Re: SOMEbody reads...

[Keith Hood <klhra -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

It is nice to get some egoboo about the need for
documentation, isn't it? I'm working right now for a
company that is instituting a new parts inventory
control system. The user interface is extremely
complex and counter-intuitive, and until I was brought
on board the only user documentation available was
window-level. There were no step by step how-to
guides. Since the word got out that I was on hand
trying to produce user manuals, I've had a steady
stream of people wanting to talk to me about what they
need for documents. I mean, I've had mechanics on
break leave the repair bays and walk across the yard
to the trailer where I sit to ask me if I can make up
written procedures for things. This is quite literally
the first job I've ever had where people tell me they
need and use what I'm writing. This is kind of nice
but it's so odd in my experience, sometimes I really
don't know how to react. 


--- Julie Stickler <jstickler -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:

> I belong to the rather active Yahoo user forum for
> the product that I
> worked on in my previous job.  I left that company
> almost a year ago,
> but I still lurk the forum because every week or so
> one of the
> questions is answered with "You can find that in
> [doc name]."
> 
> It just happened again this morning.  I swear, it
> makes me *so* happy
> every time one of the forum members points to the
> docs as holding the
> answer to a question. It doesn't even have to be one
> of my docs.
> (Although that is extra special!)
> 
> And every now and then, if there is a question that
> no one has
> answered, and I know it is in one of the docs, I'll
> reply and point
> the customer towards the information he's looking
> for.  I firmly
> believe that we should encourage our users to "Read
> the Fine Manual."
> 
> Julie
>
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printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007 
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
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True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com

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