atw: Re: Groktalks for tech writers
- From: Craig Hadden <craig_john_hadden@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: atw <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 15:52:24 +1000 (EST)
Stuart wrote:
> I doubt you could usefully cover
> ...even FrameMaker 101 in ten minutes.
Absolutely! I think the same would go for most tools
that were new to the audience, though. So I see
micro-presentations as good ways to become more
productive with a tool you're _already_ using --
particularly if it's one you dislike! If someone can
show you ways to overcome some of the stumbling blocks
that users often face, that might only take 10
minutes. Then, the audience says, "If only I'd known
those little gems earlier!" and their productivity
takes a huge leap. [Not a quantum leap, it seems :-)]
> I don't think "familiar concept, different name"
> needs to be in a groktalk.
10 minutes is _so_ little, you really can't cover
much. So to me, it would be _ideal_ to cover the
differences in terminology, otherwise the audience
"doesn't know that in fact they know" the concept.
(Naturally, this depends whereabouts the audience are
on the learning curve. If they've already learnt that
the new terminology relates to familiar concepts,
there's no point teaching either the term or the
concept.)
> "Same name, different concept"
> ...would be well worth covering
Yes -- I think all kinds of differences in terminology
would be useful topics.
> Unfamiliar concepts are definitely worth covering.
Far too hard in 10 minutes, I reckon, unless it's just
a matter of saying "go and look this topic up in the
User Guide".
> You won't master any of these things in a brief
> talk, but having grokked or grasped them...
I think that's the problem with Steve (and Microsoft)
having used a geeky term. Wikipedia says the word
means "to understand completely" (from the Martian for
"to drink" ?- to become one with), not just "to get a
grasp of" as you suggest.
I love the way the Wikipedia entry ends, quoting from
the original novel:
"it means as little to us (because we are from Earth)
as color means to a blind man"
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grok)
Yes indeed -- that's the problem with using the term!
Regards,
Craig
===== My e-mail address is:
===== craigh(at)attachesoftware(dot)com
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