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Subject:RE: User Manual Sample From:Tothscribe -at- aol -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 07 Aug 2001 08:14:40 EDT
To compromise between the original request and Wade's questions (I would like to hear the answer to them!) I will say that IMO the "perfect user manual" for software will include these sections:
- system requirements first thing. No point in going further if I can't load it.
- The beginner material segregated from the "quickstart" reminders. Nothing more irritating than trying to remind yourself how to enter the vreeblestat in the freebleminster screen and reading "click tab once to move to the next field, then press enter to save all" eighteen times. (In other words, I think the "perfect" chapter has a long and detailed explanation for each task, then ends with a quicker, less descriptive step list: "Click this. Enter the info. Click that. Exit." If not in the chapter, then there should be appendixes with these quicker instructions. (Imagine a "For Dummies" book with a "Visual Quickstart Guide" appendix.)
- a troubleshooting section. A large, detailed, "we threw 100 monkeys at this with orders to test to destruction" troubleshooting section.
- pictures, pictures, pictures
As for the hundreds of other kinds of user guides, that depends entirely on who the user is and what they're using.
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