Re: online doc vs hard doc

[Debra Booth <dbooth -at- MINDSPRING -dot- COM>]

Kenneth,

I definitely agree with your approach. My general rule of thumb is to place
conceptual and introductory material in paper/PDF format and procedures in Help.
Many times these topics are used by different people so there is no need to
duplicate them. However, as with everything we do, it's important to evaluate each
project individually and know as much about the users as possible when making
these decisions.

I like to approach new projects by thinking about the "Best Mix" of documentation
for that project. I use a matrix that includes every type of
documentation--paper/PDF manuals, Help, quick reference cards, tutorials, and so
on. First, I decide which types of documentation are appropriate for that project
based upon the system, the users, and business constraints/requirements. Then I
assign topics to each form of documentation and decide when overlap is
appropriate. Of course, this is an iterative process.

On a current project, I decided to place the error messages only in the Help.
Admittedly, this decision was based upon a selfish desire to survive in a
design-as-you-code environment where error messages are being added, deleted, and
changed frequently. Well, the customer wanted error messages in paper. Their help
desk had to write internal procedures to deal with each error condition. I was
able to convince them that the Help would satisfy their needs because it was well
organized and could be printed for their purposes. When the project "stabilizes"
I'll reconsider adding the error messages to the paper documentation.

When moving our doc from paper to Help, I discoverd that not only did I have to
sell the customers on the idea but I also had to sell internal users. Customers
were actually easier. They were really excited about being able to get both task-
and field-level help exactly when they needed it without having to reference a
400-page manual.

I found that I had to do more of a sales job on the internal users, such as
trainers and customer support reps, who are sometimes more SMEs than computer
aficionados. They relied heavily on the paper manuals. I cringed at the thought of
them being in front of customers with Help-phobia. With some PR and virtual
hand-holding, they are coming around.

Debra Booth
dbooth -at- mindspring -dot- com