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Subject:RE: Task-based vs. descriptive online help From:"Giordano, Connie" <Connie -dot- Giordano -at- FMR -dot- COM> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 7 Mar 2001 15:32:33 -0500
It's appropriate if the screen has been designed with tasks in mind. If
your task is to check statuses on something then you could name the topic
accordingly. However, most systems aren't designed this way, which is why
separating task-based and reference help becomes an issue in the first
place.
I'd be more inclined to figure out how users refer to the task, title the
topic that way, then include index references by the window name.
"Tell me and I'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me,
and I'll understand." - Native American Proverb
-----Original Message-----
From: Melissa Akers [mailto:Makers -at- Lumisys -dot- com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2001 2:48 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: RE: Task-based vs. descriptive online help
Would naming a help topic after a screen name, for example, "Status Window",
really be appropriate? Is that "reference help"? How often do users look
at the title bar of a window and then look it up in the help (by TOC, index,
or by help topic)?
IPCC 01, the IEEE International Professional Communication Conference,
October 24-27, 2001 at historic La Fonda in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.
CALL FOR PAPERS OPEN UNTIL MARCH 15. http://ieeepcs.org/2001/
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