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Subject:RE: craft vs. science vs. art From:"Sean Brierley" <sbri -at- haestad -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 24 Jun 2002 14:13:59 -0400
Me? I think the covers are the most necessary part, but only if printed
in Malaysia and bound in Singapore by workers relocated from the Czech
Republic.
In truth, I think meeting your deadline and providing accurate content
within that parameter is more important than everything else. If you
also provide online copy, a word search can be done as a poor cousin to
a good index but, the truth is, if you are too expensive, you get
downsized, if you miss your deadlines, nobody gets what you intend and
you are downsized, and if the question is about content or no content,
content is king: ship the book. Have we chatted about actually having a
deadline and shipping, yet?
Note, I intend no offense to those who are down, downsized, small in
stature, from Malaysia, the Czech Republic, or Singapore. I intend no
ill-will towards those who cannot meet their deadlines nor those who
fail to produce accurate content. Although, I admit that some cats
bother me, this does not mean I automatically dislike the cats
themselves, personally, or their owners . . ..
-----Original Message-----
From: walden miller [mailto:wmiller -at- vidiom -dot- com]
Phil et al.
<< you ask>>
How about an example of something successful in one document failing
miserably in another?
<< >>
I always like to point to the use of graphics as un/successful in
documentation.
1. The floating hand which points to something of interest is very
successful in most first world cultures.
It is absolutely unsuccessful in many third world cultures (a hand
separated
from a body is disconcerting and overpowers the concept of pointing).
2. Cutesy characters (like Microsoft Help's talking paper clip) are
successful in some docs for some audiences.
Cutesy characters are not successful in API documentation
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