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Subject:Including Screen Captures From:Bill Hartzer <XBJH%mimi -at- MAGIC -dot- ITG -dot- TI -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 23 May 1996 09:59:58 CDT
From: Bill Hartzer XBJH
Subj: Including Screen Captures
Hi!
At a present tech writing position, my pubs manager insists that the
documentation not have any screen captures. It is said (or the theory
behind this is) that we do not need to have screen captures for several
reasons:
1 - the product changes so much that it would be a bear to keep up with
the changes and recapturing of screens
2 - we are supporting many different platforms (UNIX, Windows NT and 95,
and OS/2)
3 - if we can document it well enough, we don't need the screen captures
4 - the doc would be much longer (thus more costs related to documentation
such as paper costs, etc.) and it's better to have shorter manuals
Has anyone heard of this theory of not including screen captures in doc
for GUI-based software products? Is the user missing anything by not
having screen captures in the doc? It _IS_ easier on our end to not
have to do screen captures, but I'm a little concerned about the
users. Am I way off base by thinking this way?
Regards,
Bill Hartzer Bill Hartzer
Contract Tech Writer President
Texas Instruments, Inc. Highfield Marketing Group, Inc.
Dallas, TX USA Irving, TX USA
xbjh -at- msg -dot- ti -dot- com Highfield -at- aol -dot- com
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