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Subject:Summary - Online Documentation vs. Help From:Ben Hechter <ben_hechter -at- NORTEL-NSM -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 11 Dec 1997 10:13:12 -0800
Thanks to everyone who replied to the query for a "pithy" delineation
between online reference and contextual help.
The general consensus is that it is a question of:
1. Access:
- Help ideally provides auto-access to the required information
- Online documentation requires the user to search
2. Relevance and specificity to the task at hand:
- Help is specific
- Online documentation may be specific, but may not be.
3. Depth:
- Help is terse, providing the user with just enough to know
(just-in-time?),
- Online documentation provides a full reference, with background and
depth.
A number of people cited the following title as the definitive reference:
Designing and Writing Online Documentation: Hypermedia for Self-supporting
Products, 2nd edition, W. Horton, Wiley Technical Communication Library
(1994).
Ben Hechter
Instructional Designer
INM - Integrated Network Management
Northern Telecom
Vancouver BC
