Re: Any brilliant strategies for release notes? [was Re: So

[Mike Pope <mikep -at- ASYMETRIX -dot- COM>]

Well, we've been doing ours as a WinHelp app for the last few products.
Advantages:

     * one less thing to print
     * can add things more-or-less to the last minute; virtually no
       lead time as with printed pieces
     * hypertext app presumably helps people chase down what they need
     * search capability built in
     * hides the length and complexity of the release notes, if that's a
       factor

Disadvantages

     * WinHelp apps are no easier to construct than printed docs with
       full production; it takes considerably longer to create a
       WinHelp release notes app than just putting together
       a text file
     * Hard to print from (we end up producing a .WRI file, with a
       jump/macro in the WinHelp app that launches Windows WRITE and
       loads the file for printing).

We haven't gotten too much feedback from the field yet, so we don't know
whether
users agree with the advantages yet.

 -- Mike Pope
mikep -at- asymetrix -dot- com

 ----------
>From: TECHWR-L
>To: Multiple recipients of list TECHWR-L
>Subject: Re: Any brilliant strategies for release notes? [was Re: So
>Date: Thursday, July 14, 1994 8:04AM

>Kelly...Someone else asked this question about a month ago or so for his
wife.
>Perhaps the compiled answers are still available?

>Karla McMaster, technical writer
>CTI-PET Systems, Inc., Knoxville, TN
>mcmaster -at- cti-pet -dot- com