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Indexes are where I get to exert my creativity that might not be
possible in the documentation. Some of you may remember my episode
with the QA person at my company that couldn't understand how a word
could be in the index and not appear on the page.
I explain to others that when creating an index (HC or online), I get
to play with word association, and this is where I get to include
words that I'd have liked to use in the content but couldn't figure
out how. While "squishing" isn't my type of word, I might include
terms that others would see just as stupid.
During an interview where I was asked to question the candidate on
how to create a help, we talked about indexing a help topic. I could
tell that the person didn't understand that you can index a page with
words that aren't on the page. I brought up on of my help topics and
asked her not HOW do you index it, but what is the mind process when
looking at the topic and figuring out WHAT to iindex. (Her approach?
"Well, you use words in the title and you use any words that are
hyperlinked.")
> how because she couldn't find "squishing" anywhere in the index.
> >
> > And so, yes, I'd leave "changing" in your index -- and add
> > "editing"
> > and "revising" and "modifying" ... Because you never know how
> > your user is thinking.
In fact, to me, verbs are an important part of the index. When I'm
having trouble doing something in an application, I think of what I'm
doing, rahter than what I'm doing it to, then try to find it. I might
be "changing" something. I might be "entering" something, I might be
"creating" something. Therefore, I want instructions on how to
create that something.
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