RE: What is More Important?

["Steve Cavanaugh" <scavanaugh -at- nat-seattle -dot- com>]

Technically accurate always trumps style when it comes to manuals used
in life or death circumstances.  A manual for a 747, for example, had
better be technically accurate above all else. 


Steve Cavanaugh

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+scavanaugh=nat-seattle -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+scavanaugh=nat-seattle -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]
On Behalf Of richard -dot- melanson -at- us -dot- tel -dot- com
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 2:23 PM
To: dgreen -at- associatedbrands -dot- com; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: What is More Important?

May I ask everyone a question. What is more important, having the
content of a manual written well or having the content of a manual
technically accurate, and no they are not mutually exclusive :-) 

Please may I ask that you just pick one or the other, I know that we can
list a myriad or reasons why each is important and at times mandatory, I
am just asking everyone to decide and pick one. 

I am fortunate enough to have been on both sides of the fence. I was a
Product Support Engineer for years working on Ion Implanters trying to
use the manuals available and now I am the Writer of those manuals. 

If this has been asked before, please accept my apologies and point me
to where the answer is stored. I really appreciate your help Everyone,
thank you.


Richard Melanson
Technical Writer
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