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Re: Context-sensitive vs. navigational help

Subject: Re: Context-sensitive vs. navigational help
From: Michele Davis <michele -at- krautgrrl -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2004 13:06:20 -0500


I would say that it depends on the application and end user. Is the application written for new software users? I will go out on a limb here, but all context sensitive help I've done there was an assumption that the user knew how to access help, but then I don't write help for applications that have a new user base.

If you're concerned that your users won't know how to navigate help, and god lord I would hope since Mac's and PC's with loadable software have been around for 20 years that they do know how to use the help, but, if not I would create a navigational quick start guide that goes into the application's box, or if you don't want to hassle with paper, a splash screen that comes up as they are installing the software addressing navigational issues.

Michele

--
Michele

"I kissed her goodbye, said all beauty must die..." Nick Cave & Kate Bush
www.krautgrrl.com



Donna Marino wrote:

the client is now concerned that if a user needs to navigate to a particular screen in the application, he/she won't know how to do that unless the help system also provides navigational instructions. How do writers handle this? Do you include separate topics for navigation in addition to providing context-sensitive help for each window?



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References:
Context-sensitive vs. navigational help: From: Donna Marino

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