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Subject:RE: Manual and Online Help From:david -dot- locke -at- amd -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 4 May 2001 13:14:10 -0500
Margaret A. Smith said:
> <snip> I think it's impossible to anticipate every type of question from
every type of
> perspective that our readers are coming to our product with, regardless of
how diligently
> we analyze our audience and their tasks.
There is a myth out there that says you should document 100% of task
performance. And, that the craft performance should be documented as well.
By craft performance, I mean use outside of the intended design.
If you ignore the craft performance, documenting the rest is still not
representative of a good content distributional strategy. The only
organization that should document 100% or more of task performance is
technical support. Users cannot be put through training classes that cover
100% of task performance either. It is hard enough just to get through a few
scenarios and deal with the learner's changing psychosocial states. Here as
well 100% of task performance should not be covered.
The allocation of content coverage across the enterprise is a strategic
decision that upper management needs to make rather than writers.
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