Re: Initial Doc Focus: Concepts or Procedures?

[Janice Gelb <Janice -dot- Gelb -at- Sun -dot- COM>]

Pro TechWriter wrote:
> Hey Whirlers:
> 
> I have a very short time frame to produce some documentation for some beta
> software.
> 
> My thoughts  that the users will need instructions to use the software, with
> some basic concepts related to the tasks thrown in.  Some folks (um,
> "programmers") disagree with that approach. They want high-level conceptual
> information instead and some "isn't the product wonderful" text. They
> basically said "we don't need no stinkin' steps."
> 
> Weigh in, please. I am interesting in hearing some *technical writer's*
> experience and opinions on this one.
> 

Procedures. No question. Tell your programmers that
there's a reason that books are called "MyProduct
User's Guide" and not "The Joys of MyProduct" :->

Seriously, users can't appreciate how wonderful
the product is if they can't figure out how to
use it. No one buys a product to admire the design
or the clever coding. They buy products because
the product enables them to accomplish something.

Tell them that proper place for glowing descriptions
of the wonderfulness of the product is marketing
brochures and the web site.

-- Janice

***********************************************************
Janice Gelb          | The only connection Sun has with
janice -dot- gelb -at- sun -dot- com  | this message is the return address

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