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When you localize your documentation, screenshots might seem rude to users
who do not speak English. If you have translators re-shoot them to
accommodate those users, that's a very expensive undertaking.
If I have a screenshot that will clarify a procedure, or provide a
real-world example, I provide that information with a few lines of indented
text instead.
Minimalism is also important because it provides patterns for translators.
For example, if you write "Make a choice from the pull-down menu" in one of
your topics, but in another you describe the same step as "Select from the
list", you are paying for two different entries in the TMX and slowing down
the translator. Once "Select from the list" is in memory, it can be plugged
in quickly.
Bee
On Mon, Sep 28, 2009 at 5:48 PM, Leonard C. Porrello <
Leonard -dot- Porrello -at- soleratec -dot- com> wrote:
>
> Steve,
>
> Can you point me to any of the screenshot research that you mention?
>
> Leonard
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+leonard.porrello<techwr-l-bounces%2Bleonard.porrello>
> =soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- c
> om] On Behalf Of Janoff, Steve
> Sent: Monday, September 28, 2009 5:25 PM
> To: Fred Ridder; madelynboudreaux -at- ge -dot- com; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: RE: Examples of Minimalist Writing
>
> " screenshots are of questionable necessity, but the research seems to
> be all over the map on that one -- although mostly leaning toward not
> needing them, or only needing a select few."
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> Free Software Documentation Project Web Cast: Covers developing Table of
> Contents, Context IDs, and Index, as well as Doc-To-Help
> 2009 tips, tricks, and best practices.
>http://www.doctohelp.com/SuperPages/Webcasts/
>
> Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Free Software Documentation Project Web Cast: Covers developing Table of
Contents, Context IDs, and Index, as well as Doc-To-Help
2009 tips, tricks, and best practices. http://www.doctohelp.com/SuperPages/Webcasts/
Help & Manual 5: The complete help authoring tool for individual
authors and teams. Professional power, intuitive interface. Write
once, publish to 8 formats. Multi-user authoring and version control! http://www.helpandmanual.com/
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