Re: Which is better for simple online help, more or less nesting, more or fewer hyperlinks?

["Peter Neilson" <neilson -at- windstream -dot- net>]

In general, the mind is unable to maintain a multi-level structure easily.  
Hence it is generally folly to use even two-level entries in an index, and  
insane to use three, without putting each third-level entry also at the  
top level, as in this example:

Finagle
  baroque usage
    gloops 34, 78, 105 ff
  common usage
Gloops (/no such entry in index/)

It requires the person searching for the term "gloop" to know what it is  
and where to find it before learning about it.

One the other hand, description of certain complicated concepts can  
occasionally require deep nesting. The topic headings and the table of  
contents should give the reader clues.

Finagles, historical and recent perspectives, including Gloopism.
   Renaissance and Baroque terminology, including Gloops, Blobs and  
Kumquats
      Gloops in Renaissance works
      Gloops and Blobs in the Renaissance and later
      Baroque introduction of the Kumquat as a replacement for the Gloop
   Modern terminology, and rediscovery of the Gloop

It can be particularly difficult to comprehend multiple sections each of  
which contains identical substructure:

Aaaaa
   Wxyz
   Wzxy
   Wwxy
   Xyzzy
Bbbbb
   Wxyz
   Wzxy
   Wwxy
   Xyzzy
Ccccc
   Wxyz
   Wzxy
   Wwxy
   Xyzzy

Nesting with section and subsection numbers is often a standard, as in  
military documentation, allowing the construction and maintenance of an  
immense document by several authors over an extended period of time.  
Whether the visible numbering scheme ("Sections 4.2.1.7.6a through  
4.2.1.8.1c, inclusive") aids the reader remains as an exercise for the  
student of technical communication. It is unavoidable in the writing of  
well-constructed laws.

I guess the basic question is whether the written structure is one that  
inherently exists in the material being described (the lock is part of the  
latch mechanism, which is part of the door) or imposed only by the writer.  
Is "Print Preview" part of the interface, or is it rightfully a topic by  
itself?

On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:58:46 -0500, Porrello, Leonard  
<lporrello -at- illumina -dot- com> wrote: