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Subject:Re: In reference to number of steps From:Tom Murrell <trmurrell -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 19 Oct 2000 10:22:14 -0700 (PDT)
--- rhoggan -at- lewis -dot- com wrote:
> First, I guess I've been so indoctrinated into only using 7 steps
> (give or take a little), that when I see more I seem overwhelmed.
> Does anybody share this sentiment? Is it something our users may have
> become accustomed to?
>
> Second, what are your thoughts about steps in online documentation,
> specifically Help applications. I personally like to see less than
> five, because I hate to toggle back and forth between help and the
> application to complete what needs to be done. It seems that if it
> electronic procedures can be that concise, the better. Perhaps that
> involves more advanced documentation procedures. What do you all
> think?
It seems to me that in performing a procedure, one needs to do whatever
it takes to complete the procedure. No more. No less. If there are 15
steps in a procedure, or if there are 50 steps, that is really a
function of how the procedure was designed, which is not a writing
function but a system design function.
The writing function is to document the procedure, step by step, from
beginning to end. Setting an arbitrary limit of 5, 7, or 9 steps would
seem to me to lead to procedure "steps" where more than one action was
included in one step simply to keep within this arbitrary number.
I much prefer to see procedures that are one step per task. (Do this;
this happens. Do that; this other thing happens.) Of course there are
always situations where even that 'rule' doesn't work well, but that's
my opinion, FWIW.
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