Re: OT: Documenting a "wizard"

Subject: Re: OT: Documenting a "wizard"
From: Chris Morton <salt -dot- morton -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: Kate Schneider <kateschneider42 -at- gmail -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 9 May 2014 08:14:04 -0700

Sigh.....if only users RTFM.


On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 8:11 AM, Kate Schneider <kateschneider42 -at- gmail -dot- com>wrote:

> Our ulterior motives for joining this profession are finally exposed.
>
> Muwahahahaa.
>
>
> On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 10:10 AM, Hannah Drake <hannah -at- formulatrix -dot- com>wrote:
>
>> Obviously a user manual is about operating the user. Isn't that what tech
>> writing is all about?
>>
>> It's genius really, write some instructions, user follows them -- and
>> incidentally they are now using whatever it is I want them to use. (evil
>> laughter). So yes, I am indeed operating users.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 11:02 AM, Kate Schneider <
>> kateschneider42 -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
>>
>>> "But, I did put some research into the whole user-user's-users' thing,
>>> and
>>> manual vs. guide, and I liked the term guide more than manual -- and
>>> then I
>>> found this explanation: "User's Guide -- Because generally only one user
>>> has the guide in his hand at one time." <--- LOL. I appreciate this.
>>>
>>> So then, is a "user manual" a manual not about the software, but about
>>> how to operate the user? ;)
>>>
>>>
>>> On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 9:59 AM, Hannah Drake <hannah -at- formulatrix -dot- com>wrote:
>>>
>>>> Haha. Nope. We only need one customer. ;) JK.
>>>>
>>>> But, I did put some research into the whole user-user's-users' thing,
>>>> and
>>>> manual vs. guide, and I liked the term guide more than manual -- and
>>>> then I
>>>> found this explanation: "User's Guide -- Because generally only one user
>>>> has the guide in his hand at one time."
>>>>
>>>> And that settled the user-user's-users' decision for me. To each his
>>>> own!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 10:55 AM, Chris Morton <salt -dot- morton -at- gmail -dot- com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> > User's Guide?
>>>> >
>>>> > Hopefully there is more than one person who'll purchase/use your
>>>> company's
>>>> > SW. *;<)*
>>>>
>>>> >
>>>> > > Chris
>>>> >
>>>> > On Thu, May 8, 2014 at 3:09 PM, Hannah Drake <hannah -at- formulatrix -dot- com
>>>> >wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> >> @ Kate -- well, we have a lot of ESL engineers and programmers, so
>>>> >> everything..and I mean everything (every little prompt, warning,
>>>> error
>>>> >> message) goes through me. Ha! But yes, I'm probably spoiled in the
>>>> amount
>>>> >> of control I have :) As far as the rest of the UI, we really only
>>>> have one
>>>> >> other wizard, and it's not well documented. Currently, we don't
>>>> print docs
>>>> >> for this program, since the User's Guide would be almost 500 8.5 x 11
>>>> >> pages. Instead, the programmers wrote an in-program "University" that
>>>> >> walks
>>>> >> them through everything (in case you're wondering, I write all of
>>>> those
>>>> >> tutorials and interface tours too). And you're right, I did already
>>>> do the
>>>> >> hard work as far as writing out the text for this wizard!
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>>> Doc-To-Help 2014 v1 now available. SharePoint 2013 support, NetHelp
>>>> enhancements, and more. Read all about it.
>>>>
>>>> Learn more: http://bit.ly/NNcWqS
>>>>
>>>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>>>
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>>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Kate Schneider
>>> Cell: 402-214-4887
>>> Email: kateschneider42 -at- gmail -dot- com
>>> www.linkedin.com/in/kateschneider/
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Kate Schneider
> Cell: 402-214-4887
> Email: kateschneider42 -at- gmail -dot- com
> www.linkedin.com/in/kateschneider/
>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Doc-To-Help 2014 v1 now available. SharePoint 2013 support, NetHelp enhancements, and more. Read all about it.

Learn more: http://bit.ly/NNcWqS

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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References:
OT: Documenting a "wizard": From: Chris Morton
Re: OT: Documenting a "wizard": From: Hannah Drake
Re: OT: Documenting a "wizard": From: Kate Schneider
Re: OT: Documenting a "wizard": From: Hannah Drake
Re: OT: Documenting a "wizard": From: Kate Schneider

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