5 Users in a Room?

Subject: 5 Users in a Room?
From: Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>
To: TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>, mailinfodd-wrt -at- yahoo -dot- com
Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2006 08:45:49 -0500

Marie Palmieri wondered: <<If you were at a meeting with five of your users, and you were given an opportunity to ask one question to solicit feedback from them about product documentation, what one open- ended question would you ask?>>

Actually, I'd ask them a closed-end question first: "Would you ask 5 of your friends to each ask 5 of their friends to each ask 5 of their friends to write a letter to my company complaining about how user- hostile the software is?" <g> I'd even provide the template: "Why can't you make the software as easy to use as the documentation? Maybe you should get your technical writers involved in the product design, or at least listen to them when they raise issues."

Okay, so that's just a tad transparent. <g> But I can dream, can't I? My other preferred question would be: "Would you be willing to discuss the docs with me by e-mail over the next month or two, and if so, please give me your e-mail address." Then I can ask as many questions as I want, at our mutual convenience.

If I only had the chance to ask for one answer--the possible literal meaning of your question--it would be the following: "What one thing could I do to make the documentation more useful to you?" (Since I always try to stretch the rules a bit, I'd interpret the "one" a bit more liberally: "What are the top three/five/ten things...?" But you said one, so I started out literally...)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --

Geoff Hart ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca

(try geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com if you don't get a reply)

www.geoff-hart.com

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content delivery. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Easily create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to any popular Help file format or printed documentation. Learn more at http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot-
To unsubscribe send a blank email to techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40infoinfocus.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


References:
5 Users in a Room: From: M. Palmieri

Previous by Author: Freelancers in China?
Next by Author: Working as a Technical Writer in Madrid?
Previous by Thread: RE: 5 Users in a Room
Next by Thread: Re: 5 Users in a Room


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads