"usability"?

[Geoff Hart]

Ronald Schwarz wondered: <<For a long time I thought "usability" was  
the tech writers' shorthand for human factors engineering, as in  
design for usability.>>

It is. But note that you said "tech writers". It pays to remember  
that words change meaning when used for different audiences, and  
unless the audience for your question is "us" <g>, the jargon needs  
to change to accomodate the expectations of the audience.

<<Now I have before me a document where the reader is told he will  
become familiar with the "usability" of the product - meaning how to  
use it. What is the definition of "usability?">>

In this case, the definition is clearly (according to the context you  
provided) "how to use it". That isn't the correct definition of  
usability in any dialect I'm familiar with, other than perhaps in an  
archaic sense, so the solution would be to revise: "will become  
familiar with how to use the product". But that's kind of verbose, so  
I'd prefer "learn to use the product".

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-- Geoff Hart
ghart at videotron.ca / geoffhart at mac.com
www.geoff-hart.com
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