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Subject:RE: How do you read a User Manual From:"John Posada" <JPosada -at- isogon -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 15 Jun 2004 17:47:38 -0400
The difference is that you write manuals, so you have an interest in the
manual itself. To our customers, the application is a tool to accomplish
their job. Do I expect a person on par with an Accounts Payable clerk to
read a 200 page User Guide?
John Posada
Senior Technical Writer
Isogon Corporation http://www.isogon.com
"Realizing Your Business Goals
Through Software Asset Management"
-----Original Message-----
Subject: RE: How do you read a User Manual
John,
Someone who is new to the application may very well read the manual from
front to back while people familiar with the application will look for
specific topics. I do both, especially when I get a new third
party-book about some app like Photoshop.
So you are both right. One question to ask is the manual a reference
manual like commands and such. In that case I couldn't image reading it
like a novel. I wouldn't organize a book as getting more advance the
farther you get into it, but I would consider organizing each chapter
that way if the circumstances permitted.
The key, so that you can satisfy both types of readers is to have a good
index.
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