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Subject:Re: "Notes" column i... From:BurkBrick -at- AOL -dot- COM Date:Fri, 10 Jun 1994 07:14:16 EDT
>> My company's training department wants our manuals to
>>include a column on every page for notes.
>I once had similar requests. I solved them by printing the same
>manuals on bigger paper, which pretty much made everyone
>shut up. I personally don't write in manuals (unless I'm
>correcting them), and favored a truly inspired solution: a tablet
>for notes. We actually had nice tablets with our company logo
>on them and could have supplied them, but training
>people wanted space on the page. Go figure.
I do understand the user's point - I like being able to put notes on the same
page as the text - it helps me keep things in context. And even if a manual
is well-written and insightful, sometimes my convoluted mind picks a
different way to understand things.
I like your idea about big paper; but I think the method depends on where
people have to learn. If they've got a little desk, a manual plus a notebook
or even a big manual can be a pain. If they've got lots of desk or table
area, either approach is OK. If they've got to walk through a plant and stand
around going through the procedures, smaller and less material is better.
