Re: User Documentation Preferences [WAS: Frame & WWP vs Word & boHelp]

["Murrell, Thomas" <TMurrell -at- ALLDATA -dot- NET>]

Whether it is true or not, which is usually immaterial in such discussions,
I think the commonly held management belief is that non-electronic
documentation is more expensive to produce and maintain than electronic
documentation.

Management also has as its constant example of what kind of documentation
one needs, the Microsoft example wherein they only provide online help with
their software packages.

I'm not sure how much facts contrary to those notions will receive a fair
hearing.

For my part, I think that there are types of information that reader/users
prefer to have online (how to, what is this type information) so that they
can readily access this information while using the system.  I think users
prefer more conceptual information (overviews, process flows and
discussions, and such like) be in some kind of physical document that can be
read at the reader's leisure.

Tom Murrell
Senior Technical Writer, Alliance Data Systems, Inc.
CAD4A - (614)729-4364
Fax: (614)729-4499
mailto:tmurrell -at- alldata -dot- net

> ----------
> From:         Denise Fritch[SMTP:dfritch -at- INTELLICORP -dot- COM]
> Reply To:     Denise Fritch
> Sent:         Tuesday, August 24, 1999 11:58 AM
> To:   TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject:      Re: User Documentation Preferences [WAS: Frame & WWP vs Word
> & RoboHelp]
>
> > Linda Sims wrote:
> > Do users really prefer to have on-line help files as their ONLY
> > source of application/program documentation?
>
> No, users don't want only online help files. At least that is what a
> survey,
> sponsored by marketing and consulting departments here, determined a year
> ago. Installation and general "how do we begin" publications were wanted
> by
> users.
>
> Unfortunately, senior management has decided to maintain the "status quo"
> and continue to provide only online help. At least for the time being. Two
> weeks ago, during a meeting about new products, I asked what format user
> information would be provided for new products. The senior manager present
> stated the new products would be so easy to use there would be no need for
> any user information.
>
> Best,
>
>      Denise L. Fritch
>
>
> From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=
> =
>
>

 From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=