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A user-manual needs to be a document that can be used by a large scope of audiences.  Manuals need to be able to cater to users who have varying expertise and skill.  Therefor the document should cater to the lowest common denominator.  The reading was informative in the sense that it showed us how to create effective manuals through the use of text, images and even design.  This will be very helpful in the creation of our own manuals.

The reading for this week hammered home the importance of the style of argument in writing.  It is key that the author has a firm understanding of the topic he/she is writing about, in order to maintain a level of persuasiveness that deems credibility.  Poor credentials on the author's part can lead to a document that fails to communicate its goals with its audience.

Style and design are important pieces in the creation of a doucment.  Context is equally important as the the ultimate goal of any document is to satisfy the reader's needs.  Whether those needs be to be informed, entertained, etc, writing needs to be tailored to meet those needs.  Without proper thought into context, a document is worthless to a reader and the entire effort placed in the creation of the document would be wasted.

We are always told that the beginning and end of paper are the ones most remembered.  The reading this week makes a great point that rhetoric should be maintained throughout the entirity of the paper.  In my future writing, I will make sure that I always keep the audience's awareness in my mind as I create the document.  This is important to maintain the audience's attention throughout the text.

This reading discussed the process involved in writing instructions and carefully considering the context and purposes that the reader will have for the instructions.  I found the section on identifying the users goals and skills and knowledge level helpful.  Also, the chart documenting the users timeframe, goal, and extertise would be very helpful in determining the type of instructions to create.

The reading for this week went over the many different reports we can use in professional communication. The reading specifically went over each type of report and explained why each should be use in certain situations. There was also a good chart for letting you know when you should be more or less formal. One of the other documents goes over how you should always be truthful and accurate when doing reports. This is always something I think that should be kept in mind.

I found this reading to be especially helpful given that this is the time that graduates are in the interviewing process with companies. I found it helpful to understand how to write to companies about career opportunities. While I am in communication with a handful of companies through email and letters, it was useful to understand how to effectively write when writing to business professionals that are getting this kind of writing from many other people.

When the online reading talked about finding resources, I was surprised it didn’t talk about finding legitimate journals and articles on your campus online library.  For example I almost always use the Purdue Library to search for full text, peer reviewed journals to write research papers.  Of course all schools may not have this resource, but there are free websites that they could have t