Re: How to Publish a Great User Manual

[Derek Thornton <info -at- THORNTON -dot- DE>]

>As for Web pages that are just electronic brochures -- I think our
>clients especially need our help to make sense of this whole internet
>"thing".

Thanks a lot for the advice, Sue.

I have just read through it on-screen and then printed it out to study it in
detail later. One great help I got from it was noting your way of giving
advice. If I can express myself the same way, I feel sure my customer will
not take offence. The brochure guy is so proud of his brochure that he has
put his own photo in it and that of his brother, too. I would have to try
and convince him gently that it is not so smart to put the entire contents
of the brochure on the WWW in order to get people to email for a paper copy
of exactly the same stuff.

In my limited experience, website customers are much more likeable than
equipment manual customers, but I don't know why. Of course, I know that I
would probably starve to death if I decided to work only for the nice
guys/girls but I am much more motivated to work for them than for the
hard-baked ones even if they pay less.

I have an equipment manual customer who I can tell without hesitation that
the material he has given me to work from is just one load of c**p and all
he does is smile and tell me that I am right but he just can't find the help
these days. The gentle approach would be completely lost on him.

By the way, you are the first person to call me a 'contractor'. It sounds
good. The usual description over here is 'freelance' but I like 'contractor'
better. I am probably going to have daydreams about a lot of heavy machinery
lined up outside in the yard ready to go out and start building that new
6-lane highway!

Thanks again,

Derek


-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Susan W. Gallagher <sgallagher -at- EXPERSOFT -dot- COM>
An: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU <TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU>
Datum: Mittwoch, 25. November 1998 22:59
Betreff: Re: How to Publish a Great User Manual


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