TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Techwriter Aptitude Test (A Daydream) From:The Tech Writer <techwrtr -at- CRL -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 12 Nov 1997 09:30:38 -0800
> 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
I tend to think that I don't read the manual because I'm so used to
having to figure things out myself. Since it's something I do all the
time at work, it just carries over into my own experience.
For example, I bought the upgrade to Quicken. I figured that I knew how
to use the old Quicken, and I'd be able to find the new features that
I'm interested in, so there was no need to read the manual. However,
when I bought a digital speedometer for my bicycle, I read the whole
instruction booklet front to back before trying to install it, since I
knew I *wouldn't* be able to figure it out.
