Re: Content of Help Systems

Subject: Re: Content of Help Systems
From: David Neeley <dbneeley -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2005 21:18:57 -0500


Bill,

As an old Mexican saying goes, "Cada chango a su mecate"--"each monkey
to his own rope!"

I continue to believe that a very workable combination is online help
as more of a *quick* reference, and a manual (either electronic or
printed) for more basic study. Generally, there is a value to seeing a
given point in context by having it on pages that also may contain
other but related information...or, of course, so I have found it.

To me, if "the content is the same" it is merely a sign that one of
the versions is unnecessary. For the short-sighted bean counters,
simply eliminating one would save even more money!

If each medium is created to take maximum advantage of its strenghts,
I cannot understand why we should reduce the material to some common
denominator simply to create two different versions of the same thing.

Like various others on this list, I cut my professional teeth in a
time when printed docs were the only real game in town. I *love*
print--but personally I *use* electronic docs far more often than
printed docs of any sort. Partly, that is because the average
application doc is so very poor--often created, apparently, by those
who don't deign to seek better answers or (more importantly) better
questions through participation in forums such as this one.

I have reached the point where I am always pleasantly surprised and
greatly gratified if I can actually find a useful result from online
help *or* users' manuals that accompany applications. If this were not
so true, there would be far less interest in third party docs.

Of course, there is also the point that if we had the exact same
opinions, then one of *us* would be unnecessary as well! 8:)

David


On 9/20/05, Bill Swallow <techcommdood -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
> > As a user, I feel somewhat cheated when the content is the same. I ask
> > "why do both?" in that case.
>
> I don't. I leave the books in the library and use them when engaged in
> hearty debate with co-workers and use the online docs for my own
> reference.

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Follow-Ups:

References:
Content of Help Systems: From: M Parcell
Re: Content of Help Systems: From: David Neeley
Re: Content of Help Systems: From: Bill Swallow

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