Re: Credibility of the Internet (was: User-centered design)

["Comeau, Lisa" <Lisa -dot- Comeau -at- MOH -dot- GOV -dot- ON -dot- CA>]

Mike said:
" Because readers trust us without our presenting evidence, we have a
special responsibility to be right."

Is this not why we should make an extra effort to know what is "true"?

(we pause for exaggeration)
If I know that the product I am documenting will cause problems during
installation on a Windows NT 4.0 system (because I have seen it happen EVERY
time I install it on NT without first logging on as Administrator, for
example) then I *know* this is true, and so I will document it that way.

If I know that the product crashes during an NT install because the nosy
weasel in the mailroom told me s/he overheard the product team saying so in
a meeting, the I don't really *know* at all, do I?
(we now return you to our regularly scheduled "true" discussion)

I think it all comes down to *how* we *know* what we *know* to be *true*,
and whether that makes us *correct* in passing the information on to others.

Lisa Comeau
(who only *knows* she's special because her Mom said so...);-)
Account Representative; Y2K/Exchange Project
Client Services Group, Ontario Ministry of Health
Office (416) 327-1112
Pager (416) 715-9198
mailto:Lisa -dot- Comeau -at- moh -dot- gov -dot- on -dot- ca

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