Re: paper vs online

Subject: Re: paper vs online
From: Robert Cianchette <rmc -at- DAVIDGE -dot- COM>
Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1993 09:05:28 EST

(stuff deleted)

>One of the applications
>we produce contains on-line doc, which can be kept on screen while you
>continue working, and does exactly this sort of thing.

(more stuff deleted explaining the useful and well designed online
documentation feature)

>BUT, the big problem is . . . NO ONE SEEMS TO USE IT! The facilities
>are easy to use, they're doumented thoroughly and conspicuously, but
>they lie there idle. Go figure!

(more stuff deleted)

>--------------------------------------------------------------------
>Neal Dench Tel: +44 223 872522
>Technical Author Fax: +44 223 872519
>Harlequin Ltd E-mail: JANET - neal -at- uk -dot- co -dot- harlequin
> Internet - neal -at- harlequin -dot- co -dot- uk

>Barrington Hall, Barrington, Cambridge, England, CB2 5RG.
>--------------------------------------------------------------------
>These opinions are mine, you know.

Let's face it. There are at least two kinds of computer users in the
world: a) those that will read the documentation to find an answer to their
problem; and b) those that won't (EVER, no matter how good the documentation
is or how easy it is to use!) If you are perceptive of human nature, you
shouldn't even need an empirical study to convince you of this.

While your documentation system seems ideal in terms of structure, I suspect
that the reason more type a) people don't use it (if they don't) is that it
is just like learning another program; you need to look at the documentation
in order to use the documentation. Most people aren't going to look at
the documentation until they have a problem, at which point they don't want
to screw around with some new mechanism for retrieving data, they just want
the answer. If paper documentation is available and they are type a) people,
they may decide it's easier to resort to a mechanism they are already familiar
with in order to get their answer.

However, I also suspect that over time, as more people use computers from
cradle to grave and as online documentation reaches a uniform level of
sophistication (in terms of mechanics) so that every computer user becomes
as familiar with this method of retrieving data as they are with paper
documents, this problem will subside. Keep up the good work!

Robert Cianchette
Davidge Data Systems Corp.
NYC
rmc -at- davidge -dot- com


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