Ten Technical Communication Myths

• Knowledge of specific tools is vitally important
      in Good technical documentation requires use of several sophisticated tools
• Sans serif fonts are always more legible online
      in Sans serif fonts are always more legible online
• Audiences are static
      in Audiences are static
• Minimalism means keeping text as short as possible
      in Minimalism means using as little text as possible
• The optimum number of steps in a procedure is 7 plus or minus 2
      in There is an optimum number of steps
• You can make a bad interface easy to use through superior documentation
      in Good documentation can fix a bad interface or design
• We can’t talk to the SMEs
      in You can’t talk to SMEs
• Usability testing is prohibitively expensive and difficult
      in Usability testing is prohibitively expensive and difficult
• Singlesourcing means dumping printed documents online
      in Single-sourcing means publishing your print documents online
• Documentation is a cost center
      in Documentation is a cost center
• Myths aren’t always invalid
      in Myths aren’t always false

Source

Hart, G. (2000). Ten Technical Communication Myths. Technical Communication, 47(3), 291-298.