Re: Techwriter Aptitude Test (A Daydream)

[Alexia Prendergast <alexiap -at- SEAGATESOFTWARE -dot- COM>]

Why should we expect users to sit down and read user manuals? I don't
think it means our docs are bad -- I think it means our users are busy,
impatient people who have jobs to do. If we remember that, and we
remember how we use documentation ourselves, we can write better docs
that suit the needs of those people.

I *use* manuals when I need to get something done. I *read* them out of
professional interest.

A.
--
Alexia Prendergast
Tech Pubs Manager
Seagate Software (Durham, NC, USA)
mailto:alexiap -at- seagatesoftware -dot- com

> -----Original Message-----
> 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.
>

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