Migrating to WinHelp 4.0 for Windows ’95  

WinHelp 4 is the help environment for Microsoft’s Windows 95 and Windows NT operating systems. Among the important new features of WinHelp 4 are more capable secondary windows, shortcut buttons, the ability to integrate multiple help files, What’s This? help, and better support for online coaches. Help authors must understand both the construction and the design aspects of these new features. They must also deal with the complexities of the transition from Windows 3.1 help to WinHelp 4.

Farkas, David K. and Joe Welinske. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help

Mike Brazill on Writing for Developers

Brazill gives tips for writers who document APIs or write other information for developers. He says that because developers are busy and want to get started, you have to write less and provide more examples. Developers are more goal-oriented than task oriented. He also explains the different levels of API writing.

Brazill, Mike and Tom H. Johnson. Tech Writer Voices (2007). Articles>Interviews>Documentation>Podcasts

A Millennial Paradigm for Documentation: the Scroll!

Although some zealots have proposed eliminating printed information entirely in favor of online help systems, Adobe Acrobat files, and even e-books, discarding printed books may prove less effective than simply modernizing them. Scrolls are the logical successors to books.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Geoff-Hart.com (2001). Articles>Documentation>Information Design

Minimalism  

In this wired, impatient world, our careers may depend on the ability to deliver minimalist documentation. The benefits are threefold: better readability, lower translation and printing costs, and easier reuse.

Kauffman, Ben. STC Proceedings (2002). Articles>Documentation

Review: Minimalism and Documentation  

What is minimalism? Is minimalist documentation 'risky,' and if so, what can be done to mitgate the risk? Was the structure of Windows 95's Help based on John Carroll's Minimalist Model or was 'the result' more a Microsoft business decision -- or a bit of both?

Eiler, Mary Ann. Kairos (1997). Articles>Reviews>Documentation>Minimalism

Minimalist Strategies for Improving User Documentation  

Those who use our products often ignore our best efforts at good documentation because they prefer to explore and learn by trial and error. Several researchers have developed document strategies that might help our users explore, learn, and recover from their errors. In order to use these strategies, however, technical communicators must get to know their users better, prototype their documentation, and test it on their users. Researchers need to tell us more about active learners and strategies for meeting their needs.

Elser, Arthur G. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>Quality>Minimalism

Mistakes Can Be Costly

In the aircraft industry, a number of factors have converged to highlight the importance of maintenance manuals.

Between the Lines (2007). Articles>Documentation>Engineering>Risk Communication

Mistakes Technical Writers Make  

Inexperienced technical writers typically make a number of avoidable mistakes, including parroting the SME and hard-coding xrefs. Here is a description of some mistakes to avoid.

Docsymmetry (2003). Articles>Documentation>Technical Writing

A Modular Approach to WinHelp Projects: The Process Behind the Success  

The Knowledge Products group at Cisco Systems, Inc., provides online help for both PC and UNIX-based applications. The online help team for the Cisco Works for Windows product comprised of five writers who coordinated the online help development efforts. The online help team worked closely to produce an integrated help system that was modularized for better process control.

Mandavilli, Lavanya K. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help

More Thoughts on Grassroots Documentation  

I thought technical communicators could use grassroots documentation to measure the effectiveness of their in-house documentation. I've since learned that grassroots documentation is already in play—though not in the way I expected.

Martin, Maurice. Intercom (2004). Articles>Documentation>Community Building

Moving Beyond Help  

Users complain that there is too much information in help. We will explore ways to move beyond help and provide users with the types of support they really need: re-using information on commercial information services such as CompuServe or America Online, on the Internet, and on dial-up phone and fax services. Making application interfaces self-documenting. Providing information in overlaid notes, cue cards, and wizards.

Hyman, Francine N. and Jonathan R. Price. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help

Moving Documentation Online: Challenges and Opportunities  

This panel explores the challenges faced both by computer companies and by their customers with the accelerating movement of putting documentation online. Panel participants will give their individual perspectives, followed by a discussion with the audience concerning the issues involved.

Smart, Karl L. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Documentation>Online

Moving from Paper to Electronic Documentation: Tips for a Successful Project  

With new tools and technologies available, more companies are choosing to move from paper-based documentation to electronic documentation. Being a pioneer is an exciting – and daunting – experience. In moving from paper-based to electronic documentation, you may be treading on a path never before explored for your product or your company. There are many decisions to make and many plans to develop, abandon, and develop again. Special attention is required in the areas of project management, writing and illustration, documentation design, and configuration management. A team that has experienced a paper-to-electronic documentation project can offer valuable advice if you are facing a groundbreaking project.

Finan, Jill Sutton, Joanna Natoli, Heather Healy and Mike Kocik. STC Proceedings (2003). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help

Moving Legacy Documentation into DITA: An Interview

JoAnn Hackos, content management and information design expert, gives her best advice on what organizations need to know about moving legacy documentation to DITA.

Hackos, JoAnn T. Data Conversion Laboratory (2007). Articles>Documentation>Content Management

Moving to DocBook  

DocBook is a powerful tool for creating and maintaining documentation. However, there are a number of factors you should consider before you move your documentation to DocBook. This article discusses reasons for and against making the switch to DocBook.

Nesbitt, Scott. ScottNesbitt.net (2002). Articles>Documentation>Standards>DocBook

Moving to Electronic Delivery of Documentation  

'Moving to Electronic Delivery of Documentation' includes information about the fundamentals of electronic documentation, case studies, what to expect, how to research, identify, and implement a process for moving from an exclusively hard copy documentation development and delivery process to electronic documentation development and delivery.

Robertson, Angela and Sandy Storey. STC Proceedings (2000). Articles>Documentation>Online>Case Studies

Musings on Structured, Topic-Oriented Authoring

A blog post that presents a few thoughts on using technologies like DITA to author documentation.

DMN Communications (2008). Articles>Documentation>XML>DITA

Musings on User-Generated Documentation

User-generated documentation is a big issue in technical communication circles. If properly done, tapping into the knowledge of users can improve the quality and breadth of your documentation.

DMN Communications (2008). Articles>Documentation>Technical Writing>Wikis

The Mysteries of Light

Introduces lighting digital video, particularly when using the OmniPro Lighting Kit.

Bergeland, Erik and Paul Friemel. Studio for New Media (2004). Articles>Documentation>Multimedia

New Guidelines for Documentation of Plants  

The DIN committee NA 152-06-01-05 UA, formerly called the NATG-F 1.5, has published a guideline for compiling information from component manuals, in its technical report 146. This report is a supplement to DIN EN 62079 and is meant to ensure that the requirements from the Machine Guidelines 98/37/EG Appendix I Ch. 1.7.4 are practically feasible. Plans are afoot to introduce the technical report at the international level (CEN).

Galbierz, Martin. tekom (2006). Articles>Documentation>Policies and Procedures

New Life for Product Documentation

Here are some 'truths' we've all heard: 'Documentation is just a band-aid for poor design.' 'Real users don't read manuals.' 'Super users never read anything.' 'Help doesn't.' But are they really true? I've seen some signs of life in the use of documentation for digital products recently.

Quesenbery, Whitney. UXmatters (2006). Articles>Documentation>User Interface>User Centered Design

The New tekom Guideline for Safety Instructions in Operating Manuals

The EU directive 92/58/EWG of 24th June 1992 clearly defines the notification on occupational Safety and Health Safeguards. In Germany, this has been enforced through the regulations for trade associations BGV A 8 (formerly VBG 125) which regulate indication of occupational safety and health safeguards through prohibition signs, warnings, instructions or signs for action, rescue, fire protection and so on. At present there is no European standard that discusses the topic of 'Drafting Safety Instructions in Operating Manuals' adequately and in detail. Nonetheless, there are several sources but often containing only imprecise or too generalized requirements. Moreover, many judicial verdicts in various individual cases point to the manner of formulations in Safety Instructions.

Gabriel, Carl-Heinz. tekom (2004). Articles>Documentation>Policies and Procedures

The New World of Product Labeling: Alternative Architectures and Approaches  

A discussion of the shift to structured content in pharmaceutical product labeling, which builds upon SPL and PIM regulations and the fundamental concepts of enterprise content management.

Glemser Technologies (2005). Articles>Content Management>Documentation>Biomedical

Next Generation Microsoft Online Help

Just as clothing styles change, and fall's fashion is different from summer's, so Microsoft presents it's new fall's fashion of online help to a fashion-consious entourage of software companies always eager to follow Microsoft's lead.

Albing, Bill. KeyContent.org (2004). Articles>Documentation>Online>Help

A Next Generation of Digital Genres: Expanding Documentation into Animation and Virtual Reality  

The purpose of this paper is to discuss virtual reality and interactive animation as potential documentation tools for training and information distribution and to discuss applications available for developing these genres.

Hailey, David E. Utah State University (2003). Articles>Documentation>Interactive>3D