Literate/Illiterate (WAS: Documenting installers?)

[eric -dot- dunn -at- ca -dot- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com]

While the detailing of Jay's experiences is certainly helpful I would 
underline that techwriters have to be very careful about how or if their 
biases show.

Not to direct criticism at Jay, but loaded terms like literate/illiterate 
and technical/non-technical have to be used with restraint. In whole Jay's 
post seem non-critical, but much of the terminology used in the thread 
certainly seems judgmental.

Jay Malone wrote:
> *They all had a minimum of a master's degree. (job requirement.)
> *They knew a lot  about their subject matter -- the non-
> technical aspect of their jobs.

And what is the non-technical subject matter? If they were ex-military 
with masters degrees. I'd expect them to be a highly technical group. It's 
just it would seem that computer expertise isn't necessary to their core 
job functions.

A brain surgeon that can interpret MRIs and is a respected expert in their 
field is certainly a highly technical person. Troubleshooting the latest 
Windows bugs or installing the latest piece of hospital software is 
certainly of little professional interest to them. It is also of little 
added-value to the hospital or the patients if the doctor becomes an 
accomplished systems administrator.

> *Many were the "most literate" because they were the only 
> person at their site who had a computer at home.

Sometimes I have to chuckle at some of the TECHWR-L discussions. Software 
writers have it easy. Technical writers in other fields often have to 
write about tools and technology that none of their audience will ever 
have at home. Although, I am bemused to admit that one of my students did 
indeed know a former employee of NYCT that did have a fully functional 
subway car running on a few hundred feet of track at his farm/cottage. :)

But it seems to be a common curse in the software sector. The techwriters 
seem to be too far immersed in computers to realise that to many the 
computer is no more interesting than a hammer or the inner workings of 
ball-point pens.

The shock and indignation that some don't have any more interest in 
computers than how to turn them on and get work done, is as misplaced as 
the shock and disgust shown by automotive engineers when told most drivers 
just want to turn the key and drive somewhere.

> *Many of the users with the fewest permissions needed to 
> be told how to turn
> the computer on. Others didn't know the difference between
> Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer.

And if they have the fewest permissions, that should really be the basic 
assumption. Considering that in many large 'managed PC' type companies 
many users can't do more than turn them on and run one or two specific 
applications. The same is true of many tools. There are an awful lot more 
technicians that are expert tool users than there are craftsmen who 
build/repair their own tools. And why should we expect anything different?

To many (most?) employees, the computer is just a tool they are forced to 
use as part of their day job. They want to know how to eliminate items 
from their to-do list(s) and send off e-mails with the least amount of 
fuss so that they can get the day over with and get home to watch the 
hockey game/play with the kids/go to the club. They certainly don't want 
to know the intricacies of database management, TCP/IP, or POP.

And that isn't to say they aren't highly intelligent, focused, incredibly 
technical, and in love with what they do for a living. Indeed they may 
want to finish with all the mundane computer stuff so that they can go and 
catch up on the latest in their field, be that brain surgery or 
entomology.

Eric L. Dunn
Senior Technical Writer

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