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I thought Bill's post was abrupt, but not rude. The missing piece is
*which* Help format she is publishing (as other posts have shown),
because the context-sensitive connection is different if you are
producing WinHelp, HTML Help, WebHelp, JavaHelp, Oracle Help, or
FlashHelp. All are viable outputs from RoboHelp. (And, if she's using
RoboHelp HTML, remove WinHelp from that list.)
I actually understood Bill's response better than I understood the
original question.
Just as an FYI...I receive as many as 400 emails a day or more from
various lists. I answer a lot of questions (as many of you already
know). However, the ones that filter to the top of my "I can answer
this quickly" list are the ones that include all the information I
need. In my case, if I have to ask for more information, then I a)
have to remember to watch for the response (yes, I'll admit that I
don't always read all posts in all lists!), and b) it takes more of my
time.
Bill does the same...I know, because we're on many of the same lists
(and we co-moderate HATT). So while his post could have been worded
differently, his message came across.
To tie this back to tech comm, be sure to include all information when
asking a question. What you want to do (including all pertinent
information, like which Help output you're producing), what you're
working with (tool information), and what you've already tried to do.
(There's nothing more frustrating than answering a question only to
find that the person has already tried all your suggestions.)
Char James-Tanny ~ JTF Associates, Inc. ~ http://www.helpstuff.com
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Contact me directly with business inquiries or comments.
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2004-2005 Microsoft Help MVP ~ MSHelpWiki http://www.mshelpwiki.com
AuthorIT Certified Consultant, Development, and Training
Moderator, HATT and MSHelp2
STC Online Information SIG: Online Help Lead
Web site Hosting and Design ~ http://www.jtfhosting.com
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