Re: A Good Response to "No One Reads the Help Anyway"

Subject: Re: A Good Response to "No One Reads the Help Anyway"
From: doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com
To: Yves JEAUROND <jingting -at- rogers -dot- com>
Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2007 10:56:35 -0800

On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 13:14:34 -0500 (EST), you wrote:

>One could add that Google's greatest disadvantage
>in comparison to Help is that [good] Help tells you
> where to start and when something is finished.
> Google can go on and on and on and ...


Ah, this is key! Help (and googling) often leave us bogged
down working out a design for how to get something done,
even when the task (as designed) actually has a clear but
poorly documented beginning and end.

The kind of loose ends we get when Help is poorly designed
are not much better than googling as a form of Help. Still
and all, googling * is* a revolutionary way to approach
design tasks.
Ned Bedinger
doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com

"Intelligence is not how much you know,
it's what you do when you don't know."


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.


Follow-Ups:

References:
RE: A Good Response to "No One Reads the Help Anyway": From: McLauchlan, Kevin
RE: A Good Response to "No One Reads the Help Anyway": From: Yves JEAUROND

Previous by Author: Re: How do you differentiate yourself (UserFriendly)
Next by Author: Re: Database Documentation Tools
Previous by Thread: RE: A Good Response to "No One Reads the Help Anyway"
Next by Thread: RE: A Good Response to "No One Reads the Help Anyway"


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads