Drop term "user's guide"?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Apologies in advance. I'm feeling giddy this morning. Lack of oxygen to 
the brain, probably.

hjschenecker wondered: <<Recently, one of our clients stated that they 
didn't want the term "user's guide" used for their product.>>

I can empathize. As I wrote in an article a while back, the problem is 
that we're not actually users, but rather "the used". Might as well 
call things like they are rather than preserving the illusion that the 
software exists to serve us, right? <g>

<<Basically, they don't like the term "user's guide" and they want it 
dropped from every product.>>

Have you suggested calling it a "user's manual"? <gdrlh> I assume, 
though you didn't specify this, that the problem word is "user", not 
"guide"? If so, there are many alternatives. Call it "reference manual" 
if it's primarily reference material, "getting started guide"* if it's 
primarily task-based, "How to use Photoshop"** if it's a "how to" 
guide, and so on.

* This is truth in advertising. As a general rule, David Pogue will 
come along and write the _advanced_ user's guide for your product and 
make a million bucks doing so. Good on him!

**Adobe will try to sue you for stealing their trademark. Tell them 
it's just free advertising, and _they_ should be paying you.

<<We have dozens upon dozens of user's guides and we feel that changing 
the name would cause chaos with other clients.>>

It's true that you shouldn't make a change just to please one client 
(unless that client is IBM or Microsoft), but honestly, what chaos 
would this cause? Do you really think the other 99% of your clients 
will clog your technical support lines saying "hey, my user's guide has 
disappeared: all I have is this lousy 'how to use Photoshop' guide you 
sent me. How can I learn to use the software if you don't send me a 
user's guide?" <g>

So long as the name clearly defines what role the book serves, it won't 
be a problem. Trust me.

--Geoff Hart   ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca
(try geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com if you don't get a reply)


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