Re: suggestions on how to "hide" UI-based topics in online Help TOC?

["Bill Swallow" <techcommdood -at- gmail -dot- com>]

I really had trouble following your post, but as a suggestion, leave
the UI specific topics in, leave them as the context-sensitive anchor
points for the Help, and build in procedural information to which you
link from the UI topics. This way if one UI screen can be used by
users for 5 purposes, they get to that one UI topic and from there can
choose in the help what they're doing for more targeted info.

On Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 11:38 AM, Donna Barbieri <deebeema -at- yahoo -dot- com> wrote:
> Here is the situation - I am working as a contractor
>  at a company that had a Tech Writing intern (who is
>  related to someone in dev). This intern produced an
>  entire WebHelp system for the application. However,
>  the Help system is 100% UI specific. Topics such as
>  "using XYZ" really include information about what is
>  on a particular screen.
>  I have been tasked with creating "usable" Help for
>  first time users AND with keeping the existing Help
>  for a release in the next two weeks.
>
>  Since, apparently, this HAS to be there I'd like to
>  minimize it's impact on users. I am thinking of
>  introducing the task-based topics as one normally
>  would and then renaming all the existing topics and
>  including them in a logical hierarchy (oh, I didn't
>  mention the current TOC has two levels - which could
>  be bc there are no keywords and the index suxs - but I
>  digress yet again...)...anyway, so I want to create a
>  hierarchy so these topics aren't cluttering the TOC -
>  question is - what should these "topics" be called I
>  really want to steer away from "using XYZ Page" and
>  was thinking "XYZ Options" "XYZ Page" "About XYZ"? Any
>  suggestions?

-- 
Bill Swallow
HATT List Owner
WWP-Users List Owner
Senior Member STC, TechValley Chapter
STC Single-Sourcing SIG Manager
http://techcommdood.blogspot.com
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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.