RE: New TECHWR-L Poll Question

[KMcLauchlan -at- chrysalis-its -dot- com]

Y'know, a couple of weeks ago, when I bought a 
brand new computer... and stuff... I thought I'd 
finally achieve that exalted state where one picks 
up a manual, follows instructions, and has a 
working product.

<whine>
Instead, I found myself doing the usual:
I read as much of the manuals/setup-sheets as I 
needed, to determine that they didn't describe my 
situation.

I'd made it a point to buy a few items with USB 
interfaces, because USB is fast, chainable, 
hot-swappable, plug'n'play, etc. Well, *eventually*, 
the USB modem deigned to work, but through no fault 
of the instructions. The USB trackball began by 
refusing to go along with the package instructions, 
but eventually cooperated... but only after Windoze 
loads... not until then. I thought it a tad redundant 
to have to keep a PS/2 mouse on call, for anything 
that needed doing before the Windows desktop was 
available. You'd think that, since USB is supported 
at the board and BIOS level, a trackball could 
come up with minimal mouse-like functions, and then 
take on its grander aspects once the Windoze drivers 
had loaded... but, apparently not when it's USB. 
So, I added the handy adapter and started using the 
good, ole, PS/2 port. Works like a charm.

Thank god I didn't go for a USB keyboard. I'd never 
again be able to adjust BIOS, or recover to Safe Mode, 
or.... Whatever the problem was, the local docs didn't 
mention it, and neither the manufacturer's nor the 
Microsloth web sites were very helpful.

The slim little Windoze book that came with OEM 
Win98 offered no help with anything even remotely 
like the many problems I encountered.

In the internet connection setup stuff, any explanation 
(in book or in online "help" was invariably not 
about my situation.

The AOPEN NIC was pretty straightforward about its 
needs -- plug it in, connect a cable and it works -- 
but the booklet somehow neglected to mention that 
AOPEN NICs do not like to play nicely with other NICs 
in the same machine... not even other AOPEN NICs.
On the other hand, my third NIC (non-AOPEN) was 
purring contentedly while the AOPEN was:
 a) not purring and,
 b) not (via driver/software nor via booklet) telling 
    me why it was unhappy.

Documentation for WinGate was all very nice, except 
that it didn't make a point of telling me to ask 
for cross-connected category-5 cable (for PC-to-PC) 
rather than straight-through (for PC to hub/router/gateway 
device). 

That one dawned on me as an "oh-sh*t! don't tell me I..." 
in the middle of the night after I'd paid for a custom 
length to span three floors and had worried and fretted 
and re-loaded for hours. Hmm. Get out my old crimper 
and re-do one end of the cable with cross connections? 
Nah. I don't have a tester, so I wouldn't be able to 
eliminate a bad crimp from the cause of my next debacle.
Solved the problem by shelving WinGate, going to bed, 
and buying a D-Link box the next morning. Mah-velous.

Of course, Windoze had me going in circles for a while, 
trying to figure out how to make IE view the D-Link's 
built-in web pages, rather than dial out. Figured that 
out eventually, but not from anything found in paper 
or online documentation.

Note to myself: If I ever write a "Wizard", it will 
explain the why-fors of every step and option... and 
then it'll get UPDATED when I hear about the situations 
I missed explaining. It won't be cast in stone until the 
next product is released.

Anyway, any grief there was no fault of the D-Link, nor 
of its documentation (a multi-page booklet, AND and big 
fold-out "quick-set-up" sheet. Neither one was necessary 
to get started (defaults were fine), and the instructions 
were clear and concise when I did want to make adjustments.  
A breath of documentation fresh air. I will emulate, in 
my own work.

I can't be the only person who ever went from:
 - single computer with dial-up internet connection 
to
 - a few computers, sharing files and sharing a DSL 
   connection. 
Can I?

You'd think there'd be a FAQ and a chapter in at least 
one hardware or software manual for that very situation.

Mind you, while some of the dozens of problems I 
encountered were solved by a bit of thought and 
prodding, and a few were "Oh yeah, I knew that... 
but I'd forgotten...", a few were real headbangers. 
Overall, it took literally many days to get things 
going the way I want them, and documentation either 
did not address what I was doing, or worse. 

"Worse" is when it *mostly* addressed my situation, 
then left out a key piece of information.
Many times, I found myself attempting to cross chasms 
in two leaps.

Initially, I was taking notes, but that soon lost its 
charm. (Might have had something to do with recording 
the same procedural loops over and over and ...)
For most of the PC problems, I wasn't in a position 
to access the internet for help, so I was left to my 
own devices and the paltry documentation/help that 
came with most products.

So, I guess when I get around to doing it again in 
four or five years, I'll have forgotten most of 
what I figured out this time, and there'll be a 
new crop of gotchas for new hardware and software 
that I haven't met, yet. Shall we wager on how helpful 
the docs and "Help" will be in five years?

This, from a guy who was once a computer technician 
on the production floor.

I guess computers still haven't achieved "appliance" 
status.</whine>

Maybe someday, I'll persuade Flight Simulator that 
my old Logitech Wingman Digital exists... that'd be 
the Wingman whose driver is installed and whose icon is 
in the task bar, and whose software thinks it is 
installed.  But, that's for another whine.

/kevin
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Deborah Ray [mailto:debray -at- raycomm -dot- com]
>Sent: Monday, May 14, 2001 9:48 AM
>To: TECHWR-L
>Subject: New TECHWR-L Poll Question
>
>
>Good morning,
>
>We've updated the TECHWR-L Poll with a new question:
>
>How often do you, as a tech writer, read instructions or 
>documentation for products you use?
>
>* Always
>* Frequently
>* Occasionally
>* Seldom
>* Never
>* Other/none of the above

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