RE: Resources - comparing HATS

["Joyce Fetterman" <Joycef -at- gtsoftware -dot- com>]

<< Well, it's kind of hard to find what you're looking for if you don't
know what it is that you need. ;-) Needs analysis must happen before
tools research. If you have your needs nailed down, through that process
you should have begun to pick up on the terminology.>>


I've recently been in a predicament similar to Tim's. Some of you have
been writing help for a long time, and it's probably hard to remember
what it was like as a stark beginner. It's very difficult to specify
needs without a basic understanding of the possibilities. Many of the
terms on the help matrix were Greek to me. I've had a hard time finding
resources that provide that most basic information. 

I'm still working at it. I read the lists. I read book reviews searching
for appropriate resources. I poke around the help systems on other
software. I'm trying trial software. I'm picking up the terminology and
starting to define my needs, but it's still a daunting task, especially
when trying to maintain existing doc at the same time.

Tim, someone here pointed me to Jean Weber's _Is the Help Helpful?_
which has been a useful resource for me.

Joyce

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