Re: Reading behavior

Subject: Re: Reading behavior
From: Fred Wersan <wersan -at- ZEUS -dot- MA30 -dot- BULL -dot- COM>
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 1994 08:22:04 EST

----- Begin Included Message -----

I suspect this is not an isolated reading behavior.

** Right. I remember having the following real-life conversation:

QA: The user asked us such-and-such and the answer's not
in the manual. Better fix the manual.
Me: It's in the manual. Here's the page.
QA: Hmm... Nope, not there.
Me: Here's the paragraph.
QA: Hmm... Nope, not there.
Me: Here's the sentence.
QA: Oh.
__________________________________________________________________________
Mark L. Levinson, SEE Technologies, Box 544, Herzlia, Israel
mark -at- dcl-see -dot- co -dot- il | voice +972-9-584684, ext. 230 | fax +972-9-543917


----- End Included Message -----

I think that what people want you to write is something like:

"Do not turn off the console. This means, do not turn off the console."

I get the feeling that people are hesitant to follow even the clearest, most
unambiguous direction without some reassurance that this is, in fact, what
they should do. That's why I like to use screen captures/illustrations. They
(I hope,) reinforce the text and reassure the reader.

I think that the 3rd party folks may (I say may, because I haven't read them
all and they aren't all wonderful so maybe I should say the good 3rd party
folks) be doing a better job at reassuring and supporting readers.

I think there's a connection here to the findings that Dr. Carroll reports in
the Minimalist Documentation book about how people had awful problems following
directions in tutorials.

-----------------------------------
Fred Wersan
Quest Engineering Solutions
Documentation Services
MA30/807
300 Concord Rd.
Billerica, Mass. 01821
508-294-2322
f -dot- wersan -at- bull -dot- com
____________________________________


Previous by Author: Re: Who reads the manuals?
Next by Author: color issues
Previous by Thread: Re: Is 3rd party info better?
Next by Thread: STC Annual Convention Information


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


Sponsored Ads