Chapter Summary

Technical communications provide technology users with instructions and references, which results in increased user effectiveness and confidence. The written form of this information is referred to as user documentation. The effectiveness of technical communications is dependent on its availability, accuracy, accessibility, and readability. Failures in technical documentation can occur when the information is too technical, overly complicated, poorly constructed, inaccurate, or not up to date. Factors such as who creates the document, how the information is organized, and what type of language is used should be considered when constructing technical documentation to prevent such problems and to ensure the technical documentation's success.

Online Links

The History of Computing (Page 5)
http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/

The EServer Technical Communication Library (Page 13)
http://tc.eserver.org

Search Engine Web sites (Page 17)
www.altavista.com
www.askjeeves.com
www.google.com
www.webcrawler.com

eFlashcards

Sharpen your knowledge of chapter terms and definitions with eFlashcards or an interactive crossword puzzle.

Practice Tests

Test your understanding of the chapter material with a self-scoring Practice Test.

Some activities require Flash 6.0 Player. If you do not have this application, you may download it now.

Back to Top