Comments on: A Good Response to “No One Reads the Help Anyway” http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/ Technical Communication Blog / Technical Writing Blog Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:01:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Top 6 Ways Technical Communicators Can Benefit from the Groundswell « Kai's Tech Writing Blog http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/comment-page-1/#comment-148113 Top 6 Ways Technical Communicators Can Benefit from the Groundswell « Kai's Tech Writing Blog Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:07:45 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/#comment-148113 [...] 6. Understand why no one reads the help anyway. [...] [...] 6. Understand why no one reads the help anyway. [...]

]]> By: Top 6 Ways Technical Communicators Can Benefit from the Groundswell - The Content Wrangler Community http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/comment-page-1/#comment-132446 Top 6 Ways Technical Communicators Can Benefit from the Groundswell - The Content Wrangler Community Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:46:25 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/#comment-132446 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] 6. Understand why no one reads the help anyway. [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> [...] 6. Understand why no one reads the help anyway. [...]

]]> By: companies for sale http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/comment-page-1/#comment-129625 companies for sale Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:32:00 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/#comment-129625 You wouldn't believe the amount of programs with little to no help documentation :/ You wouldn’t believe the amount of programs with little to no help documentation :/

]]> By: incaltaminte http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/comment-page-1/#comment-93117 incaltaminte Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:59:57 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/#comment-93117 i never use help. especially the help from microsift. they don't say anything. it's like they make it for dumb people. help should be very exact, very precise and with lots and lots of details... not like - ask your ISP if any errors occur, or restart windows... hate that! i never use help. especially the help from microsift. they don’t say anything. it’s like they make it for dumb people. help should be very exact, very precise and with lots and lots of details… not like – ask your ISP if any errors occur, or restart windows… hate that!

]]> By: one man writes » Recently Read http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/comment-page-1/#comment-77946 one man writes » Recently Read Tue, 18 Dec 2007 13:31:31 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/#comment-77946 [...] No-one reads the help anyway the next time you hear someone say, “No one reads the help anyway,” say, “Yah, no one uses Google either.” This will lead to a puzzling follow-up question — What do you mean? I use Google all the time. Then you say, What do you use Google for? To search for answers, solutions, and information when you have questions? [...] [...] No-one reads the help anyway the next time you hear someone say, “No one reads the help anyway,” say, “Yah, no one uses Google either.” This will lead to a puzzling follow-up question — What do you mean? I use Google all the time. Then you say, What do you use Google for? To search for answers, solutions, and information when you have questions? [...]

]]> By: techcommdood http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/comment-page-1/#comment-75158 techcommdood Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:15:25 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/#comment-75158 Not exactly. Google is a search engine. Help *has* a search engine, but a search engine isn't Help. Search, IMHO, shouldn't be the primary takeaway from an explanation of what Help is. Not exactly. Google is a search engine. Help *has* a search engine, but a search engine isn’t Help. Search, IMHO, shouldn’t be the primary takeaway from an explanation of what Help is.

]]> By: Paul http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/comment-page-1/#comment-75040 Paul Wed, 12 Dec 2007 18:45:06 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/#comment-75040 I think what Bill (aka techcommdood) was trying to say was that he doesn't think Google is equivalent to help -- which I don't think was really your point, but seems to be what some people took away from your post. Oh well... :) I think what Bill (aka techcommdood) was trying to say was that he doesn’t think Google is equivalent to help — which I don’t think was really your point, but seems to be what some people took away from your post.

Oh well… :)

]]> By: Tom http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/comment-page-1/#comment-74940 Tom Wed, 12 Dec 2007 13:27:57 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/#comment-74940 Yes, my point was that people do search for answers all the time. I often hear users say they learn software only from hands-on instruction or explanations from colleagues (someone showing them). But this isn't entirely true. They're searching for how-to answers all the time on Google. Unfortunately the help link in a software app. inspires a lot less confidence than Google. Yes, my point was that people do search for answers all the time. I often hear users say they learn software only from hands-on instruction or explanations from colleagues (someone showing them). But this isn’t entirely true. They’re searching for how-to answers all the time on Google. Unfortunately the help link in a software app. inspires a lot less confidence than Google.

]]> By: Tom http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/comment-page-1/#comment-74937 Tom Wed, 12 Dec 2007 13:23:43 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/#comment-74937 Thanks techcommdood for the tip. I didn't know you could search Google's help content like that. Where did you learn that? Thanks techcommdood for the tip. I didn’t know you could search Google’s help content like that. Where did you learn that?

]]> By: Sue A http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/comment-page-1/#comment-74650 Sue A Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:32:38 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/12/11/a-good-response-to-no-one-reads-the-help-anyway/#comment-74650 Nice one! It did make me giggle. And who knows, it might make them stop and think. :) Nice one! It did make me giggle. And who knows, it might make them stop and think. :)

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