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Geri Lou Ciotoli has been assigned <<the task of rewriting and streamlining
an existing
manual set (of approx 6000 pages) and I'm having trouble figuring out how to
begin. <snip description> I need to rewrite these manuals to be more
procedural and useful to the users. <snip> I'm thinking of just setting
aside the manual and work completely from the software .. but I think that
might be throwing away valuable information and creating more work for
myself.<<
I've had some experience with a similiar situation, and agree that it's
better to create a new outline and use the old manual as a reference while
working from the software. But also, if it's a 6000 page manual written in
linear fashion, I will lay money that it includes some outdated screens and
deprecated functions that have not been updated because no one has happened
to check. By using the software as primary reference and the old manual as
secondary reference, you can clear up and correct any outdated information
in the old manual, and that in itself is added value.
Jane Carnall
The writers all stand around a cauldron chanting and occasionally tossing in
a very large manual. Unless stated otherwise, these opinions are mine, and
mine alone. Apologies for the long additional sig: it is added automatically
and outwith my control.
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