Actuate’s August 2009 Open Source Survey reported users see community-based Help as one of the key benefits of adopting open source software. The benefits of adoption for the 1,500 respondents were: Community-based Help (33.2%) Access to source code (72.6%) Built on open platforms (63.9%) Scalability (57.2%) Flexibility (54.3%) Not locked into Microsoft (40.9%) Standards-based technology… Read more »
Category: trends
Embedding videos into printed instruction manuals
Pepsi is pioneering the use of new technology that embeds video adverts in printed magazines. According to the Financial Times, the video starts when the reader turns to the appropriate page. See CBS and Pepsi bring video ads to printed page and CBS to run video ad in magazine this fall If it could be… Read more »
Review of Conversation and Community: The Social Web for Documentation
We were sent a review copy of Anne Gentle’s book , Conversation and Community: The Social Web for Documentation (www.xmlpress.net). Anne has been a pioneer in developing technical documentation that includes Web 2.0 concepts, so I read it with great interest. It’s a book that provides practical advice on how to add user generated content… Read more »
Nintendo patents new Help/User Assistance system
Various computer games magazines are reporting news of a Nintendo patent for providing user assistance to players during a game. The patent describes “Demo Play”, which is intended to keep casual players interested in complex games in a way that doesn’t conflict with hardcore gamers’ requirements. Advanced players can play normally, while less experienced players can get the occasional helping hand. Hints will appear… Read more »
Is search dying? Your manual within 140 characters?
Internet Psychologist Graham Jones wrote an article last week, in which he stated, search is dying, and is being replaced by sharing information socially. “So worried is Microsoft about Google that they haven’t realised that Google is not their real competition any more. It is the likes of Twitter and Ecademy…Google already knows this. Much… Read more »