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> 1. What is it?
> 2. What does it do?
> 3. What is its purpose?
> 4. How does it work (or how does it do what it is supposed to do)?
> 5. Why is it relevant?
Carma <ccallen -at- beckman -dot- com> wrote:
>The first three (and maybe the fifth) are relevant, but can easily be
>covered in a few paragraphs in the intro or description section. How it
>works is seldom of interest to the user (do I care how my telephone or VCR
>works? no). But the most important question isn't even mentioned--HOW DO I
>USE IT? That's what user's really, really need to know.
I think the author of the "Five Golden Questions" above was probably
describing (some of) what the author needs to know, not what the author
needs to write. My golden questions:
1. The Inquisition: What is it? What does it do? What is its purpose? How
does it work (or how does it do what it is supposed to do)? Why is it
relevant? How do you use it? And more...
2. Who is my audience?
3. How much does my audience already know?
4. What more do they need to know?
5. How long have I got to write this?
Jane Carnall
Technical Writer, Digital Bridges, Scotland
Unless stated otherwise, these opinions are mine, and mine alone.
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