Re: Techwriter Aptitude Test (A Daydream)

[Megan McMacken <mcmackme -at- FRC -dot- COM>]

>OK. Serious. Reading the docs is usually the first thing I do, and I
>think it has always helped me understand things faster than by just
>playing around. Even if the documentation is lousy, it usually provides
>at least some kind of useful information that would be very hard or even
>impossible to find out otherwise. Dear me, here I am justifying the
>value of reading documentation on the bloody techwriter list! Well,
>anyway folks, why not give it a try sometime, you might be surprised.


Mike brings up an interesting phenomenon.  We as technical writers complain
when the users won't read the documentation we spend time and money putting
together, but how often do any of us read through or even skim the manuals
for the gadgets we buy?  I usually wait until I'm thoroughly stuck before I
pull out the manual.  Perhaps that's because so few manuals I have run
across are well-written, and it's easier for me to just figure it out myself
and learn in the process.

And if the users aren't reading OUR manuals, why aren't they?  Bad past
experience with documentation?  Too lazy to look for information in the
documentation?  Waited until they were completely frustrated before looking
at the manual, couldn't find the help they needed, and gave up?  Calling
tech support is faster and easier?  Or maybe our documentation isn't as good
as we think.

If users, including us, dislike having to "RTFM," what can we do to remedy
the situation?

Young and still idealistic about my chosen career,
Megan E. McMacken

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Megan E. McMacken
Product Development and Documentation
FANUC Robotics North America, Inc.
Rochester Hills, Michigan
mcmackme -at- frc -dot- com

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