Re:Write for One Person
by simonw on Sunday June 14, 2026 @10:03PM
(#48535705)
Writing for "you, but three years ago" is excellent advice.
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Totally! I like the bit about writing for a colleague, because this gives you a much more relatable concept I think.
Re:Write for One Person
by dredmorbius on Monday June 15, 2026 @02:12PM
(#48545029)
"You, before you embarked on this project" is another good target.
Much of the technical documentation I've written was effectively how I got from prior-to-current-project-me to after-current-project me. And is often written for future-me-who's-forgotten-what-I-learned-in-the-process.
What TFA fails to address is the option of either specifically naming prequisite knowledge OR basic prerequisite references. The number of sysadmin / tech manuals which re-iterate, e.g., basic bash/shell/editor commands, networking concepts, etc., etc., rather than simply pointing at a good definitive guide is ... frankly embarrassing. I'd rather see one good continuously-updated reference than thousands of writers reimplementing poorly-written, outdated, and very one-sided references.