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Subject:Rating manuals in review articles From:geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA Date:Mon, 23 Jun 1997 09:07:11 -0500
Jane Bergen wished <<...that MORE software (and hardware)
reviews would include reviews of the documentation...for
better or worse. At least it would make it easier, if the
review was favorable, to justify our existence. If the
review was unfavorable, we might eliminate the "weeds" that
give us all bad names.>>
About a year ago, I proposed that STC mount just such an
initiative, and contact all the main computer review
magazines and then expand from there to Consumer Reports,
car review magazines, etc. I even volunteered to serve on
the committee (which should have sent up a red flag!), but
I haven't heard anything since then. Any STC executives
lurking out there who could get the ball rolling again at
the society's level?
In the meantime, it would be well worth our while to start
sending in requests for this kind of information to our
favorite magazines. Since most of them already consider
usability as part of their evaluations (PC Computing in
particular), adding manuals to the mix should't be hard.
Since most magazines also have editorial e-mail addresses,
it won't even cost you a stamp to send your opinion... just
a bit of time spent typing. So until STC gets involved on a
more concerted level, "let's kick some serious ASCII",
folks! <grin>
--Geoff Hart @8^{)} geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
Disclaimer: Speaking for myself, not FERIC.
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