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Subject:Re: Including Screen Captures From:Averil Strauss <averil -at- LEGENDCOMM -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 23 May 1996 22:44:37 -0400
>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
You must have poor utilities.
>2 - we are supporting many different platforms (UNIX, Windows NT and 95,
> and OS/2)
If you use Frame for documentation, you can conditionally include the screen
captures needed for each platform (automation!).
>3 - if we can document it well enough, we don't need the screen captures
So what do you use for visual interest, to break up the text?
>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
I disagree. Properly used, illustrations of a relevant section of the screen
can shorten the manual. If you are serious about reducing paper usage,
optimize your page size to fit exactly 2 (or more) pages on each side of the
sheet. We use 8.5x7 inch pages for 2 copies on legal paper.
>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?
Frankly I think judicious screen captures make documentation easier and more
fool-proof.
Averil
Legend Communications, Inc.
Developers of PostScript Software
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