Re: Are manuals out-of-date?

[Kimberly Cakebread <kcakebread -at- AURIGIN -dot- COM>]

Frankly, I think that depends on your customers.  I've made entirely
different decisions at different companies based on the information I was
able to gather from the the customer base.  Also, you can set up a winhelp
system that caters both to sequential learning and immediate reference.
Another little trick:  if you are writing commercial doc for customers, see
if the contracts they sign guarantee documentation.

Kimberly

-----Original Message-----
From: Esther Wheeler [mailto:esther -at- AZURE-TECH -dot- COM]
Sent: Monday, June 28, 1999 10:12 AM
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject: Are manuals out-of-date?


> Folks -
>
> I have searched the archives and am delving into all the reference
> books I can find. If anyone out there has some clinching reference
> they can recommend for my dilemma, I would be eternally grateful.
>
> I have a new manager and am in the middle of justifying everything I
> do from first principles. I've been the sole
> writer/editor/manager/planner
> for our documentation effort for the past 5 years.  He has a strong
> dislike of hard copy and PDF. We do have an extensive WinHelp
> system, which I use for immediate help and reference information.
> While I am ready to move the help to HTML format, I don't see how
> that will eliminate the need for sequential "getting started"
> information
> that is easily browsed.
>
> What I really need at the moment is "proof" that manuals (whether
> (printed or provided with PDF) has a place in the information delivery
>
> system. Everyone admits that our product is less than intuitive. I am
> worried about our first-time and occasional users.
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> - Esther
>
> Esther Wheeler, Technical Publications
> esther -at- gnnettest -dot- com
> GN Nettest
> 63 South Street
> Hopkinton, MA  01748
> U.S.A.
>
>
>


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