Perhaps Milan is correct, to some degree, that outside the context of use we can't fully judge the quality of a manual. BUT, our job as technical communicators includes something called audience analysis. We regulary have to assess how a manual will be used and, based on what we know about the audience/context, we have to make some assumptions. Judges are further removed from the intended audience (context of use) than the author, but if the author does a good job filling out the entry forms, a lot of that context will be transferred to the judges. Beyond that, judges can, and do, spot good points and bad points that are independent of the audience/context where the document is used.
So, maybe they don't know if the manual is truly adequate, but the competitions are still a great resource for judges and entrants. Besides, we could do all sorts of testing and validation on our documents with a sample of the intended audience and it's possible the testing may fail to reveal a flaw. Nothing is perfect. Learn what you can from the exercise and keep moving forward. (I was here first) Thomas Johnson PS There's two Tom Johnsons on this list. I'm the one from Michigan and I'll adopt "Thomas" to distinguish between the two of us. -----Original Message----- Milan Davidovic wrote: I can see that many people feel they get a lot out of participating -- as entrants and as judges. But for me the idea that you can really judge "excellence in online communication and technical publications" outside of their context of use rings false. -- Milan Davidovic http://altmilan.blogspot.com http://www.terminus1525.ca/studio/view/2758 _______________________________________________ Are you a Help Authoring Trainer or Consultant? Let clients find you at www.HAT.Matrix.com, the searchable HAT database based on Char James-Tanny's HAT Comparison Matrix. Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] for details. Interested in Interactive 3D Documentation? Get the scoop at http://www.doc-u-motion.com Your 3D Documentation Community. _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals To post a message to the list, send an email to [email protected] To find out more about the list, including archives and your account options, visit http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com If you need assistance with the list, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
