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This thread has evoked some very interesting responses, as I had suspected
it might. I would like to clarify a couple of assumptions that some
readers seem to be making about my post.
I am NOT advocating ignorance. Generally speaking, the more you know, the
better.
However, the more you know, the more challenging it can sometimes be to
maintain an accurate perspective of what is obvious to the user and what
is not. A good writer can readily meet that challenge. But some do not. At
my first company, the senior writer in my team had fallen badly out of
touch with what a neophyte user?s skillset would include. He was very
technical, but (to me) not such a great tech writer. I helped provide a
"reality check" for the usability of some of his documentation. And I
really did find that as a "newbie" I asked a LOT more questions than my
more-experienced coworkers.
Never underestimate the power of fear. I was terrified of getting anything
wrong in the documentation I was producing, so I asked TONS of questions,
and tested my brains out when documenting procedures!
Am I saying non-technical writers are better, or more user-aware? No. Am I
looking for a way to validate NOT having technical skills? Absolutely not.
As a musician, I often run into other musicians who proudly declare that
they?ve never taken a lesson in their life, and/or that they cannot read
music. The implication is that learning those skills would somehow make
them less "natural" or could "contaminate" their art, which is hogwash.
Adding knowledge to your current skills should NEVER hurt you.
What I am trying to do is to ENCOURAGE the writer that thinks they?re not
technical enough YET.
When should one feel ready to call oneself a tech writer? (Does one EVER
feel ready? Can one EVER know enough?) I?m just saying that the point at
which one can become a viable and helpful tech writer can come earlier in
one?s development that some might think.
All points considered, it seems obvious that the best combination is a
technically skilled writer with highly developed awareness of the user?s
needs. There?s always room for growth in BOTH areas; I think it?s safe to
say that?s why we subscribe to this message board!
I do beg to differ regarding the highly-touted importance of learning
programming. Unless you are writing documents FOR programmers, I fail to
see the importance. In writing a manual for a car, is it necessary to
study metallurgy and aerodynamics? Or to work on the assembly line?
When writing documentation for USERS, I think what we need to know (and to
convey) is what the user needs to know to USE the product. Does a user
care about the Visual Basic used to create the window he or she is looking
at? I don?t think so. I don?t care either.
But with this assertion in mind, it follows that the more technical the
product, the more technical the writer should be. Writing API docs? You
BETTER know some programming! I?ve had to write programming docs, and I
did so under protest, and invested hundreds of dollars in books about the
programming languages involved. (I also left that doc team shortly after
completing the project, to assume a position more in keeping with my
skills.) But in documenting a point-and-click application to be used by
Debbie the Time/Life Operator, will your knowledge of C++ help her find
the "Print" icon?
Bottom line: You MUST have PRODUCT knowledge to write useful
documentation. Which means you have to learn to use the product. A good
tech writer needs to be ready, willing, and able to LEARN.
But do you need PROGRAMMING knowledge? I honestly don?t see why.
-Keith Cronin
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