Re: Users Guides vs. Help

[Chris Schumann <whizkid dwave net>]

On Tue, 26 Oct 1999, Alexander Kirillov wrote:
>        I still think it would be more effective just to list all
> important applications in the users guide, giving, say, 4-5 lines
> description of what each of them does (as in gnome software map)

> > The user guide could contain a "getting started" selection
> > of the apps help/tutorial. The reason is that otherwise the User Guide
> > will be extremely long and needs to be maintained very often. 

While we're sending opinions, can we agree that "Introducing Windows 95"
is really not very complete at all? Good. Now that we have a bad example,
let's try to think what we would have wanted and our audience.

These are people who are, at the minimum, giving linux and GNOME a serious
try. There are some things they'll need to know: How to start a program,
switch between them, how and why to maintain their computer, and how to
get online help. One good thing about "Introducing..." is that it is
small. A huge tome will intimidate some people just because of its size.

The book also lists several ways to get help from other people. I think it
would be good to remind people that if they bought a commercial
distribution that they can call and talk to real people, and perhaps a web
page could be listed that has up to date contact information for places
such as Linuxcare.

People who are installing or using GNOME because they "have to" to use
some application are best served by a very small book. Those who want some
facility with it want a bigger book, and those who want to develop... etc.

Looking at the existing User's Guide, I think there is too much
information on the Calendar. As for the CD Player... I mean it's a CD
Player already. You hit Play and voila! You want to play with the menus?
Go ahead; they won't bite.

Just my two cents (from an otherwise lurking, non-documenting slacker).

Chris Schumann <whizkid@dwave.net>

"Wait a minute, Joe. If what you're saying is true,
then I still don't care." - Dave Nelson, News Radio