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> If you're too familiar, you'll write documentation as good as an engineer
> -- which is to say, typically not very well. Engineers tend to make
> assumptions, use geek-speak, provide too much details about the things that
> keenly interest them, and tend to ignore what doesn't interest them. We've
> all encountered documentation written by an engineer!
>
You have a point. However, if I had to choose, I'd take familiarity
any day. You can compensate for the over-familiarity by role-playing
and imagining yourself as an ordinary user. This is what many
teachers have to do.
However, you can't possibly successfully assume the role of an
expert if you don't have expert knowledge - not in any useful way,
at least.
--
Bruce Byfield, Outlaw Communications
Contributing Editor, Maximum Linux
604.421.7189 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com
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With three thousand year old stories as the night slips away,
Remembering, Fingol feels not far away,
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