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Re: Online help and the elimination of the printed doc

Subject: Re: Online help and the elimination of the printed doc
From: quills -at- airmail -dot- net
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 22:06:51 -0600

At 9:28 AM -0800 1/16/04, <Daniel_Hall -at- trendmicro -dot- com> wrote:

Knowing that most all tech writers are bibliophiles, I'll ask you to try and set aside your biases :-)

I am presently pondering the possibility of purging the "printed" documentation from a product I'm documenting. (Like that alliteration? It's Friday!) Actually, we would still provide a smallish printed document, containing "Getting Started" info, as well as troubleshooting (the two times you're not likely to have access to the online help).

What you are proposing to do is Microsoft your documentation.

A Help system is not where you want to place online system documentation.

A Help system is supposed to provide immediate answers to current operational questions that a user has during operations.

An online documentation system takes the place of printed system documentation or user documentation and is extensive in detail and exhaustive in treatment. Often it includes procedures, examples, and troubleshooting.

Your are really proposing three pieces of documentation: Help, online documentation, and a physical getting starting/installation document.

Usually when I am working on a computer program I don't want to lose physical sight of my work area and what I am doing, exactly what your proposal would force the user to do.

Think about this: when was the last time you vehemently cursed Microsoft, or any other software manufacturer for not providing adequate documentation that told you how to make the software work, and forced you to wander their Help system, bouncing back and forth from the modal Help screen, which obscures your work area, to the program window, and back again, and again, and again.

I strenuously advocate a separate online document rather than making the Help system perform two unrelated tasks.

Scott Turner




References:
Online help and the elimination of the printed doc: From: Daniel_Hall

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