TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Repeating instructions From:George Mena <George -dot- Mena -at- ESSTECH -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 24 Sep 1998 15:28:26 -0700
Option 4 for sure, Phil. :D If 95% of the steps are identical, why
repeat them? Keep it simple.
That's what I'm doing on my modem manual project right now. :D One
modem offers Telephone Answering Machine capabilities, while the other
offers Full Duplex Speakerphone capabilities. Per our modem evangelist,
the evaluation boards are the same. The only real differences are in
the Bills of Materials and in the speakerphones themselves.
Having the modem evangelist say "combine the manuals" makes a lot of
sense to me. And it's one less headache for all of us to worry about.
:D
George
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Philip Sharman [SMTP:sharman -at- WOWMEDIA -dot- COM]
> Sent: Thursday, September 24, 1998 2:19 PM
> To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject: Repeating instructions
>
> I'm writing a set of procedures to tell an installer how to set up
> some
> equipment, which consists of two systems. 95% of the steps for the
> two
> systems are identical, but there are some differences.
>
> Should I...
>
> 1) Give both sets of procedures in full.
> 2) Give the first set of procedures in full. Then say, "Do the second
> setup like the first with these changes ..."
> 3) Give both sets of procedures in full, but flag somehow the items
> that
> differ.
> 4) Combine them both into one set of procedures and every so often
> say,
> "For System A, do this. For System B, do that."
>
>
