Re: New Question - online doc vs hard doc

[Keith Arnett <keith_arnett -at- RESTON -dot- OMD -dot- STERLING -dot- COM>]

     We, too, are grappling with this issue (software products for UNIX and
     mainframe).  A major conclusion for us is that this requires a
     two-pronged solution, involving both documentation developers and
     software developers.

     An ideal user interface would be totally intuitive (bi-lateral
     telepathy, perhaps?).  But realistically, implementing a
     well-thought-out user interface can go a long way to reducing the
     requirement for print documentation. Implementation and configuration
     tasks are a particularly noticible example.

     In the short term, it seems attractive simply to write a document that
     tells the end user, 'do this' and then 'do that'...edit a file,
     specify a directory, type in a variable, or whatever.  However, most
     implementation/configuration tasks can be automated with proper
     analysis and programming time.

     Today, even the most humble shareware downloaded from the internet can
     usually search for required components, prompt the user for needed
     information, and essentially install itself--no paper required.

     My personal ideal would be to reduce documentation to a relatively
     small installation guide--everything else would be bundled with the
     software, either as online help, wizards, automated tasks or what have
     you.

     Today, this is somewhat of a hard sell in the UNIX world, where
     command line gurus still abound, and it's also somewhat of a new
     concept in the mainframe world.  The major force pushing this idea
     seems to be the incipient homogenizing of the computing world (PCs
     hooked to UNIX boxes hooked to mainframes hooked to PCs....), which is
     producing a growing number of what might be called 'cross-over users.'

     One thing all of these cross-over users have in common is familiarity
     with the PC world (and here I mean both Wintel and Mac), where user
     interfaces and automated installation for consumer software have
     progressed to a relatively sophisticated point.  'Why," they want to
     know, 'can't I just put a CD in my UNIX box and click "install"?'

     In the past, the developer's response to this has been to chuckle
     indulgently, and then explain all of the reasons why this can't be
     done.  Now, developers (and marketers) seem to be blinking, and asking
     'Hmmm...that's an interesting idea...I wonder how we could do that...'

     By lessening the 'print documentation' tasks, the technical
     communicator is freed up to concentrate on helping to deliver these
     online aids to the customer, in close cooperation with the software
     developer.

     <<well, you asked for philosophy...... ;-)  >>

     Have a great weekend...

     Keith Arnett
     Technical Writer
     Sterling Software, Inc,/Operations Management Division
     Reston VA USA




______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: New Question - online doc vs hard doc
Author:  "Schweizer  Alex" <alexs -at- visteon -dot- com> at INTERNET
Date:    6/12/98 2:35 PM


<<snip>>

     I'd like to hear other companies philosophies when it comes to
     delivering documentation?

     <<snip>>