What does it mean if a writer builds a "straw man" in his or her writing?

In its simplest definition straw man is the name of a logical fallacy which means that if you carefully dissect the argument or statement it doesn't make sense you put forth a straw man because you know it will be easy for you to knock down or discredit It's a way of misrepresenting your opponent's position.

“Straw man” It’s a fallacy, a fallacy is meant to distract and deceive, using a twisted version of the opposite side’s argument against them. Users of this form of propaganda build a “straw man” and attack it in place of their opponent’s actual argument.

The straw man will be a weaker, often a extreme, version of the original argument, similar in appearance but much easier to refute and destroy.

Explanation:

Fallacies are errors or tricks of reasoning. A fallacy is an error of reasoning if it occurs accidentally; it is a trick of reasoning if a speaker or writer uses it to manipulate his audience.  

the five different scouting organizations are cub scouts, boy scouts, girl scouts, brownies, and 4h. the main purpose of the scouting movement is to young people develop mentally, spiritually and physically.

different strategies reach different people based on their ability to understand the material. (from personal experience) when writing an argumentative essay write explaining the subject as though your audience never heard of it before and it is just being introduced, then explain why other people hate it also, afterward you would explain why that would be wrong. i hope that : )