Redundancy in User Documentation

End user documentation in software industry, to me, sometimes looks redundant. I have had the opportunity to work in few of the software companies which develop software application. As a part of the end user documentation, following documents are prepared to ship with the application:

• Release Notes

• Installation

• User Guide

• Web-Help

• Admin Guide

• Tutorials

The release notes specify different features and version of the software in the particular release, whereas the installation guide describes about the system requirements and stepwise installation procedures of the Software. Sometimes, it discusses about the architecture of the software too, for the better understanding of its compatibility with hardware and other software for operational efficiency. These are the useful information contained in these documents.

Admin guide is another document which takes you through the functionality and features that helps in administering the software. Sometimes, you, as an end user can act as an admin too. In another cases, like in enterprises solution software, there are different individuals who would be responsible for acting as admin.

WebHelp is another documents prepared as one of the applications, to be integrated with the software which comes handy to understand the functionality of the software. The content created with this application contains various web pages linked with hyperlinks with each other and can be navigated through a table of contents. In this, the contents are created keeping in mind the task based approach. Even the particular windows of the software can be linked with particular web pages which are called context sensitive. This entire application is integrated with Help menu of the top menu bar of the home page of the software.

Ideally, the user guides are created to take a walk-through of the software with the minute details. The approach is to focus on every bits and pieces of information about the structure and functionality of the software. However, some of the information contained herein are already discussed in the WebHelp. The tutorial again has the mixed contents of WebHelp and user guide.

Therefore, user guide, WebHelp and tutorials contain approximately 50-60% of similar contents. Some of the software application has exactly the same content in user guide as well as in WebHelp. Only the format of display is different. In industry, it is called single sourcing. The idea is to write once and display in different formats.

Can we call it as effective documentation? In my opinion, certainly not! Because end user find almost redundant contents in these document. The time is come to realize this and give the user the documents which is useful for them. Otherwise, tradition will continue as it is said that a user never reads or consult the documents shipped to them along with the software.

Truly, if user does not find the answers he is looking into the document then definitely he would never consult them. This throws open a question on our credibility of being a technical writer asking whether we are doing our job keeping user in mind or not. This also shows that we are writing a document which is not useful for the users. Well, are we only fulfilling a regulatory requirement or ready to help users?

Remember, being a technical writer we are also a user of the documents that we refer in day today life while working with different software applications. Incidentally, how do you feel when some of your questions does not fetch you answer from the integrated help or user guide on that product? You feel even disappointed when the topic is there but if it is not well explain to guide you to complete a task. You definitely blame the technical writers for sloppy job done. This is a great feedback for you to be self motivated to treat your user valuable and think of the documents which will help them. But not load them with unnecessary documents, which will make them dump these without even looking at them.

So, be creative and use your wisdom.

How can a Technical Writer add value to the IT Industry?

This was one of the questions in one of the Technical writing interview I faced in recent past. What should I write the answer? The first and foremost question! When you are pushed to the wall your creativity, competence, and skills play a vital role in salvaging your image of being so called Technical writer. As a common knowledge every technical writer facing such question would answer whatever they have heard from their pals, colleagues, and senior writers during discussion at some point of time. Then what distinction you have from the lot? You ought to be special. You need to think out of the box and answer and that should make you special if you want to be hired.

Out of the box! A really tough challenge to prove yourself that you can make a difference! A really tough proposition to prove your worthiness! The person who administered the test gave me enough of time to think and write my answers. Finally I could collect my thoughts and tried to put down on the paper.

Apart from the usual job of writing user manuals and WebHelp, Technical writers are best suited to help the organization to cut down their cost by means of their writing. How could they do it? When the product is launched in the market, the technical support teams are always available 24x7 to answer queries, questions and doubts of the user of the software and hard ware products. Based on the feedback received by the support team about the usage and difficulties of the users to use the product, they test the particular problem into the environment narrated by the users and try to address the problem and provide a resolution to the users. If the stated problem is inherent with the product, there ought to be numerous other hits by other users too on the same problem. And every time a support person will have answered them with the same resolution. Whereas, an article stating this problem and posted on the organization’s web site would lead users to first seek there resolution from this article rather then directly contacting the support team. In case, even the support team contacted, they will have ready answer to guide the user. The technical writers are best suited to do this job because of their language efficiency guiding the user by the procedures and steps to solve their problems. These knowledge based articles would help user a great deal according my understanding. If a series of problem hindered the users, probably a trouble shooting guide to a better job.

In some other instances, technical writers can be the brand advocates of the product donning the role of bloggers and blogging about the products to the organization’s web site or some other open source site. They can go to the different social networking sites and participate in the discussion and leave a note about the new product for the crowd to discuss. In case there are any doubts, negative impression and competitive issues with other similar products in the market, the technical writers would be in a position to address the issues in their clear and concise narratives.

These are two distinct roles which a technical writer can take up and add value to the IT industry by their worth of being a writer and truly a technical writer. Because whatever they are going to write is all about the technology and it is going to help the technology grow. This is what I thought and scribble in my paper during the written test. Although the exact words and sentences are not the same and I don’t even recall them. Call it my creativity or poor memory, but whenever I would try writing about the same it would be different language. However, it would mean the same.

But to my surprise, these were not the answers what the interviewers were looking from me. As I could see they were looking at same rut repeated hundred times by all the writers. They were not looking for a different answer, a different perspective, or some thing beyond the usual job. I uttered the same usual stuffs during my personal interview and I could see their relieved faces and a victorious smile stating we have nailed you. You have to be the same what we are and think the same what we think.

Little further they started inquiring about my authoring tool knowledge. I told them what all tools I have used so far for the authoring. They kept harping about the tool knowledge what I have not used. As if the tool will do the writing job and not the technical writers. Then what is the fun of interviewing the writers. Better interview the one who is the tool perfect person. A publishing specialist, who would do all the jobs except writing.

I realize that its not the writing or technical writing per se, its the job and the way you look at it. And so far we have been looking at technical writing as the display of authoring tool knowledge and not the writer who knows authoring tools to publish their work without the external help. Perhaps writing is the last thing happens in the technical writing job.

Therefore, if you are a writer and donning a role of a technical writer, think twice how you can add value to the IT industry. I am not sure but perhaps you might have some other way to add value what I failed to understand during the interview.