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: Readers in the real world From:James Browne <jimb -at- SSINY -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 16 Mar 1995 10:50:38 EST
Hey Tech Writers,
"Most" readers in the real world don't read the manual like a novel -
they just refer to technical manuals. So we should all write reference-
style manuals. I know this because of anecdotal information, my own experience,
and because it says so in the tea leaves.
Wait a minute! We believe in audience analysis, right?
Isn't audience analysis one of the
most important aspects of modern technical writing? While I agree that
that most of the audiences that I've written for are occasional readers
of the manuals, I try not to make assumptions based on limited experience
(I've only be writing technical manuals for ten years and lately only for
only telecommunications administrator audiences).
Each audience may be different (and probably is).
Part of our job is to determine what approach best suits our audience.
As a technical writing professional, I try to keep an open mind
and innovate. Otherwise, I'd still be including
"This Page Intentionally Left Blank" in my manuals and never considering
online documentation.
