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Re: keeping the page count down?

Subject: Re: keeping the page count down?
From: "Peter Neilson" <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net>
To: "techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>, "Debbi Crum" <debbi -dot- crum -at- yahoo -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 13:52:15 -0400

On Thu, 02 Oct 2014 13:18:39 -0400, Debbi Crum <debbi -dot- crum -at- yahoo -dot- com> wrote:

Does anyone have suggestions on how to make a document more compact, ...

Back in the dark ages, when there was a lot more stuff that had to be explained, or so it seemed, we made pocket cards. They would show assignments of bits in registers, crucial command-line options, stuff like that. The user was expected to know the material already, and the cards were only a reminder, for saving time and for not messing things up. At one shop we had training classes and we had cards, but no manuals at all. Training involved a lot of hand-on work by users who already knew all the EE that went into the particular electronic test equipment.

Eventually pocket cards grew into pocket booklets, and then those outgrew the pockets. The cards, in my experience, were the most useful item, and the best received. As Will Strunk said, "Rule 13. Omit needless words."

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keeping the page count down?: From: Debbi Crum

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