RE: Re: "If the docs are too good..."

Subject: RE: Re: "If the docs are too good..."
From: Mailing List <mlist -at- ca -dot- rainbow -dot- com>
To: TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 14:55:09 -0500

Chuck Martin [mailto:cm -at- writeforyou -dot- com]

> That's all well and good, but when training and (especially) technical
> support are considered profit centers by the bean counters,
> there is little
> incentive to improve the product (and its usability).

Obviously, many Microsoft products and many Adobe products
address the needs of the majority of purchasers in some
meaningful way, or those companies would not have gotten
as big as they are, nor their products as popular as they
are. But the question remains why there is such a high
correlation between production of popular, much-purchased
software and design/marketing goals that are clearly oriented
toward milking the customer *after* the sale.

Could it have anything to do with a [speculated] natural
human tendency to favor the 'personal' -- a human support
agent that you happen to pay $120.00 per call -- versus
an inhuman Online Help or a book that will provide much
the same info, but not have a human face on it?

If so, would that say anything about how we should adopt
our Help and other documents to make them more likely
to be used?... and usable?

Is the verdict in, yet, on those programs that incorporate
video guides/teachers, like at least one of the popular
tax-preparation programs? Does that "human face" (and
voice) on the instructional aspects of the software make
it more engaging and successful than a similarly capable
counterpart that just has standard paper, PDF and Help
documentation? Hmm. I guess only H&R Block can answer
that one (or is that a Canada-only reference?).

/kevin




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