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Subject:RE: RE: Mac vs PC users From:"Gene Kim-Eng" <techwr -at- genek -dot- com> To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Wed, 7 Jul 2010 22:14:39 +0000
Kevin was referring to a particular situation in which a product's developers actually created multiple paths that weren't just inherited from the OS. Multiple paths in such a case should be documented somehow, but unless I have the time and resources to write a separate set of instructions for every operation so the user can access help and select the "menu method," "right-click method," "hotkey method," etc., for each operation, my inclination would be to have a single section somewhere that documents the fact that there are alternative/shortcut methods and provides some "typical" examples to help readers to find them. As a user, if I installed software and found myself confronted with multi-option instructions for every single step, that product would probably end up becoming another candidate for my uninstall/purge registry method of dealing with bad software.
Gene Kim-Eng
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On 7/7/2010 9:47 PM Sharon Burton wrote:
I also wish to respectfully disagree. Users who are motivated to figure out
other ways will do so. You should provide the easiest and most consistent
method of doing something and then move on.
Your readers want to know how to do IT. IT should not be 15 different ways
to do IT. IT should be simple and easy.
It's also easier to maintain and localize. One simple way and move on to the
next task.
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