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Subject:Re: What makes a technical writer From:John Posada <jposada01 -at- YAHOO -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 27 Apr 1999 10:40:18 -0700
Hello, Michael...I appreciate all the ramifications of
the question and I also understand that the total
answer is much deeper than my response. However, Kim's
response doesn't address the question I was asked:
"...describe *one* attribute of a person ..."
Within that *one* attribute (pushing all the buttons)
was the characteristic of:
- curiosity
- fearlessness (I come across even "experienced" tech
writers that have never pushed the little paintbrush
button on the MS Word buttonbar because they were
afraid they were going to screw something up.)
Plus, while Kim's response was a description of the
process that a tech writer may go through in the
execution of their profession, it isn't an "attibute
of a person", but a summary of an approach.
>
> Read Kim Nylander's post, which arrived in my
> mailbox seconds before
> yours:
>
> --I try to figure out a new user's approach to a
> software product by
> --looking at it from his or her point of view, "in
> character." I
> research
> --my "character" by talking to the sales people and
> learning the
> customer's
> --level of computer knowledge, educational
> background, profession, etc.
> --This influences how the documentation is written,
> and at what level.
>
> Combine her approach and yours, and *then* you've
> got a good start!
>
> John Posada wrote:
> >
> ....
> >
> > She then asked me "If you could describe one
> attribute
> > of a person that would indicate that they would
> make a
> > good software technical writer, what would that
> be?"
> >
> > I thought about it for about 5 seconds, then said
> "If
> > you are using a software application and you've
> pushed
> > every button on the screen to see what would
> happen,
> > then you have a good start."
> >
> > How far off was I?
===
John Posada
Western Union International
(w) jposada -at- westernunion -dot- com
(p) john -at- tdandw -dot- com
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