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Subject:Re: online help usability (fwd) From:Caryn Rizell <caryn -at- HPPTC44 -dot- ROSE -dot- HP -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 7 Apr 1994 15:20:35 PDT
Re: renaming 'help'
We had thought of something like "Info" or maybe "Using XXX". Our
help is really the user guide online in a hypertext format.
I develop in a Unix environment, which doesn't seem to have the
established conventions for 'help' as Windows does.
I tend to think, however, that even though Windows help is well
established, many users just don't even bother to open help.
And some of it is because of a bad experience using help, but
some of it has to be because people don't like to ask for
help (especially men! I know this will open a can of worms,
but we must admit that men and women have different ways
of getting information--women stop and ask for help and men just keep
going until they find it. Please forgive me for stereotyping, but in
my own experience this is true.)
If we haven't already, we should be examining gender-based
issues for how people use our products. Has this been done?
(I am ducking now in preparation for the barrage of stones
that will soon be thrown in my direction because of my comments!)
> >Caryn Rizell
> >Tech Writing Contractor
> >Hewlett Packard, Roseville
> >caryn -at- hpptc44 -dot- rose -dot- hp -dot- com
> >
