Radical revamping of techpubs

[Chris Borokowski]

There's other problems with Linux, and this article says it all:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2197786,00.asp

I am agnostic about Linux. It does some things well. It's not ready for
the desktop because installation of the OS, and then software, is often
a massive PITA. With Windows, it just works. That's what the end user
wants. A few of them want Macs, but most people shy away from companies
as erratic and expensive and often destructive as Apple.

I think TWs are in a different bind: interfaces are standardizing. What
was once rare knowledge, like using internet apps and protocols, is now
standard knowledge. We're going to have to work harder to make
ourselves more useful, and not just show up to WTFM at the end of a
project.

The sensible goal I think is to make ourselves into user interaction
experts. We know how to explain stuff to users, so now we work the
other end of the process and explain users to those who make the stuff.
Yes, it may require more training, but these days if you want to be
considered professional as a new worker, you need that graduate degree
anyway.

I've now said it a few times, so it's probably appropriate to sit back
and wait for the next ten years until the truth of this becomes
obvious.

--- Technical Writer <tekwrytr at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Documentation is not used by the end-user because it is awkward,
> poorly organized, and in many cases, indecipherable for a user
> seeking task-accomplishment assistance. Linux is a primary example;
> despite some of the most dedicated, motivated developers on the
> planet, and droves of TWs spending endless amounts of time creating
> "tutorials," introductions," and "documentation," (along with a
> massive PR pitch by IBM a few years back), Linux languishes. Users
> avoid it because it is "too difficult to learn." 
>  
> The underlying cause begs exploration, and is at the heart of
> technical documentation; does the TW really want the witless user to
> understand what the TW finds conceptually difficult? 

http://technical-writing.dionysius.com/
technical writing | consulting | development

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