Re: Should we skip HTML?

Subject: Re: Should we skip HTML?
From: Scott Gray <scotty -at- CM -dot- MATH -dot- UIUC -dot- EDU>
Date: Mon, 9 Mar 1998 16:47:51 -0600

If you imagine that your product will be used by a wide range of
people then PDF is certainly not the way to go. The days of PDF have
come and quickly gone. I don't know anyone who has acrobat on their
machines anymore, but everyone has some sort of web browser these days.

Also, you shouldn't expect (IMHO) that your help will be so perfect
that it can be written once and kept locally. HTML is the best way to
make updates to your help so that people online can visit now and then and
get HELP.

If you want to make is as difficult as possible for your users to
get help...then by all means go with PDF.

Scott

On Mon, 9 Mar 1998, Alexander Von_obert wrote:

> Hello Kristy,
>
>
> * Antwort auf eine Nachricht von KASTRY -at- CJDS -dot- COM an All am 09.03.98
>
> KK> Why not provide online help in our product and a PDF or
> KK> PDF-like online
> KK> manual from our web site and skip HTML help altogether?
>
> considering online help I see no pressing need for HTML in deed.
>
> KK> Can anyone give me
> KK> good reasons to include HTML help in addition to the other two
> KK> kinds of doc?
>
> For context-sensitive help nothing beats Winhelp yet. HTML help is not ready
> for prime time wherever you look. And Winhelp will live for a few more years.
>
> HTML has its merits for "open" documents. You could not imagine search
> machines drawing their information from Winhelp or PDF files: META and Hx tags
> are way too valuable to miss. But this is not what I consider important for
> online docs.
>
>
> Greetings from Germany,
> Alexander
>
> P.S.: This is my first post in TECHWR-L for quite some time. But I am still
> around. If you have some command of German you might enjoy my Web site (see
> below).
>
> --
> Alexander von Obert, Urbanstr. 2, 90480 Nuernberg, Germany
> Free-lance technical writer (electronics, software)
> Voice +49-911-403903, Fax -403904, BBS -403905 (FIDO 2:2490/1719)
> http://members.xoom.com/AvO/
>
>
>




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