Re: FAQs - Good or bad?

Subject: Re: FAQs - Good or bad?
From: "Robyn Richards" <robynrrr -at- hotmail -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 00:51:21 +0000


My 2 cents on FAQs based on recent experience:

- In developing new documentation for a product which was already in widespread use, I asked Support for 'frequently asked questions' to ensure I covered that information in the user guide. I recieved only two responses (which, given that Support were said to be 'inundated' with calls, I cannot believe covered all the difficulties users were having with the product).

- When responding to Marketing's request for FAQ to be put on the web site, the material required wasn't 'traditional' FAQ's, but rather Marketing FAQs - a restatement of what the product would do for the client, in small 'sound-bite-sized' pieces.

- In my documents, I prefer to use a TOC and comprehensive Index to enable users to find the information they need. I DO occassionally use FAQs - for situations that a) are really 'frequently asked questions', b) cannot be easily located in the main text (i.e. where the information is scattered over several sections), c) where the situation occurs in very specific circumstances and applies to only a small subset of users, or d) the situation occurs because of the current state of the product and will change in the next version.

Robyn



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References:
Re: FAQs - Good or bad?: From: arroxaneullman

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