RE: Re: "If the docs are too good..."

[Mailing List <mlist -at- ca -dot- rainbow -dot- com>]

Chuck Martin [mailto:cm -at- writeforyou -dot- com]

> That's all well and good, but when training and (especially) technical
> support are considered profit centers by the bean counters, 
> there is little
> incentive to improve the product (and its usability).

Obviously, many Microsoft products and many Adobe products 
address the needs of the majority of purchasers in some 
meaningful way, or those companies would not have gotten 
as big as they are, nor their products as popular as they 
are.  But the question remains why there is such a high 
correlation between production of popular, much-purchased 
software and design/marketing goals that are clearly oriented 
toward milking the customer *after* the sale.  

Could it have anything to do with a [speculated] natural 
human tendency to favor the 'personal' -- a human support 
agent that you happen to pay $120.00 per call -- versus 
an inhuman Online Help or a book that will provide much 
the same info, but not have a human face on it?

If so, would that say anything about how we should adopt 
our Help and other documents to make them more likely 
to be used?... and usable?

Is the verdict in, yet, on those programs that incorporate 
video guides/teachers, like at least one of the popular 
tax-preparation programs?  Does that "human face" (and 
voice) on the instructional aspects of the software make 
it more engaging and successful than a similarly capable 
counterpart that just has standard paper, PDF and Help 
documentation?  Hmm. I guess only H&R Block can answer 
that one (or is that a Canada-only reference?).

/kevin