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Susana Rosende is <<...opting to make our pdf files available
from our FTP site, and considering dropping HAT-created
online help for an online manual>>
I see PDF as an online book: an electronic duplication of the printed manual
(+hypertext). As such, the online book can be used to update customer
manuals more quickly, easily, and inexpensively than the printed thing.
Indeed, software companies who have a small niche can, if they choose, only
distribute as PDF and pass of the printing chore to the customer. This all
begs the question, does the customer read PDFs, print PDFs, or even read a
printed version of the manual that you supply?
Online help, in my humble yet strong opinion, is a different animal than the
online book. Whereas, online books and printed books seem suited to giving
general overviews, letting you pre-plan your use of the software, and, yes,
even answering specific, need-to-know-now kinds of things, online help seems
only suited to the latter.
In my Utopia, where technical writers are atop the highest rung of society's
ladder, sharing the most wealth, power, status, and toys . . . yes, lots of
toys (I digress?), the online help project is separate from the online
book/in-print effort. Here, the cost savings of single-sourcing is not
needed. Ha! If there's no book and no online help, then the product won't
ship, by golly. In this Utopia, the online help answers in 30 seconds every
I-need-to-know-now question the user has. The online help is not about
pre-planning nor general overview, but is more specifically targeted to
specific, tactical operations.
So, I would better understand replacing the printed book with a PDF, but
suggest that the PDF is not a suitable replacement for the online help . .
..
All the best, now back to reality. Another day another nickle ;?(.
