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>The big problem, then, is how do we communicate concepts to
>people who don't want to be bothered with them so that they
>have the knowledge they need to be reasonably competent in
>an unfamiliar domain?
There's no such thing as a free lunch. You can't do it
instantaneously or completely painlessly.
I have a brief essay about user guides on my website:
The main point is that the guide must explain the interface
metaphor, so that users can determine intuitively how to perform new
tasks. This idea doesn't originate with me, of course. See the works
of Heckel or Tognazzini, among others. ...RM
Richard Mateosian <srm -at- cyberpass -dot- net> www.cyberpass.net/~srm/
Review Editor, IEEE Micro Berkeley, CA