Re: audience analysis

[Rollings Gill <WGILLR -at- WOK-MSMAIL-GW -dot- ISL -dot- COM>]

Following comments and questions from Bonni and Barb -

When I joined my current project, I asked if I could send a questionnaire
out to some of our clients to ask what they think of our existing
documentation.  Shock waves!!!  Eventually, I was allowed to send a
questionnaire to the Customer Support Centre and the Consultants (the ones
who go on site to help implement and customise the product).  Out of about
100 copies circulated, I received 12 back.  At least the people who bothered
to reply were familiar with the kinds of problems that our end users have -
they're the ones who get the flak if the system is not absolutely A1.  Also,
they need to use the documentation themselves if they encounter a problem
that they haven't already stored in their own extensive memories.  If anyone
in-house is familiar with the shortcomings and strengths of documentation,
customer support is it.  (Yes, I know that's ungrammatical, so please don't
pick up on the phrasing.)  So, if you can't get in touch with your end
users, talk to the people who talk to them on behalf of the company.

By the way, I'm with Caryn Rizell on flaming - some of the comments
accompanying the facts and figures in submissions seem quite spiteful to a
third party.  Maybe some of you have been subscribers long enough to feel
that you can vent spleen without being taken seriously by people who know
you and your style.  That's not how it looks to some of us.  If we're in the
minority, I suppose we'll just have to grow thicker hides.