Via Twitter, someone responded to one of my messages with the statement, “maybe, if you need a manual, it’s a poor product”. I don’t think that’s the case, and my reply on Twitter was: “A map is to a city, what a manual is to an application.” Let me explain. Imagine you need to visit… Read more »
Category: Technical Author
Will SEO be replaced by AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)?
Internet psychologist Graham Jones has just posted an interesting Blog called “Search is on its deathbed…bye, bye SEO“. In it he states: “They (Search Engines) would like us to think that we are constantly “searching” for things online – but we aren’t. We are “locating” stuff we already know about, a lot of the time.”… Read more »
User documentation – Does it matter?
It’s very hard to tell how much user documentation matters to people. One completely un-scientific way is by looking at the messages on Twitter, on any given day, that make mention of it. Below are some of the messages posted on Wednesday 4th March 2009 that mention documentation. We’ve omitted those messages that relate to… Read more »
Why bother with user documentation in recessionary times?
Although many organisations see user assistance as a “good thing”, it’s not immune to the belt tightening that many organisations face in times of difficulty. Business expert Mike Southon recommends that in recessionary times, organisations should focus on getting sales from existing customers – so customer retention becomes ever more important. There’s a virtuous circle… Read more »
What can a Technical Author learn from a TV shopping channel?
TV shopping channels are immensely successful at selling technology to the general public. Most salesmen will tell you how good these channels are at using the power of persuasion to create and fulfill a need that might never had existed before you turned on the TV. Technical Authors could also pick up a few tips… Read more »