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> I think the shorthand version is useful in command
> summaries and quick-reference cards, where space is
> at a premium. In normal instructional writing, the full
> narrative version is superior because it does a better job
> of teaching a logical path through the menus. The
This is all well and good, but it does go against the typical user's innate
desire: to learn only the least amount of information necessary to
accomplish a given task. For most people, learning is a chore, something to
be performed only when absolutely necessary. This attitude is a form of
both impatience and laziness, and it's a common state of mind. The
shorthand version speaks directly to this need; the narrative is less useful
to these people.
Of course, determining the ratio of impatient users to those who prefer
narratives is another task entirely.
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A landmark hotel, one of America's most beautiful cities, and
three and a half days of immersion in the state of the art:
IPCC 01, Oct. 24-27 in Santa Fe. http://ieeepcs.org/2001/
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