TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
> Ah, but the same thing applies to footers as to the rest of the
> document--your audience is likely to look at them only when searching for
> specific information. As well, footers are repetitive, thus predictable:
> It's not as if it's difficult to locate information on them, however
> cluttered they might be.
Another excellent point! How many users *really* look at footers anyway (for
non-navigational purposes, that is)? The proprietary information is there
because it has to be, not because users are especially interested in it, and
definitely not to make the document prettier.
Ok. So I'll admit that my dilemma is mostly an aesthetic one : - ). But
appearance is important too, and cramming a large amount of information into
a relatively tiny space -- even if the user doesn't read that information --
doesn't help the document (or user) to breathe. Maybe it's just the
claustrophobe in me. *grin*.
Here's a slightly different way of looking at it (quoting a response that I
received directly):
"I don't think most people would have a major problem with a 'cover' page,
especially if using the back to put your footnote information would help get
more information on the "real" pages. I'd bet most folks would look at it,
turn the cover over w/o a 2nd thought and just continue reading."
While I agree that turning/scrolling an extra page is more work for the
user, if it helps enhance the technote's overall look, it might not be a bad
idea.
Still undecided, though : - )
Lianne Sprigg wrote:
> I'll have to put a bit more thought into this. What it'll
> ultimately come down to is whether it's more annoying to
> have cluttered footers or an extra page at the beginning
> of the document. Both can be a bit cumbersome.
> Perhaps I could shrink the fine print by a point or two so
> that it doesn't consume as much real estate.
Been there, done that, bought the extra 2 mm of length on the live area.
Cheers ... Kim
When doing layout, sometimes it's good to have your mind in the gutter.
RoboHelp for FrameMaker is a NEW online publishing tool for FrameMaker that
lets you easily single-source content to online Help, intranet, and Web.
The interface is designed for FrameMaker users, so there is little or no
learning curve and no macro language required! Call 800-718-4407 for
competitive pricing or download a trial at: http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l4
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
