Documentation & Books

[Richard Gaskin]

Judy Perry wrote:

 > On Wed, 7 Jul 2004, Richard Gaskin wrote:
 >
 >> As with their paper-based counterparts, you may need to check
 >> out a few different entries before you find the one that
 >> answers your question most fully. But with more than twice as
 >> much documentation as included with Director, ToolBook, and
 >> other more expensive tools, the answer you're looking for is
 >> very likely covered sufficiently to get you moving forward so
 >> long as you're willing to invest almost as much effort as you
 >> would expect to employ with a paper-based index (the
 >> electronic version is arguably a bit easier since going to an
 >> entry is just one click as opposed to thumbing through pages).
 >
 > --Predictably, I disagree. There is research that indicates
 > that paper products produce more of the phenomenon termed
 > "incidental learning" or "bonus information" in which, as
 > your eye is scanning, say, a paper index, let's say you are
 > looking for something in the S's but there are Q and R
 > entries on the page as well.  Even if you are not
 > concentrating on Q's and R's, your brain almost subliminally
 > notices them and can later recall critical or interesting
 > information in them.

As happens more often than not, we agree far more than described:

Everything you wrote is spot-on, but the "bonus information" is an 
inherent byproduct of any index that shows more than one related item, 
and should not necessarily be limited to paper.

Given the ways humans handle paper it wouldn't be surprising if 
paper-based indices scored slightly higher if only because people are 
accustomed to slowing down when working with paper.  But the principle 
should appy well for indices in general regardless of the media used for 
display.

Again, this is not to suggest that printed manuals have no unique value. 
  They do, and even though most major software companies are migrating 
to electronic documentation I agree that it's important to offer print 
as an option.

But while the folks here work with Rev to further the gap between its 
documentation and that of tools like Director (I'm hoping it's a safe 
assumption that the suggestions so often posted here in this 
user-to-user forum are also sent to Rev), we can probably also help 
people get some results today.

What was the question that prompted this thread?

-- 
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World Media Corporation
  ___________________________________________________
  Rev tools and more:  http://www.fourthworld.com/rev