Soliciting ideas on how to avoid reinventing the wheel

Subject: Soliciting ideas on how to avoid reinventing the wheel
From: k k <turnleftatnowhere -at- yahoo -dot- com>
To: TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 11:12:24 -0800 (PST)

I have to put together an online help system for a
simple Web application. Problem is, the audience for
this will be REALLY unfamiliar with the technology.
The application will be used by a lot of people who
may know nothing or next to nothing about using a
computer or a Web browser. The users cannot be assumed
to even understand what a hyperlink is or what the
phrase "right-click the mouse" means. Some of them may
be a bit uncertain what a mouse is.

The boss wants me to put in stuff that shows people
who are computer-illiterate how to use the interface.
As I'm sure you realize, that could easily wind up
being a serious project all by itself. I sat down and
tried to make up a list of topics that I thought would
have to be covered to give a user an elementary
introduction, and it has more than twice the number of
help topics needed to cover the application itself.

I would much rather save time and effort by bringing
in something that's already done, rather than having
to knock out my own crude version. I was wondering if
anyone knew a place where on the Web that provides a
ground-level introduction to using a mouse and
browser, that I could link to from the help system. Or
if there's a publicly available tutorial that I could
import into the help system. I just got this
assignment yesterday and have done some looking around
the Web, but so far haven't found anything that fits
my needs.


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References:
PowerPoint Presentations for Doc/writer Impact? (Take II): From: Geoff Hart

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