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Subject:Re: Writing for absolute beginners From:Laurel Nelson <Laurel_Y_Nelson -at- NOTES -dot- SEAGATE -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 16 Sep 1998 10:47:56 -0500
Bianca: The one question that runs through my mind is why are you writing a
series of articles that explain how to create a web page for a group of
people who have no basic computer or Internet knowledge? Why would these
people read these articles? (Your answers to these questions may explain
why you are struggling.)
I know lots of people who have no basic computer knowledge or Internet
knowledge and they are thoroughly confused if I try to explain what I do.
In fact, computer talk bores them because they aren't interested.
Has the person who gave you this assignment defined the purpose of these
articles? Could you go back to this person and have them help you identify
your audience? Some basic questions you need to answer are:
Who are the people that will read these articles? (Age, education)
What do they already know?
How are they going to use the information? (Are they reading to do or
reading to learn?)
What are the questions that they will ask?
BTW, the above questions are from *Techniques for Technical Communicators*
by Carol M. Barnum and Saul Carliner.
