Re: RoboHelp 7 and Customer Feedback

[Robert Lauriston <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com>]

A really simple low-tech way to do it is to put a mailto link at the
bottom and/or top of every topic. I don't know about RoboHelp, but I
was able to configure MIF2Go to automatically include the topic HTML
file name in the subject line.

On Thu, Jan 14, 2010 at 10:50 AM, Robert Courtney <bobsc1 -at- earthlink -dot- net> wrote:
> I'm looking at a way to get customer feedback on a webhelp system I'm
> developing. I have read the RoboHelp help file and have found I can make
> a form in a topic and request feedback. The feedback is then captured on
> a server with a DB. That's doable for me. There has to be a better way
> to get customer feedback on the help system.
>
> There is an option for RoboHelp to use their software server and db to
> capture help and track statistics.
>
> I have also been looking at Madcap just out of curiosity to see what
> they offer. Not that I am jumping to Madcap anytime soon or ever.
>
> Any ideas and help would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Robert Courtney
> Technical Writer
> PDSI – Principal Decision Systems International
> O: (800) 850-7374 ext 1283
> F: (714) 703-3000
> E: robertcourtney -at- pdsi-software -dot- com
> www.pdsi-software.com
>
>
> On 1/14/2010 10:38 AM, McLauchlan, Kevin wrote:
>>
>>
>> First, Missy Smith said:
>>
>>> My new employer wants to make our help system available to our
>>> customer to download. What files are needed to create a
>>> "portable" help system? Is this still WebHelp?
>>>
>> ... then she came along with...
>>
>>
>>>   Okay, I just came back from my boss' office. She showed me a
>>> zip file that they distribute and the customer downloads. The
>>> only files it contains is all html files and a folder with
>>> images. That's it. She stabs her finger at the monitor and
>>> says, "That's what I want."
>>>
>> Hmm.  Sounds fishy to me.
>>
>> JUST html and images...
>> No CSS?
>> No XML or other glue?
>>
>> There's a reason that RoboHelp and Flare (and others?) WebHelp
>> contains a BUNCH more files than just straight html and some
>> images.
>>
>> Those additional files (in a few sub-directories) are what
>> makes it _help_ instead of just a collection of html pages.
>>
>> Things like the Search facility and the ToC, and Index and
>> Browse Sequences, etc. are implemented via those other files,
>> in addition to the straight html.  Without them, you've got
>> some reading material, but you don't have a working, useful
>> Help system.
>>
>> For each of our products, my WebHelp has
>>
>> /top-directory_named_for_product
>>    /Content
>>      /somedirnamepeculiartomyproduct
>>      /anotherdirname
>>      /andanotherdirname
>>      /andyetanotherdir
>>      /Resources
>>         /Images
>>    /Data
>>      /SkinNewWindow
>>      /Skin(mycompanyname)
>>    /Skin
>>      /Images
>>   -startpage.htm
>>   -startpage.js
>>   -startpage.mcwebhelp
>>   -startpage.xml
>>   -startpage_CSH.htm
>>   -startpage_Left.htm
>>
>> That gets delivered to the customer in one of three ways:
>>
>>   - on the software CD/DVD
>>   - on a standalone Docs CD that comes along with the software
>>   - in a downloadable tarball or zip archive of<see above>.
>>
>> The customer has the option of running the help directly from
>> the CD, or copying the complete structure to their PC hard disk
>> and running it from there. (Or they can toss it on a file server,
>> but in this form it's not meant to be served by a webserver engine.)
>>
>> Does what your boss showed you include the functions of a
>> usable help system?  Or does the user just open each one by
>> filename with their browser, then close it?
>>
>> The advantage of WebHelp is that it works pretty-much the same
>> on Linux or Solaris as it does on Windows.
>>
>>   - Kevin
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> The information contained in this electronic mail transmission
>> may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected
>> from disclosure. If you have received this communication in
>> error, please notify us immediately by replying to this
>> message and deleting it from your computer without copying
>> or disclosing it.
>>
>>
>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>
>> Are you looking for one documentation tool that does it all? Author,
>> build, test, and publish your Help files with just one easy-to-use tool.
>> Try the latest Doc-To-Help 2009 v3 risk-free for 30-days at:
>> http://www.doctohelp.com/
>>
>> Explore CAREER options and paths related to Technical Writing,
>> learn to create SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS documents, and
>> get tips on FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATION best practices. Free at:
>> http://www.ModernAnalyst.com
>>
>> ---
>> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as bobsc1 -at- earthlink -dot- net -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/bobsc1%40earthlink.net
>>
>>
>> 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.
>>
>> Please move off-topic discussions to the Chat list, at:
>> http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/listinfo/techwr-l-chat
>>
>>
>> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 4771 (20100114) __________
>>
>> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>
>> http://www.eset.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> Are you looking for one documentation tool that does it all? Author,
> build, test, and publish your Help files with just one easy-to-use tool.
> Try the latest Doc-To-Help 2009 v3 risk-free for 30-days at:
> http://www.doctohelp.com/
>
> Explore CAREER options and paths related to Technical Writing,
> learn to create SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS documents, and
> get tips on FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATION best practices. Free at:
> http://www.ModernAnalyst.com
>
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as robert -at- lauriston -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/robert%40lauriston.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.
>
> Please move off-topic discussions to the Chat list, at:
> http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/listinfo/techwr-l-chat
>
>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Are you looking for one documentation tool that does it all? Author, 
build, test, and publish your Help files with just one easy-to-use tool.
Try the latest Doc-To-Help 2009 v3 risk-free for 30-days at:
http://www.doctohelp.com/ 

Explore CAREER options and paths related to Technical Writing,
learn to create SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS documents, and
get tips on FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATION best practices. Free at:
http://www.ModernAnalyst.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. 

Please move off-topic discussions to the Chat list, at:
http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/listinfo/techwr-l-chat