RE: "How To Write Usable User Documentation", (by Edmond Weiss).

Subject: RE: "How To Write Usable User Documentation", (by Edmond Weiss).
From: "Susan W. Gallagher" <sgallagher5 -at- cox -dot- net>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Sun, 5 Dec 2004 10:27:11 -0800



> If someone wanted to improve their professional knowledge and
> skills, would people recommend this book?

The book is old -- I read it in 1994 and it was old then -- but it is rather
unique in its advice for paper manuals and I don't think the advice has been
repeated.

It explains how to craft a modular user manual -- module in this case being
defined as a technique in which each topic is covered in its own two-page
spread with description here and graphic there and procedure in the other
place and every two-page spread looks exactly the same and the information
is organized identically.

It's an iteresting technique. I wrote a user manual that way once -- for an
archive and disk cleanup utility that ran on Windows 3.1. For the writer, it
is a strenuous excercise in writing discipline -- can you cover every topic
in exactly the same way and mind your words enough so that each topic
consumes exactly a two-page spread? (Which raises another discussion
entirely -- *should* every topic be treated in exactly the same fashion and
be given exactly the same amount of real estate?)

The end to my story is that none of the beta customers were comfortable with
the format. One of them said it was too "Mac" <sigh>. So I quickly
de-modularized the book. But while I never published a modular manual, I
believe I'm a better writer for having gone through the exercise.

All said, if the reader were able to extrapolate the content of the Weiss
book into the kind of discipline it takes to create a consistent and easily
navigable online help document, then I'd say the book offers some sage
advice for our current projects despite its age.

HTH!
-Sue Gallagher




Little boxes, little boxes, ... and they're all made out of ticky-tacky and
they all look just the same -- Little Boxes, Malvina Reynolds


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Follow-Ups:

References:
"How To Write Usable User Documentation", (by Edmond Weiss).: From: Caroline Tabach

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