RE: TOC article in INTERCOM -- things that made me go "HUH??"

Subject: RE: TOC article in INTERCOM -- things that made me go "HUH??"
From: "David Downing" <DavidDowning -at- users -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 12:16:19 -0500


I am inclined to agree that the value of a TOC in an online environment is questionable. However, the article dealt with printed as well as online material. Plus, the points I was making dealt with *how* a TOC should be constructed, as opposed to *whether* one should be constructed in a specific situation.

-----Original Message-----
From: jgarison -at- ide -dot- com [mailto:jgarison -at- ide -dot- com]
Sent: Friday, December 13, 2002 11:58 AM
To: David Downing; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Subject: RE: TOC article in INTERCOM -- things that made me go "HUH??"


IMHO, I think most TOCs in online help are unusable, unused, and a waste of
time.

I have a 900-topic HTML-based Help file for an enterprise-wide application.
If I were to construct a typical expand/collapse TOC, it will be in excess
of 15 FEET long (at 5 lines/inch). When viewed in a six-inch tall window, it
is essentially useless.

I have replaced our TOC with a search engine, good organization, and
relevant links on each page. In almost 2 years, no one has complained.

When I presented this approach at WinWriters' Help Technology Update
Conference in August, I expected to get some grief about it. I got none.

Included in my presentation was this quote from Jared Spool, principal and
founder of User Interface Engineering (www.uiw.com):

"In 15 years of testing help systems, not one test subject has used the
TOC."

Let the TOC wars begin!

John

John Garison
Documentation Manager
IDe, Concord, MA
978-402-2907
jgarison -at- ide -dot- com



>>-----Original Message-----
David Downing writes:

>>I just read the article "Designing a Table of Contents" in
>>the November 2002 INTERCOM, and discovered a few things
>>that gave me pause.

<snip>

>>Are my ideas about the TOC somewhat parochial or what?


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