Gnasher, You don't document by assuming the reader is semi-intelligent. You document assuming that they don't. Once you start assuming they do then you're in a whole different realm of how you should be documenting and even then you're assuming that those semi-intelligent readers will be on the same level as everyone else.

As some others have stated, it is best to find someone in the field to document rather than having someone who really has no clue. If readers can't understand your document that's only 5% of the problem. The other 95% is because the author. I know many people "think" they can write but in reality they can't. Even wiki articles are a joke sometimes because it has no structure and flow. I've seen, met, and know many experience professionals in various fields that very knowledgeable but they can't put it on paper for the user to understand. It's not a simple thing to be able to write for a targeted audience. Most, if not all, of the technical websites are poorly written articles and reviews. Often times you wonder who the target audience is. Do they want it for the common Joe or for the technical Joe. In either case, they fail horribly. Structure is poor and inconsistent, vocabulary improperly used, charts and graphs often times could be simpler, and so forth. If you haven't written or document many process or procedures do kid yourself into thinking you can just pick it up and start writing. Look at the new Ars Technia, poor articles being thrown left and right simply because they want the quantity out rather than quality articles. And if you still you can write better than those that are in the field, do yourself a favor and judge yourself by taking a class or attending seminars. I guarantee that most will come back thinking otherwise.