Re: Info Mapping

Subject: Re: Info Mapping
From: Robert Plamondon <robert -at- PLAMONDON -dot- COM>
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 1996 07:05:55 PDT

Frederic Wronecki writes:

>Then if a 9-step procedure must be remembered and performed, the chances
>are that about 18 + 12 + 13 + 14 + 13 = 70 % (yes : 70 % !) of the
>operators will fail or ask for assistance from time to time. With a
>7-step procedure, the risk would be 43 %, and with a 5-step procedure, it
>would fall under the acceptable value of 18 %.

That's one reason why technical writing is written down rather than
passed on orally. While Information Mapping may well be relevant to
verbal instructions, and for procedures that must be performed too
quickly to allow the manual to be referred to once started, I
fail to see how it affects material that is used either as step-by-step
instructions where each step can be read and then performed in sequence)
or information that is meant to be learned permanently, rather than
held briefly in short-term memory and then forgotten.

-- Robert
--
Robert Plamondon, President/Managing Editor, High-Tech Technical Writing, Inc.
36475 Norton Creek Road * Blodgett * Oregon * 97326
robert -at- plamondon -dot- com * (541) 453-5841 * Fax: (541) 453-4139

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