdr/txt/twr
Find out what all the other tech writers, including Dan, already know!
Order RoboHelp X3 in November and receive $100 mail in rebate, FREE WebHelp
Merge Module and the new RoboPDF - add powerful PDF output functionality
to RoboHelp X3. Order online today at http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
