Re: This too is technical communication

["Mike Starr" <mikestarr-techwr-l -at- writestarr -dot- com>]

My usual approach is to go to an SME and ask one or two pointed questions 
about specific details of the product. However, there are times when I need 
to learn things from the ground up, like when I'm learning a totally new 
technology. Sometimes I need to ask the SME to give me the simplified 
version so I can understand how the technology works in order to explain it 
to the user. I certainly don't use the "clueless idiot" or "high-school 
dropout forklift driver" approach for every encounter with engineers or 
programmers.

But at the same time, I learned a long time ago that we technical writers 
can't bluff our way through it or pretend we understand complex products 
when we really don't. If we don't understand it almost well enough to join 
the development team, we'll have a hard time explaining it to the customer.

Mike
--
Mike Starr                            WriteStarr Information Services
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Ned Bedinger" <doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com>
To: "Mike Starr" <mike -at- writestarr -dot- com>
Cc: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 6:26 PM
Subject: Re: This too is technical communication

> Mike Starr wrote:
>> John, you're missing the point here... I want the SMEs to explain things 
>> to
>> me like it was *ME* who's the high-school dropout forklift driver.
>
> I've been reading this 'idiot' interview technique thing as hyperbole,
> not something you would actually try to do. But if you're actually going
> to SMEs and saying "Start at the beginning, explain it to me as if I
> know nothing about it," then I hope it is with the understanding that
> you'll stop them when you've found your grip on the topic.
>
> Otherwise, I can't think of how you keep them from thinking you're
> helpless. My SMEs don't appreciate helplessness in a tech writer. They'd
> be saying "Uh oh, the village idiot wants an hour, I'll tell him I'm
> slammed and busy for the rest of the month."
> 

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