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RE: Good Manuals - Why Rare.

Subject: RE: Good Manuals - Why Rare.
From: Kat Nagel <katnagel -at- eznet -dot- net>
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2000 15:38:15 -0500

At 03:43 PM 03/16/2000 -0800, LenX wrote:

If a concept can be communicated in less time using a graphic rather than
text, then graphic artists should be producing manuals, not us.


My husband just bought an iMac. He set actually it up himself.

Now, I've set up every piece of computer hardware he's ever used because he started whimpering whenever he saw a cable. I also do all his troubleshooting when things go wrong. He is very bright, but he isn't interested in hardware or software. This is NOT a geek we're talking about here. He just wants his computer to do stuff.

As I said, he set this one up himself, including all the peripherals. (Remember, this is the person who routinely puts floppy disks in his Zip drive.) Why was he able to set up his computer without help? Because the installation guide is a little brochure with 5-count'em-5 photographs, each with one little arrow showing what connector goes where.

Now, I like words. Heck, I make most of my living with them. But the next time I'm hired to do an installation manual, I'm gonna remember this.

Five pictures.
No words.
'Nuff said.
K@
Kat Nagel, MasterWork Consulting Services katnagel -at- eznet -dot- net
Technical writing | Editing | Instructional Design | Webstuff



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