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RE: Due care (was RE: Benchmarking Technical Documentation)
Subject:RE: Due care (was RE: Benchmarking Technical Documentation) From:"Roy Jacobsen" <rjacobse -at- microsoft -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 24 Jul 2001 15:20:41 -0500
From: Swallow, William [mailto:WSwallow -at- courion -dot- com]
>Roy wrote:
>:: If information is missing or incorrect, the document is flawed.
>
>:: If the information is present and correct, but:
>:: - the user can't find it using the "standard" tools (e.g. index,
table
>:: of contents), or
>:: - the user can't understand it because of non-/sub-standard
grammar and
>:: style,
>:: then the document is flawed.
>
>Documentation will ALWAYS be flawed. Perfection (absolute perfection)
is
>subjective.
True. But the amount or degree of defectiveness (i.e., how flawed)
that's acceptable in a document is important. Many defects aren't
noticed by the user. For example, what percentage of readers notices the
misuse of its/it's, or your/you're? (Those things drive me batty, but
I'm resigned to being in the minority on that.)
In any event, can we agree that as defects increase, value of a doc
decreases?
Regards,
Roy M. Jacobsen
Senior Editor, Documentation
Microsoft Great Plains Business Solutions
One Lonetree Road
Fargo, ND 58104-3911
USA
roy -dot- jacobsen -at- microsoft -dot- com
A liberated woman is one who rises up and says to her menfolk, "I will
not be dictated to," and proceeds to become a stenographer. -- G.K.
Chesterton
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