Re: "Know thy audience"; was: RE: What is "well Written"?

["Gene Kim-Eng" <techwr -at- genek -dot- com>]

All of these issues are addressed on a regular basis by any
number of industries producing products that depend on
knowing customer response for their success, from snack
foods to childrens' toys.  The methodologies for identifying
"typical" users and measuring their reponses to products
are well established and have been shown over time to be
repeatable under controlled conditions and to be viable as
predictors of actual perfomance in the field.  The fact that
most technical documentation (and often the products
being documented as well) are not subjected to these tests 
and instead is thrown out into the field untested to sink 
or swim does not make it "art."

Gene Kim-Eng


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Yves JEAUROND" <jingting -at- rogers -dot- com>

I don't mean to rain on the parade of quantification,
and data acquisition; the big, grey cloud of impractical idealism
hovers over getting objective, measurable criticism when it comes
to an art like TW. 

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