1. You need to ask who your audience is...meaning what do they know about the technology, application, industry.
2. You need to know the technical level of your audience...meaning are they computer technicians or standard computer users or little old men who have never used a computer before and need to be told what "drag and drop" means or they'll be dropping the mouse on the floor. 3. Whether they have installed the application or not is probably not relevant. 4. If you get feedback. Listen to it! That doesn't mean you should change your documentation automatically...but it means you should consider whether the comments are valid or not. Not because the user didn't work against an installed copy...but because either the comments work or they don't. For example, if the feedback says you don't explain terminology...then you should find a way to make sure you add more explanations. If the feedback says the graphics stink...well, maybe you have nothing to do with it or maybe you have no choice, or maybe it makes no sense. On the one hand, I'm not sure how someone "can verify the information in the user manual" without first installing the application - unless you are talking about conceptual information (in which case, installation doesn't matter) or procedural flow (in which case...I guess you should go back and ask them to install it and THEN give you feedback...or go confirm your workflow again anyway). HTH, Paula Paula R. Stern CEO, WritePoint Ltd. www.writepoint.com -----Original Message----- From: tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com [mailto:tcp-boun...@techcommpros.com] On Behalf Of raj nair Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 5:06 PM To: tcp@techcommpros.com Subject: [TCP] Writing a user manual Imagine that I give a user manual to a potential user to read it without installing or using the application. Simultaneously, I give the same document to another person, who has installed the application and can verify the information in the user manual. In an ideal situation, who exactly is my correct audience? Is it the guy with the installed application and user manual, or the other one? Also, whose feedback should I take seriously? I just want to know how you will deal with such a situation. _________________________________________________________________ Climate, controversies and the changing signatures of nature http://green.in.msn.com/ ______________________________________________ ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 2009 is your all-in-one authoring and publishing solution. Author in Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word or HTML and publish to the Web, Help systems or printed manuals. Download Free Trial. www.doctohelp.comhttp://www.techcommpros.com/componentone/ Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email t...@techcommpros.com. Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to tcp-subscr...@techcommpros.com Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to tcp-unsubscr...@techcommpros.com Need help? Contact listad...@techcommpros.com Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com ______________________________________________ ComponentOne Doc-To-Help 2009 is your all-in-one authoring and publishing solution. Author in Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word or HTML and publish to the Web, Help systems or printed manuals. Download Free Trial. www.doctohelp.comhttp://www.techcommpros.com/componentone/ Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email t...@techcommpros.com. Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to tcp-subscr...@techcommpros.com Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to tcp-unsubscr...@techcommpros.com Need help? Contact listad...@techcommpros.com Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
