Comments on: Tech Writing as Technology and the issue of audience on a mass scale. http://courses.johnmjones.org/ENGL605/2012/10/06/tech-writing-as-technology-and-the-issue-of-audience-on-a-mass-scale/ ENGL 605, WVU, Fall 2012 Wed, 14 Nov 2012 02:44:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: willdeaton605 http://courses.johnmjones.org/ENGL605/2012/10/06/tech-writing-as-technology-and-the-issue-of-audience-on-a-mass-scale/#comment-817 willdeaton605 Sun, 07 Oct 2012 23:33:12 +0000 http://courses.johnmjones.org/ENGL605/?p=671#comment-817 Christine, What about cookbooks? They reach mass audiences. Christine,

What about cookbooks? They reach mass audiences.

]]> By: cseymour http://courses.johnmjones.org/ENGL605/2012/10/06/tech-writing-as-technology-and-the-issue-of-audience-on-a-mass-scale/#comment-816 cseymour Sun, 07 Oct 2012 17:24:54 +0000 http://courses.johnmjones.org/ENGL605/?p=671#comment-816 Hi Eric, Your argument, "Tech writers should not expect to satisfy every potential reader, but it is in the tech writer’s job to ask questions and try to best shape the document or site in a way which his not imposing the writer’s culture on other cultures or assuming that readers from other cultures do not have important views worth addressing" is very practical and good advice I think. It raises questions for me about how art can reach such a mass audience but tech writing documents cannot. Is it because tech writing's purpose is informational? Art can be informational as well. How can artists communicate a message so clearly through one image, but instruction manuals or websites cannot? The difference seems to be that art (in addition to being visual) can create a multitude of meanings and still achieve its purpose, but technical documents strive to communicate one, distinct message to as many users as possible. The answer seems to be similar for both: design according to a refined sense of the product/feeling and then alter it depending on the restrictions of certain audiences may impose. Interesting. Hi Eric, Your argument, “Tech writers should not expect to satisfy every potential reader, but it is in the tech writer’s job to ask questions and try to best shape the document or site in a way which his not imposing the writer’s culture on other cultures or assuming that readers from other cultures do not have important views worth addressing” is very practical and good advice I think. It raises questions for me about how art can reach such a mass audience but tech writing documents cannot. Is it because tech writing’s purpose is informational? Art can be informational as well. How can artists communicate a message so clearly through one image, but instruction manuals or websites cannot? The difference seems to be that art (in addition to being visual) can create a multitude of meanings and still achieve its purpose, but technical documents strive to communicate one, distinct message to as many users as possible. The answer seems to be similar for both: design according to a refined sense of the product/feeling and then alter it depending on the restrictions of certain audiences may impose. Interesting.

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