Oh those tender users

[Andrew Plato <intrepid_es -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

> The freshness of the "non-technical" person can provide him or her with an
> objectivity that more closely mirrors that of the TARGET of all our
> writing - the USER.

This is akin to saying "I am a better writer because I remain ignorant."

I hear a lot of writers extol the virtues of understanding the needs of the
user as if they were a prophet communing with the Lord.  I hate to tell you
this, but the beloved users could care less about you and you're not doing them
any favors remaining ignorant.

Imagine you're getting a college degree in Physics. It's your senior year. 
You've worked really hard to get good grades and you've paid thousands of
dollars for your education. In your last term, you're required to take a course
in quantum physics.  The course is taught by a guy who really cares about you
and takes a lot of time to get to know your needs, but he has little if any
knowledge of Physics. He doesn't even know the difference between quarks and
leptons.  

Would you want to remain in this teacher's class? How on earth could he ever
teach you anything if all he does is reformat the information handed to him
from a textbook.  Sure, he may talk a good talk, but how can you trust him? Is
this the kind of teacher you want when you spend $50,000 on an education?

Okay, now lets apply that to our profession.  I spend $9500.00 on a software
product (let's say its an e-mail server).  I get handed a manual written by a
guy who really cared about my needs - but clearly did not have a clue what a
mail server is, does, or can do. 

Do you think I want this product? How dare this company sell me this software
only to provide a manual written by a person who felt the needs of the user
were more important than understanding the product.

If you do not understand the technologies and topics you're documenting you're
doing the greatest disservice possible to your beloved users. You're feeding
them incomplete or inaccurate information. 

Command of style and grammar is the BEGINNING of technical writing. The point
where you start, not the end point. At some point you must move beyond this or
you'll never be able to write effectively. 

> In essence, it made me the perfect "For Dummies" test subject for our
> documentation: If _I_ could understand it, ANYBODY could! (Go ahead
> Andrew, load your missiles!)

So you're a professional dummy. There's a title I have aspired to all my life. 

Ignorance is not a professional skill. Good writers know the topics they are
documenting so well they can anticipate confusing ideas, designs and concepts
before the product is ever finished. They can also see through to the technical
side and as such educate the user rather than instructing them. 

> I think you can be a tech writer if you can learn, organize, and present
> information to your audience.

You can be a decent editor with those skills. You will never be a good writer
until you know what you're writing about. 

Andrew Plato 


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