Re: Documenting A Ballet Dance

[Jenn Wilson <jenn -at- mylar -dot- outflux -dot- net>]

I am reminded of a vexing example...

My partner has been collecting Legos since he was a kid.  The instruction 
booklets usually rely solely on series of diagrams; this fits well into 
the goal to support users of different primary languages and literacy 
levels.

The trouble is that the diagram-only philosophy doesn't always cut it, in 
terms of what I consider "good documentation" in professional circles. 
Complex builds with weird pieces can get darned confusing, and rotating 
the view can just make a step harder to follow.  It makes me fussy and 
self-conscious!

On the one hand, that bit of challenge might be part of the point for an 
"educational toy."  On the other, I can't imagine applying that principle 
in software docs for my current audience, who use my manuals precisely 
_because_ they don't want to play with the software and figure it out.

Anyway -- in moments of whimsy, I've wondered whether Legos could provide 
a basis for a decent tech-comm test, in the right context.  :)


-j


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