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Subject:Re: New Question - online doc vs hard doc From:"Metzger, Lucinda" <cmetzger -at- DUKANE -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 12 Jun 1998 14:22:24 -0500
When people respond to this question, I'd like to know whether they are
dealing with software documentation only, or also with hardware docs
(especially hardware docs with tons of B-size schematics in them).
Thanks!
Cindy
cmetzger -at- dukane -dot- com
>----------
>From: Schweizer, Alex[SMTP:alexs -at- VISTEON -dot- COM]
>Sent: Friday, June 12, 1998 1:35 PM
>To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>Subject: New Question - online doc vs hard doc
>
>Thanks to everyone who responded to my post about the Doc Department
>Blueprint. I am (believe it or not) still studying the responses, and
>would like to send out a compilation of the information in a few days.
>The responses have included writing department sizes from 1 to 40, with
>very interesting information for everything in between.
>
>New question though: We've steered our company toward a philosophy of
>delivering user documentation in an online format only, for a number of
>reasons including the fact that the development schedule is so hectic
>entire interfaces can change over the course of only several months
>(don't say it, I know - we're attributing it to growing pains). Online
>doc (HLP) also sets the stage for delivering HTML-based documentation
>(we're a Microsoft Back-Office Solutions provider). I'd like to hear
>other companies philosophies when it comes to delivering documentation?
>I grew up on hard docs, then Help, and shudder to think of ever going
>back to hard docs (we're not going back, I just shudder to think about
>it). I know there is the aspect of the security blanket, especially for
>older, new computer users, but part of our philosophy is that we, as the
>vendor, should not only lead the horse to the trough but make the horse
>drink as well (or at least teach the horse how to drink, or that
>drinking the water is in the horse's best interest, or that the horse
>had better drink the water in the trough because we're not shipping
>water in the same old blue buckets anymore).
