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Subject:Re: This too is technical communication From:"Kevin Amery" <kevindamery -at- gmail -dot- com> Date:Tue, 5 Jun 2007 15:04:44 -0400
On 6/5/07, Chris Borokowski <athloi -at- yahoo -dot- com> wrote:
> I think you're conflating two things here that aren't
> equal. The first is whether technical documentation
> will make someone buy a product; the second is whether
> it adds value.
>
> The answer in my experience is that no one will pay
> more for a product for good documentation, or buy it
> because the documentation is good, because the
> documentation isn't the product (exception: books!).
> However, the documentation is part of the product
> experience, and user satisfaction with this experience
> determines whether they buy again, or buy additional
> products from the company.
>
In order for that to lead to a refusal to accept poor documentation,
though, the companies involved have to *recognize* that the quality of
their docs is having an affect on their bottom line. It's that "aha"
moment that I don't see happening. And until it does, the companies
that "don't get" it will continue to produce imprecise, confusing, and
unusable documentation.
And it's precisely those companies that either won't care about or
will be completely oblivious to any attempts by the STC to improve the
standing of the profession.
--
Until next time...
Kevin Amery
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