RE: table of figures

Subject: RE: table of figures
From: Brent -dot- Jones -at- Level3 -dot- com
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2001 11:18:35 -0700

Mike Stockman wrote on Friday, January 05, 2001 9:47 AM:

> I can imagine situations where a list of figures would be
> useful, but, in
> my mind anyway, those situations are rare... are people
> really using them
> very often, and to what end? Has anyone ever usability tested
> such manuals
> to see whether the users even notice, much less use, the list
> of figures?

I also never consult a list of figures when using docs that have one, and my
sense (without any formal usability testing) is that most people don't.
However, I generally include one in larger documents for the following
reasons:

1. A few of my readers might find it useful.

2. It takes up a trivial amount of space--one or two pages.

3. With Frame, and even Word, it requires very little effort to set up and
generate.

So I generally figure 'what the heck' and throw one in. I also think it
might add to that subtle, ineffable sense of completeness and benign
'authority' that an effective document should have in order to be effective.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Develop HTML-based Help with Macromedia Dreamweaver! (STC Discount.)
**NEW DATE/LOCATION!** January 16-17, 2001, New York, NY.
http://www.weisner.com/training/dreamweaver_help.htm or 800-646-9989.

Sponsored by DigiPub Solutions Corp, producers of PDF 2001
Conference East, June 4-5, Baltimore/Washington D.C. area.
http://www.pdfconference.com or toll-free 877/278-2131.

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


Previous by Author: RE: Should writers develop their own illustrations?
Next by Author: RE: Contests for Technical Documentation?
Previous by Thread: RE: table of figures
Next by Thread: RE: table of figures


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads