The Audience for FAQs (was: MIME)

Joel Plutchak (plutchak@porter.geo.brown.edu)
Wed, 28 Sep 1994 10:29:41 +0500

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> mathew@mantis.co.uk>> wrote:
>In message <199409281115.MAA07114@strider.inet.it>, Piero Serini writes:
> >I understand. Unfortunately, Macs are not the vast majority of
> >computer users.
>
> But Macs *are* very common amongst clueless newbies, who are exactly
> the people who need FAQs.

I've seen this assertion several times here recently, and I tend
to disagree (about who needs FAQ's, not about Macs). The audience
for any particular FAQ is somebody who is ignorant about one
specific topic (e.g., baby carriers), or somebody who needs an up
to date reference (e.g., sources of meteorological data). These
people are not necessarily clueless newbies when it comes to any
general computer- or USENET-related topic, and any assumptions to
the contrary may be doing a disservice to your audience.

[I was sorely tempted to fan the flames of OS-bashing by making
a remark about Mac users by definition being clueless about
computers because if they weren't they'd use some other platform,
but I restrained myself. :-) ]

--
Joel (who uses whatever type of computer fits the task at hand)

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