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: Educating Rita From:Chris Hamilton <caxdj -at- EARTHLINK -dot- NET> Date:Mon, 10 May 1999 08:05:18 -0400
Two points:
1. You might not be able to design a GUI, but you can sure help figure
out what's hard to use. Going back to one of the original points of this
thread, you can then ask why and learn something about the developer
end. We talk about the user all the time, but the developer has a piece
in our puzzle, too. And the more you can understand what a developer
does and why he or she does it, the more you can tend to establish a
rapport and get valuable information that isn't obvious at first blush.
2. Both pieces (the user and the developer) are equally important. Our
job is to describe what to do in the best possible way for the user. And
to do that, in most cases, you absolutely have to have cooperation from
your developers. I can sit down with a GUI and tell you how to do stuff
all day long, but I can't necessarily tell you why or get that inside
information without developer cooperation.
--
Chris Hamilton
Technical Writer
Tampa, FL
caxdj -at- earthlink -dot- net
