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Subject:Re: Prod reviews--why not include doc??? From:Marsha Kamish <MKamish -at- STEWART -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 4 Mar 1999 09:31:19 -0600
<snip>Which brings me to a question:
why is it, that when I read Product Reviews in various
technical/computing publications, I can almost *never* find 1 comment on
the quality of the doc, hard copy or online! The only focus is on the
product itself!<unsnip>
I used to read PC Magazine and I seem to remember that their product reviews
(software, anyway) included comments about the documentation.
Marsha G. Kamish
Documentation Specialist
Landata Systems, Inc.
Houston, Texas
713-479-2571
mkamish -at- stewart -dot- com
The opinions expressed are mine and not necessarily representative of
Landata Systems, Inc.
-----Original Message-----
From: Colleen Adams [mailto:colleen_adams -at- MEDISPAN -dot- COM]
Sent: Thursday, March 04, 1999 9:03 AM
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject: Prod reviews--why not include doc???
I'm perusing my weekly edition of InfoWorld mag, reading an article on
why software companies' customer support is so poor in comparison to
hardware companies' CS. It mentions a company (Prognostics) that
conducts surveys for the IT marketplace, asking them about not just
product support, but about other factors like product quality, deliver,
training, and YES, documentation!
(I have a point, and I'm getting to it...) Which brings me to a question:
why is it, that when I read Product Reviews in various
technical/computing publications, I can almost *never* find 1 comment on
the quality of the doc, hard copy or online! The only focus is on the
product itself!
As a doc manager, I would like to know how a product reviewer rates
the documentation that comes with the product. It can give my team some
insight to user's frustrations and delights. And, if it's a viable product
or
maybe even a really crappy one, we may purchase it to grow our
collection of doc samples.
I sent email to InfoWorld asking that they begin to include this info in
their
reviews but got no response...maybe I'm not looking in the right pubs...
Comments, recommendations, thoughts???
___________________
Colleen Adams
External Documentation Manager
First DataBank, Inc.
Indianapolis, IN
colleen_adams -at- firstdatabank -dot- com
