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RE: TOC article in INTERCOM -- things that made me go "HUH??"
Subject:RE: TOC article in INTERCOM -- things that made me go "HUH??" From:jgarison -at- ide -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 13 Dec 2002 11:58:11 -0500
IMHO, I think most TOCs in online help are unusable, unused, and a waste of
time.
I have a 900-topic HTML-based Help file for an enterprise-wide application.
If I were to construct a typical expand/collapse TOC, it will be in excess
of 15 FEET long (at 5 lines/inch). When viewed in a six-inch tall window, it
is essentially useless.
I have replaced our TOC with a search engine, good organization, and
relevant links on each page. In almost 2 years, no one has complained.
When I presented this approach at WinWriters' Help Technology Update
Conference in August, I expected to get some grief about it. I got none.
Included in my presentation was this quote from Jared Spool, principal and
founder of User Interface Engineering (www.uiw.com):
"In 15 years of testing help systems, not one test subject has used the
TOC."
Let the TOC wars begin!
John
John Garison
Documentation Manager
IDe, Concord, MA
978-402-2907
jgarison -at- ide -dot- com
>>-----Original Message-----
David Downing writes:
>>I just read the article "Designing a Table of Contents" in
>>the November 2002 INTERCOM, and discovered a few things
>>that gave me pause.
<snip>
>>Are my ideas about the TOC somewhat parochial or what?
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