Opinions and Experiences: web-based help

Subject: Opinions and Experiences: web-based help
From: "Joe Malin" <jmalin -at- tuvox -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 11:00:33 -0700


Hi!

I am soliciting opinions and experiences with web-based help.

Specifically, how should I display web-based help? When a user clicks
the Help button, should I display the page in the existing window?
Should I open a new window? Should I create a frame in the existing
window?

If I open a new window, should it have all the toolbars and navigation
controls?

Right now, I am opening a new window. In Firefox/Mozilla, tabbed
browsing allows the user to switch back and forth between help and
application. IE 7 will have tabbed browser, but IE 6 doesn't. In IE 6, I
have the new window appearing as a popup without toolbars or controls.
As a result, the user can't navigate easily between topics.

Joe


Joe Malin
Technical Writer
(408)625-1623
jmalin -at- tuvox -dot- com
www.tuvox.com

The views expressed in this document are those of the sender, and do not
necessarily reflect those of TuVox, Inc.

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