Re: Doc Design and Convention ( was TECHWR-L Digest, Vol 48, Issue 27)

["Gene Kim-Eng" <techwr -at- genek -dot- com>]

It would appear we only have a semantics issue.

I don't see creating documents that "reflect the specific business requirements 
of prospective customers and a contextual understanding of how, by whom, and for 
what purposes the product is used" as thinking like a marketer.  I see it as 
thinking like a technical writer.

Gene Kim-Eng


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Lauriston" <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 11:01 AM
Subject: Re: Doc Design and Convention ( was TECHWR-L Digest, Vol 48, Issue 27)


I didn't say anything of the sort. Marketing hype doesn't belong in
technical documentation. I never use any marketing language except
sometimes in the first few paragraphs of a user's guide and release
notes, and even there I tone it down and cut anything that's not
supported by the facts.

Documentation that reflects the specific business requirements of
prospective customers and a contextual understanding of how, by whom,
and for what purposes the product is used is a helpful tool for anyone
evaluating the product, especially when installation is a long and
complex process (as is usually the case for client-server and
Web-based applications, especially those that require a third-party
database such as Oracle or SQL Server). It helps the prospective buyer
understand whether the product would meet their needs.

I know that's true from the buyer's side as well. If it's too much
trouble to install a product and I can't tell from the docs whether it
will do the specific things I need it do, I'll move on to the next
candidate.


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