Site-liscenced Documentation

Subject: Site-liscenced Documentation
From: sanders_j -at- TBOSCH -dot- DNET -dot- GE -dot- COM
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 1993 14:15:44 EDT

Hi All,

Well, I was sitting here in front of the computer, looking over some non-
electronic memoes (paperless office, where are you?) and I noticed someone
had photocopied the MicroSoft quick reference cards and sent them out to
everyone. And it suddenly hit me that I don't have any documentation for
any of the software I use regularly, not even quick-reference cards, even
though I know that we here at GE have a full site liscence for the entire
MicroSoft Office package.

Two things about this memo bother me. First, is it legal, even with a site
liscence to copy stuff like quick reference cards or even parts of the
documentation. This has been a long standing process here. Get one copy
of the docs and send it down to the copy center to distribute to the plant.
Boom - there goes 40% of the design work, and all those nice color
illustrations.

Second, if there are a lot of situations like this out there (informal
poll!), that means a lot of users don't even have ACCESS to the documentation.
Is this why so many companies are PUSHING on-line help?

Now, to let GE have it's due, everyone in the office was given very thorough
and complete, hands-on training, with little starter-up packs of info. But
what if someone wants to do something complicated, or simply not covered in
the packet?

And the overall question, is of course, what's the point of anyone doing
the documentation if it isn't even being USED?

Fuel for the thought-fires...

-John Sanders-


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