RE: Index/TOC Needed in HTML &/or Browser-Based Help?

["Joe Malin" <jmalin -at- tuvox -dot- com>]

I have had users here who ask for an "index", that is, keyword search,
rather than text search.

I see several streams of inquiry related to this:
* User expectations - Does it confuse users if a TOC and index are
missing?
* User modeling/research - Are we convinced that users only need a
search engine?
* Tech writing expectations - Are we as tech writers uncomfortable with
removing TOCs and indexes? Is this
  based on experience, or fear of change?
* Technology - Are our search tools sufficient to achieve customer
goals? 


	 Joe Malin
Technical Writer
(408)625-1623
jmalin -at- tuvox -dot- com 
www.tuvox.com
The views expressed in this document are those of the sender, and do not
necessarily reflect those of TuVox, Inc.	

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+jmalin=tuvox -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+jmalin=tuvox -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf
Of Barbara Vega
Sent: Friday, May 19, 2006 1:39 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Index/TOC Needed in HTML &/or Browser-Based Help?

Hello all

I have been told that in the Microsoft Vista version to come out, the
TOC and Index have been eliminated, in favor of a much more efficient,
improved search engine. Supposedly they have found that virtually no one
uses the TOC or index any more, and this is much of their reasoning for
eliminating it. I have also heard that this is not a final final
decision but that it is likely to be passed (I got this info in a
seminar attended given by Weilenski (sp?) of WritersUA)

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