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Subject:FW: RE: Product Help vs. Application Help From:Mike West <Mike -dot- West -at- oz -dot- quest -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 19 Nov 2002 13:03:59 +1100
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike West
Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 12:25 PM
To: 'Techwr-L (E-mail)'
Subject: RE: Product Help vs. Application Help
> From: <rajancs2002 -at- yahoo -dot- com>
> > Can anyone tell me what is the difference between creating
> help for a
> > software product and creating help for a software
> application (project)?
> >
>
> First, what is the difference between a software "product"
> and a software
> "application"? They seem like synonyms to me.
Sometimes, but not always. An application
may be developed in-house for in-house use
only. It would not then be, strictly speaking,
a "product".
What I don't understand is why the questioner
seems to assume that there must be a "difference"
in developing help for the two situations.
Possibly what the questioner has in mind is
that in the case of an in-house development
environment, a help author is likely to have a
much more precise understanding of who the
users are and how the application will be integrated
into the workplace than is generally possible in the
commercial sphere.
Or, again, perhaps the questioner is thinking
about production values, and the fact that
in-house documentation is generally at the low
end in this regard.
Who knows, really?
--
Michael West
Melbourne, Australia
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