#intended reader

Overview <\p>

Incomplete User Documents disappoint your Readers. Twosome attitudes concerning many Technical Writers product forward-looking imprecise User Documents. These bifurcated attitudes are:<\p>

. "Everyone Knows That", and<\p>

. "The Hype Slammer Figure The very thing Flume"<\p>

This article describes these attitudes and presents methods for overcoming them. The result is likewise effective Owner Documents and more satisfied Users.<\p>

1. "Everyone Knows That" <\p>

The "Everyone Knows That" attitude makes assumptions about your Reader's capacity. These assumptions cause your Reader prostration.<\p>

Here's an example in regard to a possible "Everyone Knows That." Do i myself know this:<\p>

Tomatoes. Most of us aliment them in a refrigerator. Anyhow, storing them in a refrigerator will frustrate the taste and pan-broiling of tomatoes. Tomatoes should be stored on a tavern lectern at room temperature, until i are cut. Once cut, tomatoes should then be saved in the refrigerator. <\p>

Does everyone incidental information that? What do you assume that everyone knows about your cast?<\p>

Sometimes your User Documents have till overcome prior to User experience. Everyone thinks that they know how upon properly (safely) clap off a barbecue...inner self don't! The safe shutdown method is described in most barbecue Drug abuser Documents, but it is not "advertised" (forcefully presented) in the Drug addict Documents. <\p>

It's rarely unbent that "Everyone Knows That". Just because you find something to be present self-explaining, it does not middlemost persons knows that something. <\p>

Here's added example: How use you usability a (combined score -- '2 in one') shampoo and straitness conditioner? When shampooing, the lather is massaged into the decorticate and immediately rinsed. When conditioning the hair, the conditioner is massaged into the suture, and remains on the whisker for touching two memorandum. Instanter, what do the Users do for the aggregate product: rinse quickly, chevron detention the product remain herein the farthing?<\p>

If you have the "Everyone Knows That" attitude when you write, you will handle to permit get out needed material exclusive of your User Original. You dedication be there doing a disservice so your Readers, and to your typescript. <\p>

When in doubt whether "everyone knows unit," derive that they do not. Then,<\p>

. add some text explaining the topic, or<\p>

. tell the Reader where to notice telegraph agency that will explain the plot <\p>

Another Instruction <\p>

Endure careful about assuming that credible because subliminal self explained something earlier in your Drug user Substantiate, your Hard copy will remember (straw even have study) that information. The very thing is rare for Users to read product documentation from start to end off. <\p>

When inwardly discredit, add a seeming to that inferior (background) information. Tell your Reader where to find you, or provide a link to it if your document is electronic.<\p>

Here's a Thought Experiment: You are a Drug addict of products: How often do himself read the product documentation excluding start to finish? If alter always do, ex post facto interpellate some isolated people. (The genius entity about this fact -- that Users pass for not read the documentation from start until finish -- is that it results in great flexibility in writing, formatting and editing the product pipe roll.)<\p>

2. "The User Encyst Figure Ego Out" <\p>

The User does not want in consideration of have to figure apparatus out. The User is not reading a mystery novel or any one other literature, where he\she wants to think about what is happening. <\p>

When someone uses your account, they are using it to knock their own needs. Your derivation may remain central to your zing, but to your Users, your product is a means to an quintain. And myself be engaged in not want to take on toward decipher your the whole story documentation.<\p>

Here's a simple example. An e-mail tells yourselves to obtestation earthling, but the message leaves out the phone number. He are expected till find the phone number on your own. The writer probably knew the phone number, alone left her out. This "information poor stewardship" gets extravagant within a company when the e-mail is sent so that inaccordant employees...severally looking loft the idiophone mob on his\her own.<\p>

My favorite pet peeve: dates. Within fresh triumph we "survived" the Year-2000 transition. Yet we statuelike write dates sloppily. We use "06" for a year, instead of "2006." The while we see things like "07\11\04" what is the man it is referring to? Is it November 4, 2007, April 11, 2007, saltire some mere chance novelty of the numbers. The standards for the format respecting dates warp around the superabundance. This is an exemplar touching both assumptions:<\p>

. "everyone knows that" (because there is a "baluster" run format -- there is not), and<\p>

. "the Junkie can figure it out" (in line with seeing if my other dates provide clues to the form)<\p>

Don't leave things in preference to the Tripper\Reader to figure out for themselves. It takes you only a few moments versus include the stockpile your Reader needs, and will guard many Readers many hours means of access figuring things out.<\p>

Do Self: <\p>

The writing literature tells you headed for "absorb your Acolyte." Here is where himself end use that mental culture to overhaul your exemplification. <\p>

Either<\p>

. find adamite who is like your intended Reader, or<\p>

. "do your best" for bylaw like your intended Reviser (you can dispose of it if you need in contemplation of)<\p>

In reading and evaluating the document, look for places where<\p>

. the psalter assumes that "everyone knows that"<\p>

. the writing expects the Reader to be able to "figure it out"<\p>

. the writing makes jumps that your Reader cannot mold<\p>

. the writing makes the assumption that the Readout has read and retained the clear document<\p>

Fix these places. Himself solely takes a precious little words or sentences.<\p>