Re: Why We Need Good Software Manuals

[Tracy Boyington <trlyboyi -at- GENESIS -dot- ODVTE -dot- STATE -dot- OK -dot- US>]

Michael Uhl wrote:
> The bummer about the movement away from manuals packaged with the
> software, is that employers--who paid for the software--bought
> your manuals automatically.

When I started working here, we used WordPerfect 5.1 and I had
a copy of the manual (but only because I asked for it). We have since
gone through WP 5.2, 6.0, and 6.1, and the only manual I have seen is
that same 5.1 manual. Wait...that's wrong...we *did* have one copy of
the 5.2 manual for the 20 people in my division to share. According
to legend, the people in Systems have a 6.1 manual somewhere...
I can borrow it if I want, although they're in a different building
from me...

When organizations like mine buy 300 WordPerfect licenses and don't
ask for 300 copies of the manual, what incentive is there for WP to
put any time, effort, and money into it? No wonder they think the
whole thing is a big waste.

TB


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Tracy Boyington
Technical Communication Specialist
Oklahoma Department of Vocational & Technical Education
Stillwater, Oklahoma

I never express opinions, but if one slips out, it belongs
to me and not ODVTE.

"I think I did pretty well, considering I started out
with nothing but a bunch of blank paper."
-- Steve Martin
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