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Some time ago, a speaker at the STC chapter in Dallas/Fort Worth was a former docs manager for Texas Instruments. He told the story that TI had done a customer survey, in which they asked "Why do you buy TI products in preference to those of our competitors?
The number one answer: the docs were so good they actually understood how the various parts were to be used!
For a year or two, the documentation department was riding high. Then, the typical malaise set in and people forgot the survey--everywhere but in the documentation group, of course!
Unfortunately, few companies seem to keep the kinds of records of technical support calls necessary to shake out the actual customer experience problems due to inadequate documentation...or to the *lack* of problems when that documentation is upgraded.
Technical workers and users of all kinds have become so jaded by poor documentation, I'm afraid, that many don't even bother doing more than skimming it (if that) before determining it is "more of the same"...after which they often traipse to their local bookstore or online bookseller to *buy* third party manuals.
Perhaps we could start a trend among tech writers of commenting vociferously to companies that produce software with inadequate documentation! At least there'd be *one* customer group who might make an impact!
David
-----Original Message from MList -at- chrysalis-its -dot- com-----
All,
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