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Are you referring to SMEs expressing what they mean in their own language? That's how you end up with documentation that users can't understand... because the writer just paraphrased what an engineer or programmer said. Which, in my case, because my SMEs' first language often isn't English, would result in incomprehensible text.
Similarly, SME reviewers will often approve text that they think is ok (because they completely understand how a feature works), without realizing that it's confusing, unclear, or full of holes to somebody who's coming at the material with zero knowledge.
The tech writer has to understand what they are documenting so that they can explain it in clear simple language. It's the opposite of letting your SMEs basically write the text for you verbally.
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=tiburoninc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lynne -dot- wright=tiburoninc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Alec Chakenov
Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2013 1:50 PM
To: Peter Neilson
Cc: techwr-l
Subject: Re: [TechWhirl Forums] Authors who cannot write
It's better to ask what they actually mean, and advise them to express it
in their own language.
2013/11/13 Peter Neilson <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net>
> This document is a mess.
>>
>
> Yes, write up what you guess it's saying. Ask whether you're right. You
> might even try to use tiny sentences and short words. I'll bet the original
> contains the words 'modality' and 'intercommunication'.
>
>
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