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RE: instructions for a pb&j sandwhich - a little OT
Subject:RE: instructions for a pb&j sandwhich - a little OT From:"Sean Brierley" <sbri -at- haestad -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 28 May 2002 11:28:57 -0400
Reject.
At some level, we have to assume our audience has some knowledge. For
example, we assume they can read the language in which we are writing. A
bigger leap of faith brings us to assume that our users are not
collectively drooling on their shoes, the sizes of which are not greater
than their IQ.
That is, a reader can deliberately choose to interpret instructions or
writing in a way that was not intended, with humorous or harmful
consequences. They can choose to take such instruction out of scope of
the documentation. If they do, so be it.
This brings me back to those writing tests that say things like, write a
set of instructions for putting on a jacket assuming your audience does
not know what a jacket is. Well, if the audience does not know what a
jacket it, are we to also assume they have never seen buttons on a
shirt, and, if so, are we sure this Neanderthal doesn't first need
instruction on donning underwear . . . or reading lessons, at the very
least. Indeed, such instructions really test a writer's ability to deal
with the absurd--which might not be a bad thing--rather than their
capabilities as an author.
-----Original Message-----
From: Sean Hower [mailto:hokumhome -at- freehomepage -dot- com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2002 11:20 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: instructions for a pb&j sandwhich - a little OT
I was watching a PBS show for kids called "Zoom" yesterday. One of the
recurring pieces was a group of kids trying to give directions to
another kid on how to make a pb&j sandwhich. The kid following the
instructions took everything the other kids told him quite literally,
with results such as the kid places the jars of peanut butter and jelly
between two slices of bread, and the kid putting peanut butter and jelly
on the bread wrapper.
It was very entertaining to watch and it made a good point. We assume an
aweful lot of shared knowledge when we intereact with other people.
Those assumptions can lead to misunderstanding and mistakes, making it
difficult to communicate important information. The example
demonstrates:
* the need to understand our audience
* the need to create explicit instructions that include even the obvious
Just a philosophical footnote in the life of this tech writer. Enjoy or
reject. :-)
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