White papers are like marketing advertisements for the business class.
When we view commercials on TV they are like overly simplified white papers telling us to buy their product without facts or telling us the future of the product. Instead some of them provide us with a good laugh and we will be convinced it is just the product we need. In the business world they need more than a good laugh (although some could use it) and other marketing techniques aimed at the normal consumer. What white pages do is persuade companies to buy their product indirectly. Like in the Motorola ads, they talk about the change in the market. They subconsciously say if you do not get in on the ground level then your company will be a thing of the past. This is what we will have to do when we write our white pages. We have to be the sneaky salesman. We do not want to come off as too desperate because the companies can sense that. We have to be confident in what we are informing our audience about. Our paper must give the attitude of we could care less whether we get your business, (even though we want it) we just want to present you facts on to why our product is the next best thing. Confidence in your product is everything; people will buy it if others feel strongly in it and our documentation backs it up.
Government white pages are different because they are looking to get funding from the government to help their project(s). They are more professional and talk about where that funding money will go. Marketing white papers might bend the truth a little to gain a sale. By buying their product your company can make money. By just having confidence in your product, one can inform the consumer on why they should buy your product. Guide them to make the right decision because we are not persuading our audience.
Srsly?
I really disagree with what you are saying here. From what I understand from the readings white papers are not meant to merely persuade people's subconscious to buy a product. I also strongly disagree with your statement, "Guide them to make the right decision because we are not persuading our audience." Again, I feel you are quite mistaken. The overall purpose is to inform people whether they are a business, a customer, etc. Provide your audience with the facts and them let them make an informed decision. We certainly do not have to be a "sneaky salesman" either. In my opinion those are the worst white papers to read. Also confidence has nothing to do with writing the white paper. Knowing your audience and being able to tailor your writing to them is everything.
Andy
That's one use (misuse?)
I think what you are talking about is one possible use (misuse?) of a white paper, but I think there are plenty of other applications for a white paper besides veiled sales pitches. For example, I think an internal government report could come in the form of a white paper. If the president appoints a research comittee to do a study, I would think it's report would probably come back looking like a white paper. The same thing goes for a team of design engineers presenting their product to a company executive. In fact, if you've done research papers in the past, those might have come back looking similar to a white paper, depending on the topic.
What I've gathered from the readings and all their talk about bias is that sneaky salesmanship and subtle persuasion are what we are trying to avoid. The white paper should be strictly informative and let the facts speak for themselves.
Perspective
You all bring up very good points, but I don’t think Jeff is completely wrong. In all reality a lot of white papers written by companies ARE made to sell you something. When it comes to businesses, they are in business to make money. The reasons companies do things is so that you will buy their products. They don’t put easy to pour spouts on things to make your life easier, they put them there because they know you will buy it BECAUSE it make your life easier. Whether or not this is a proper use or a misuse of a White Paper is all a matter of perspective.