GEC324_Lecture 1_Exercise

INSTRUCTIONS:

This is a graded exercise for the discourse on the fundamentals of technical

communication.

NOTE:

1. There are two exercises labelled A and B.

2. The exercises are to be attempted, typed and kept for submission upon resumption.

3. The soft copies of attempts would also be collected as a zipped file from the
respective course representatives of the various departments and/or programmes upon
resumption.

QUESTIONS

A. Characterizing your users.

Use the websites listed below, and explore these sites. Using the questions that follow,
try to figure out what assumptions the content developers are making about their
users’ needs. See if you can develop a profile of the type of user that each of the
websites addresses through its content and presentation.

a. https://www.tms.org/

b. https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/kids/

c. https://www.royal.uk/

Note: For generating ideas for your profile follow the format outlined below:

1. Who is visiting this website?

2. What special characteristics do they have?
3. What is their background in the subject matter?
4. What attitude toward or level of interest do the site designers assume the user
has in the subject?
5. Why do you think users will come to this website?
6. What tasks might users perform based on the information in this website?
7. What legal issues did the website designers have to address regarding this
subject matter?
 8. Is the content of the website directed at a cross-cultural audience? How can you
tell?
9. What level of technical knowledge does the website assume in the reader/user?
How can you tell?
10. Write a paragraph or two about each website in which you create a description
of the target users implied in the answers to these questions. Try to include as
many different topics as you can to help yourself think about ways in which the
users may be different or similar.
11. Based on your analysis of these websites, what are five ways that users may
differ from one another?
12. How do these differences affect the kind of information that is included in the
writing prepared?
13. How do these differences affect the visual presentation of the information?

B. Writing a Memo.

Using the search term “social media policy examples,” find a corporate policy
statement on employee use of social media. In a 500-word memo to your instructor,
explain whether the policy statement is clear, specific, and comprehensive. Does the
statement include a persuasive explanation of why the policy is necessary? Is the tone
of the statement positive or negative? How would you feel if you were required to
abide by this policy?

Note: Include a copy of the policy statement (or a portion of it) to your memo so that
it can referred to for appropriate grading by your instructor.