Re: Archimedes Socrates, ace tech writer, wins another one

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

"Mike Stockman" wrote...

> Funny, I've never seen any posts to that effect on this list. I *have* 
> seen posts of the opinion that, if you don't know the details about the 
> software, you'll be incapable of filling the user's needs well. Tech 
> writing is neither writing skill nor technical acumen -- it is as 
> thorough knowledge as possible of both.

Exactly! The two concepts: technical acumen and understanding user needs,
are intimately interdependent.  Hence, a writer professing only one of
these two skills is not ideally suited for the task of documenting complex
technology. 

I have found that the more I understand some technology, the more I can
anticipate what the user needs to know and how best to explain it to them.
Moreover, I can see the larger picture of how the technology can integrate
with the user's environment, and as such anticipate their needs and
questions with a much greater level of accuracy.

Andrew Plato 


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