[Sigia-l] When Should a Manual be Web-based?

[Pittas Marios]

> Does anyone have any tips for deciding when a manual should be
> web-based (vs. in a PDF or Word format)?

One obviously cannot answer the question without knowing more information
about the specific manual and without asking/investigating how the users of
the manual plan to use that manual.. if possible of course.

1. Is chapter access important?
2. Is access speed important?
3. Is downloading important?
4. Is editing important?
5. Is "fixed" formating important?
6. How often is updating expected to be?

On another note, I am very sceptical when we advice and present models of
issues/behaviour to support our advice without clear/stated research as
below:

? Reading a manual in Word format often causes users to be uneasy
? because some keystrokes may actually alter the manual.

Says who? Where?

> Thus, users are often forced to do horizontal scrolling. It is terrible.

p.s for downloadable/"to keep" documents/manuals I personally love pdf's and
often create pdf files even of html pages because of their portability. I
can give them to customers without having to worry of fonts, graphics, links
etc etc.. PDF is not so terrible right?

Marios

-----Original Message-----
From: sigia-l-admin at asis.org [mailto:sigia-l-admin at asis.org]On Behalf Of
Boniface Lau
Sent: 26 February 2003 08:59
To: sigia-l at asis.org
Subject: RE: [Sigia-l] When Should a Manual be Web-based?


> From: sigia-l-admin at asis.org [mailto:sigia-l-admin at asis.org]On
> Behalf Of Bollaert, Jodi
>
> Does anyone have any tips for deciding when a manual should be
> web-based (vs. in a PDF or Word format)?

When you expect users to actually read a manual using a web browser,
it makes more sense to publish as a web-based document.

A PDF document's layout is fixed at the time it is published. PDF
therefore cannot re-flow its pages to fit the browser window. Thus,
users are often forced to do horizontal scrolling. It is terrible.

Reading a manual in Word format often causes users to be uneasy
because some keystrokes may actually alter the manual. Since Word can
generate HTML for a document, there is little reason to publish in
Word format.


Boniface
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