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Subject:Re: STC Letter to the Editor From:"CB Casper" <knowone -at- surfy -dot- net> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 06 Nov 2002 11:38:44 -0800
To see the same exact technical content
presented in two different formats, go to
<http://www.docs.hp.com/hpux/netcom/index.html#Auto%20Port%20Aggregation%20(APA)>
(careful of the line wrapping)
You will see a pdf and an HTML version of the
same "Using" document, originally created in
Frame, with the pdf reflecting the Frame doc,
and the HTML output from FM+SGML.
I had to read these docs, and even though the
technical content is exactly the same, I find
that I use the pdf version much more than the
HTML version. Why? For all of the touchy feely
reasons, and nothing to do with technical
content. I find it much easier to navigate,
search, scan, jump around, find, and get the
information with a pdf than this particular
implementation of HTML. Again, the technical
content is exactly the same, the format isn't.
If all I had at my disposal was the HTML version,
I would disparage the docs and in the process,
the product, but with the availability of the
pdf version, I don't.
Presentation DOES have an impact on the ability
of the user to get to the technical content.
It is important, and also needs to be addressed
in any discussion of Technical Writing or the
user cannot find the technical content needed.
CB - still thinking a contest to write a manual
for an opensource product would be a great way
to show your stuff, and benefit the community
Jason Willebeek-LeMair wrote:
>
> True. But, I have heard users say "I can't
find the information that I am looking for",
even when it is there, buried somewhere in a
mass of 10 point Courier.
Bruce replied with:
>> On the one hand, it seems self-evident to
me that a writer of any sort needs content,
and no amount of design excellence makes up
for content.
--
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