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Discussion Topic for Week 1: Examining Poorly Written Instructions

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The first writing assignment in the class involves writing a set of instructions on how to input information into a website. This discussion topic is designed to help you prepare for that assignment.
In this discussion topic, you will not examine instructions on how to navigate a website. Rather, you will examine instructions on how to use a Sony digital voice recorder. Nonetheless, this discussion topic will help us begin the class by examining principles and strategies in writing instructions for an audience.
1. Please peruse the four resources listed in Resources on Writing Instructions, which is in Content for week 1. The four resources listed there are the following:

Technical Writing Essentials: Writing Instructions

Wikibooks: Professional and Technical Writing–Instructions

Jerz’s Literacy Weblog: How to Write Guides for Busy Grouches

Writing Commons: Creating Rhetorically Effective Instruction Manuals

2. Then download the document titled Poorly_written_instructions_How_to_use_Your_Sony_Digital_Voice_Recorder. The document is posted in Content for week 1.
3. Identify at least three problems with this set of instructions. Use the advice from at least two of the resources to inform the problems you identify. In your response to this discussion topic, please list the three problems you found.

Discussion Topic for Week 1: Considering Your Topic for Writing Assignment #1

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In this assignment, you are asked to write a set of instructions that explain how to accomplish a task on a website.
For example, you could write about how to change your credit card that you have saved on Amazon.com. You could write about how to reserve a book online from your local library.
Please answer the following questions:
1. What topic are you considering for writing assignment #1?
2. For this topic, you will need to make some screen captures of the website. In addition, you will need to blur out any private information (e.g., your name on the website you are perusing, any credit card information, etc.) Please create one screen capture for your set of instructions and post it to this discussion topic.
You can view two sample papers for this assignment in order to help you acquire a better understanding of it. In Content for week 1, in the area “resources to peruse,” you can see a link for two sample papers for this assignment.