TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
What I've found is the opposite type of wording in our older documentation.
There's a lot of "Now you can do ZZZ, previously you had to do XXX and YYY
to accomplish the same task." I'd appreciate any thoughts on that type of
wording. I know it would depend on the type of document, whether it was an
Explanation of Changes document or a task-based procedures document. Let's
assume that it is in a task-based procedures document. You are reading text
like this (and assume that the end-user wants to know what files are being
updated):
<In a software called Interface Maintenance>
Adding a Code
1. Click Add.
2. Enter the code and a description. The code and description are added to
the GNPXXFS file as well as the XXFSGNP file. Previously, you would have had
to enter the code in System Codes Maintenace to add the code to the XXFSGNP
file.
<snip>
The sentence that begins "Previously . . ." is what I'm talking about.
Needed explanation? Marketing material?
Paul
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Field, Kristin [SMTP:KField -at- LSAC -dot- org]
> Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2001 8:31 AM
> To: TECHWR-L
> Subject: future functionality
>
<snip>
> Personally, I think this is a bad practice and don't feel that any future
> plans for the application should be in a user's (basically a "How to")
> manual. I mean, this manual is a year and a half old, as I mentioned, and
> the future functionality is still future functionality. Wouldn't that be
> best left to the marketing literature?
<snip>
*** Deva(tm) Tools for Dreamweaver and Deva(tm) Search ***
Build Contents, Indexes, and Search for Web Sites and Help Systems
Available now at http://www.devahelp.com or info -at- devahelp -dot- com
TECH*COMM 2001 Conference, July 15-18 in Washington, DC
The Help Technology Conference, August 21-24 in Boston, MA
Details and online registration at http://www.SolutionsEvents.com
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
