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Subject:Re: When is it too much information? From:Ryan Pollack <ryan -at- clicksecurity -dot- com> To:"Cardimon, Craig" <ccardimon -at- m-s-g -dot- com> Date:Mon, 18 Feb 2013 09:13:59 -0600
Agreed. If there is a non-trivial chance they will wonder whether they need
to do something about this change, better to put the statement in. The user
should not have to spend the mental energy to wonder.
I have done this many times in release notes I've written.
On Mon, Feb 18, 2013 at 9:09 AM, Cardimon, Craig <ccardimon -at- m-s-g -dot- com>wrote:
> If it is truly superfluous, then don't put it in.
>
> If your information helps to clarify what users are -- or are NOT --
> seeing on the screen, then it isn't superfluous. You should add it in.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+ccardimon=m-s-g -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:
> techwr-l-bounces+ccardimon=m-s-g -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of
> yehoshua paul
> Sent: Monday, February 18, 2013 10:07 AM
> To: tech2wr-l
> Subject: When is it too much information?
>
> While reviewing the latest release notes that my company sends out every
> couple of weeks, one of the support guys suggested that I add the following
> words (or something similar) to one of the change descriptions: "The user
> does not need to do anything." What changed is information that was
> displayed in one area of the UI is no longer displayed. The support guy
> thought the users might think they need to do something, now that they no
> longer see this information.
>
> I told him, if the users needed to do something, I would write this in the
> release notes like I did with some of the other changes, and include the
> relevant steps, or the appropriate reference to the online help. If I
> didn't write anything, why would the users think they need to do something?
> His argument was that it doesn't hurt to add the sentence, and it may
> prevent confused customers from calling customer support.
>
> What do you guys think? Would adding a superfluous sentence (in my
> opinion) help or hinder users.
>
> Yehoshua
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--
Ryan Pollack
Senior Technical Writer | Click Security
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