Documentation Challenge!

Subject: Documentation Challenge!
From: Paul MacGyver Carman <paul -dot- carman -at- HARRIS -dot- COM>
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 1995 09:32:01 -0500

Greetings all!

Everyone has been so helpful, I thought perhaps I could get a bit
more advice on my documentation project.

For those of you who have worked on one large manual for a long time
(and have gotten a tad sick of it), perhaps you can help me get this
thing out of its rut! Please!

Here's the scoop:

- Network Management Software documentation
- 1,400 pages, broken up into chapters ranging from 10 to 150 pages
- 20 separate UNIX applications (which comprise 20 of the chapters)
- 8 1/2 x 11 pages in a 3-ring binder
- Historically low ratings from users, most of whom are trying to
learn from the documentation rather than a training class.

Some ideas I've had:

- Switch to 7 1/2 x 9 comb binding
- Group related applications into separate smaller binders
- Create some sort of "all-encompassing" case study for people who
haven't been able to take a training class
- Figure out some way to aggressively figure out who the end-users
are. At this point, doc goes to a project manager who fans the
docs out to who-knows-where.

Help!

I've been working with this documentation for a couple of years, and
it's time for some radical changes! I figure smaller manuals in
multiple binders is a start.

Has anyone else been in this situation before?

If so, please take a moment and drop me a line at
Paul -dot- Carman -at- harris -dot- com -dot-

Your help is greatly appreciated!


-MacGyver

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= Paul MacGyver Carman * =
= Harris Corporate HQ * Choose to chance the rapids, =
= (407) 724-3205 * and dare to dance the tide... =
= (407) 724-3627 (fax) * =
= Paul -dot- Carman -at- harris -dot- com * - Garth Brooks =
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