TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
::: Studies have shown that users don't read paper manuals or
::: online help, so
::: writers are now trying embedded assistance along with
::: context sensitive
::: help. I'm looking for opinions:
Studies have shown blah blah blah... If I had a dime for every worthless
tech writing-related study I've seen, well, I'd have a hell of a lot of
dimes. ;) What studies are you referring to? I've read some studies that
prove that without a doubt the world will end at the strike of midnight,
1/1/2000. *lol*
I don't know what studies you've read but people still do read manuals
and use online help.
::: Could embedded assistance completely replace paper manuals
::: and online help?
Maybe, maybe not. I doubt I'll see it in my lifetime, or my kids', or my
grandkids (if I have any). In fact, I'll bet there will be a new and
funkier means of user assistance being flaunted and supported with weak
studies before embedded user assistance has a chance to make it big.
"Completely" and "replace" are very strong words, especially when used
together. What you're basically asking is whether people will abandon
whole, organized, structured content for fragmented need-to-know-now
information. The embedded assistance may halp get tasks done, but
manuals and help will still be used to understand a process or concept.
::: If so, would single sourcing have any value?
Depends. If the only value you see in single-sourcing is repurposing
content from one medium to another, then no, single-sourcing wouldn't
have much value. If you see single-sourcing as a means of producing
multiple deliverables from a central repository of information, then
yes, single-sourcing will still have value despite what mediums are
available to publish in.
B I L L S W A L L O W
Information Design & Development Professional
tel/fax: 518.371.1867
wswallow -at- nycap -dot- rr -dot- com
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
FrameMaker-to-PDF TimeSavers Assistants let you enhance & automate navigation
in PDF doc sets (chapter tabs, next/prev chapter/pg, bookmarks, popup menus);
create interactive PDF forms, rollover popups; presentations: http://www.microtype.com
Experience RoboHelp X3! This new RoboHelp release combines single sourcing,
print-quality documentation, conditional text and much more, into the most
monumental release of RoboHelp ever! http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
