TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re. Choosing between online and on paper From:Geoff Hart <geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA> Date:Thu, 20 Jul 1995 12:29:49 LCL
Melissa Hunter-Kilmer asked for guidelines on when to put info. online
vs. on paper. Here's a quick initial triage:
1. If it will be read on a bus, in the bathroom or anywhere away from
your computer, put it on paper. If your software won't let you display
the information on-screen without concealing the context, put it on
paper.
2. If it concerns an immediate event (e.g., an error message), must be
context-sensitive, requires fast (or fuzzy) searching capabilities,
may be printed out (rather than photocopied), must be cut-and-pasted
into a wordprocessor or database, or if you want the user to see the
information without having to look back and forth between a book and
the screen, put it online. (Other points: if animation or sound will
improve comprehension, it can't go on paper.)
3. If some or all of both points apply, put the information in both
places.
--Geoff Hart #8^{)}
geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
Disclaimer: If I didn't commit it in print in one of
our reports, it don't represent FERIC's opinion.
