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While, again, it may be useful to completely understand how a product works,
it is by no means essential. Consider an even simpler example than the VCR
or voicemail: I could write a complete and "proper" manual for an analogue
watch without understanding how it works behind the face. Assuming the user
understands how to tell time (a prerequisite, let's say), the items I'm
probably going to cover are:
* Winding the watch to keep it going
* Setting the time
* Affixing the watch to your wrist
What benefit is "a basic understanding" of how a watch works going to be to
me?
I respond because I'm creating very technical documents for developing
Internet middleware. The sort of understanding you describe would require me
to be a programmer. While this would be beneficial, there are very few
programmer/writers on the market. I think we create complete documentation,
despite not necessarily knowing how everything works. Given that, applying
your model, we've no alternative (we haven't the time or resources to become
programmers and writers), the point, I guess, is moot. DB.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Andrew Plato [mailto:intrepid_es -at- yahoo -dot- com]
> Sent: 24 July 2001 17:43
> To: TECHWR-L
> Subject: Re: Benchmarking Technical Documentation
>
>
> No - you do *NEED* to know.
>
> Its a matter of evaluation. Even if you are not going to
> document exactly
> how something works, you need to comprehend the functions.
> This allows you
> to accurately evaluate the information you're presenting to the user.
>
> Maybe you can gloss over some of the more esoteric aspects of
> the "How."
> But a basic understanding of how something works is necessary to
> documenting it properly. It should never be "optional."
>
> Andrew Plato
>
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