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re: instructions for a pb&j sandwhich - a little OT
Subject:re: instructions for a pb&j sandwhich - a little OT From:"Dana Worley" <dana -at- campbellsci -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 30 May 2002 09:10:47 -0600
On 29 May 2002 at 9:21, Sean Hower wrote:
> I guess my point was that when we're writing, we need to think about
> what's "obvious", because those "obvious" things may not be so to some
> people.
We have a module in one of our software packages that is used to
create graphical displays using the data collected from our
dataloggers.
I recently got a note from one of our affiliates that he had a
customer who had created a simple graph, but the graph was never
updated with data. He had read the help file, but could not figure out
the problem. Finally, by trial and error, he realized that you have to
*collect* the data from the datalogger first, before the data can be
displayed.
After reviewing the help file, I realized that nowhere did I actually
mention that you have to be collecting data for data to be displayed.
I guess for me, it was painfully obvious, but not for the customer.
Needless to say, the next revision of the help file will contain multiple
instances that you must collect data to display data (though this
information was included repeatedly throughout the manual, but
then, we don't read manuals, right?). Sometimes it's hard to step
into the novice user's shoes and catch what you are missing.
Dana W.
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