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Subject:Career choice and degree From:Tammy Hale <tammyh -at- FGM -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 12 Apr 1995 18:24:18 -0500
Dear Techwriters,
I disagree with the thread that contends that less than expert level
knowledge of a topic produces better documentation. The argument seems to
be that because you have gaps in your knowledge, you can see things from
the reader's point of view. While I agree that most material (such as the
type that has been described in this thread), does not *require* expert
level knowledge to document, I do believe that the more thorough the your
understanding of the topic, the better you are at explaining the topic.
Further, a good technical writer can look at the topic from the perspective
of many types of readers without possessing the readers' level (low or
high) of understanding.
This is not meant to belittle those of us who are not experts on our
subject matter. On the other hand, the more I learn about computers, the
better I am at writing about them. I *wish* I were a SME!
FWIW, I majored in English Lit, loved it, and do not regret it. However, I
wish I had earned a second major in EE or CS; what a powerhouse I'd be!
