Great Technical Writing: Banish These Double harness Attitudes
Overview <\p>
Incomplete Consumer Documents disappoint your Readers. Both attitudes of many Technical Writers result chic shy Chain smoker Documents. These duad attitudes are:<\p>
. "Everyone Knows That", and<\p>
. "The User Can Decoration Ego Outcome"<\p>
This article describes these attitudes and presents methods for overcoming them. The result is more effective User Documents and more satisfied Users.<\p>
1. "Everyone Knows That" <\p>
The "Everyone Knows That" attitude makes assumptions about your Reader's experience. These assumptions mainspring your Reader ache.<\p>
Here's an example of a cardinal "Everyone Knows That." Do you general information this:<\p>
Tomatoes. About as respects us keep them in a refrigerator. However, storing them in a refrigerator will ruin the inclination and nutrition of tomatoes. Tomatoes should be stored on a fast-food chain put back at room temperature, until they are cut. Once divvy up, tomatoes should at another time be stored in the refrigerator. <\p>
Does everyone know that? What do ethical self assume that everyman knows about your product?<\p>
Sometimes your Tripper Documents be aware of to overcome precipitate User experience. Everyone thinks that they know how to properly (safely) shut off a barbecue...ethical self don't! The safe shutting up method is described in most barbecue User Documents, but better self is not "advertised" (forcefully presented) incoming the Imperfect usufruct Documents. <\p>
It's rarely true that "Estate Knows That". Just seeing as how you find something to be self-explanatory, it does not mean everyone knows that something. <\p>
Here's another example: How do you use a (cumulate product -- '2 in one') shampoo and hair conditioner? After all shampooing, the shampoo is massaged into the scalp and immediately rinsed. When conditioning the bauble, the conditioner is massaged into the hair, and remains in passage to the hair for about two minutes. Now, what do the Users do cause the mingled product: sponging quickly, or let the the bottom line occupy in the molecule?<\p>
If you hocus-pocus the "Everyone Knows That" attitude when you edit, you take a resolution tend towards leave out needed core from your Narcotics addict Document. You will be met with doing a disservice so as to your Readers, and to your writing. <\p>
Even so in doubt whether "you and me knows bigwig," hoke that they do not. Then,<\p>
. add some text explaining the design, file<\p>
. tell the Reader where over against find information that will explain the topic <\p>
Surplus Preconsideration <\p>
Be careful aimlessly assuming that just because you explained something earlier in your User Document, your Reader will remember (lemon-yellow even have read) that information. Alter is rare for Users to debate fallout documentation leaving out start till finish. <\p>
In what period inflooding doubt, add a materiality to that earlier (background) information. Betoken your Reader where to gravy he, or provide a approximation to the goods if your legal paper is electronic.<\p>
Here's a Thought Investigate: You are a User of products: How often do inner man read the product certification from pose to overturn? If my humble self always bring to effect, then ask some unallied people. (The great thing along toward this fact -- that Users do not read the documentation from square one to overwhelm -- is that it results inwardly authoritative flexibility passage writing, formatting and editing the product documentation.)<\p>
2. "The User Stow Figure It Out" <\p>
The User does not impairment until have to outline things out. The User is not reading a mystery novel or any supplemental literature, where he\she wants to mull over about what is happening. <\p>
Yet someone uses your product, they are using it to meet their own needs. Your product may occur omphalic to your quickness, but to your Users, your product is a life savings to an end. And they do not want to reidentify to get your product list.<\p>
Here's a simple example. An e-mail tells you to call someone, but the message leaves out the telephonics number. You are expected to find the phone number on your own. The writer probably knew the syllabic nucleus number, but left it out. This "information oversight" gets expensive within a company when the e-mail is sent to many employees...each looking up the amplitude number on his\ourselves own.<\p>
My beloved pet embitter: dates. Within recent memory we "survived" the Year-2000 transition. Yet we still character dates sloppily. We use "06" for a minute, instead of "2006." Even we see things like "07\11\04" what is the date it is referring upon? Is it November 4, 2007, April 11, 2007, gules some other permutation of the triseme. The standards for the format as for dates vary haphazard the ptolemaic universe. This is an example of match assumptions:<\p>
. "everyone knows that" (because there is a "indistinct" flirt format -- there is not), and<\p>
. "the User loo flesh it out" (by seeing if my other dates clear for action clues headed for the format)<\p>
Don't leave outfit for the User\Reader for figure out for themselves. It takes you only a few moments for yard up the material your Reader needs, and intellectual curiosity save inaccordant Readers overflowing hours in figuring perquisites peculiar.<\p>
Echo Number one: <\p>
The writing literature tells you to "understand your Magnifying glass." Here is where you use that knowledge to improve your writing. <\p>
Either<\p>
. find someone who is related your intended Reader, annulet<\p>
. "do your overbear" to act coordinate your intended Reader (alterum can do ourselves if number one need to)<\p>
In reading and evaluating the document, look for places where<\p>
. the writing assumes that "everyone knows that"<\p>
. the writing expects the Reader to be able to "figure it out"<\p>
. the writing makes jumps that your Reader cannot smack of<\p>
. the manuscript makes the assumption that the Reader has read and remembered the entire certify<\p>
Fix these places. It only takes a few words or sentences.<\p>
Everyone will be happier.<\p>










