Comments on: Chrysler Drops Long Car Manuals in Favor of Short Guides + Video http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2009/09/30/chrysler-drops-long-car-manuals-in-favor-of-short-guides-video/ Technical Communication Blog / Technical Writing Blog Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:03:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Keith Hoffman http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2009/09/30/chrysler-drops-long-car-manuals-in-favor-of-short-guides-video/comment-page-1/#comment-144445 Keith Hoffman Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:35:27 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=4779#comment-144445 Hi Tom, It has been a while, but I've been keeping on eye on your site. The only podcast I'm working on right now is on blog talk radio as part of the Fantasy Sports Channel. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fsclive/2009/10/05/FSC-Live. I backed off the blog this year, mostly because I was not relevant, timely, and didn't have a whole lot of focus with it. I hope to pick it back up at some point in the next 6 months or so, but it depends on a lot of my 'free' time. Keep up the good work with I'd Rather be Writing. Keith Hi Tom,

It has been a while, but I’ve been keeping on eye on your site. The only podcast I’m working on right now is on blog talk radio as part of the Fantasy Sports Channel. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fsclive/2009/10/05/FSC-Live.

I backed off the blog this year, mostly because I was not relevant, timely, and didn’t have a whole lot of focus with it. I hope to pick it back up at some point in the next 6 months or so, but it depends on a lot of my ‘free’ time.

Keep up the good work with I’d Rather be Writing.

Keith

]]> By: Tom http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2009/09/30/chrysler-drops-long-car-manuals-in-favor-of-short-guides-video/comment-page-1/#comment-144443 Tom Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:02:19 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=4779#comment-144443 Ted, thanks for your insight about how you're using your lawnmower manual. I have to agree with your general perspective here. If there's one manual that I consult and prefer to be printed, it's probably my car manual. I also have a lawnmower manual that I consult every now and then. I'm sure I would quickly lose the DVD. Still, I am excited about the multimedia possibilities for instruction with DVDs. I would love to see a video of someone explaining how to check all the fluids rather than looking at print diagrams of engines. Ted, thanks for your insight about how you’re using your lawnmower manual. I have to agree with your general perspective here. If there’s one manual that I consult and prefer to be printed, it’s probably my car manual. I also have a lawnmower manual that I consult every now and then. I’m sure I would quickly lose the DVD. Still, I am excited about the multimedia possibilities for instruction with DVDs. I would love to see a video of someone explaining how to check all the fluids rather than looking at print diagrams of engines.

]]> By: Tom http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2009/09/30/chrysler-drops-long-car-manuals-in-favor-of-short-guides-video/comment-page-1/#comment-144442 Tom Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:00:04 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=4779#comment-144442 Keith, thanks for your comment. I agree that they should put their videos online -- it would give them better visibility and access. Also, re the shorter guides, I believe they are still printing these. Hey, on a related note, I haven't heard from you in a while. Are you still publishing podcasts? I checked your blog, twowrites.com, but didn't see any content. Keith, thanks for your comment. I agree that they should put their videos online — it would give them better visibility and access. Also, re the shorter guides, I believe they are still printing these.

Hey, on a related note, I haven’t heard from you in a while. Are you still publishing podcasts? I checked your blog, twowrites.com, but didn’t see any content.

]]> By: Keith Hoffman http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2009/09/30/chrysler-drops-long-car-manuals-in-favor-of-short-guides-video/comment-page-1/#comment-144330 Keith Hoffman Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:19:48 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=4779#comment-144330 I believe this is the tip of the iceberg, but I do wonder why they chose to use a DVD? Web video is oozing from the Internet, and many, many folks who'd be buying a new vehicle have access to high speed/web video. So, why burn a DVD at all? Certainly, this is a step in the right direction, but a better solution might have been to print the smaller manual and route the car's owner to the website for the quick shot tutorials and additional information. By they, I've used the analogy with cars for a long time. I don't think we're far off from a world where I'm just watching the video on my mobile device anyway. So, I'm changing the oil myself, and run into a snag. I whip out my iPhone and find the Chrysler oil change video tutorial and walk through it step by step. Bing, bang, boom. I believe this is the tip of the iceberg, but I do wonder why they chose to use a DVD? Web video is oozing from the Internet, and many, many folks who’d be buying a new vehicle have access to high speed/web video. So, why burn a DVD at all?

Certainly, this is a step in the right direction, but a better solution might have been to print the smaller manual and route the car’s owner to the website for the quick shot tutorials and additional information.

By they, I’ve used the analogy with cars for a long time. I don’t think we’re far off from a world where I’m just watching the video on my mobile device anyway. So, I’m changing the oil myself, and run into a snag. I whip out my iPhone and find the Chrysler oil change video tutorial and walk through it step by step. Bing, bang, boom.

]]> By: trainey http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2009/09/30/chrysler-drops-long-car-manuals-in-favor-of-short-guides-video/comment-page-1/#comment-144325 trainey Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:19:49 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/?p=4779#comment-144325 Interesting. When I bought my ride-on mower a few years ago it came with a somewhat brief manual and a VHS tape. I've referred to the manual a dozen times - the tape is still in the original wrapping in a drawer in the garage. I'd personally be less inclined to watch a video for info about my car than I would a 2 minute tutorial about software. It seems like it's about the time commitment - the quick 30 second to 2 min software tutorials don't interrupt your work flow - and can be watched while doing other things. Longer informational videos require dedicating time that most people don't have or just aren't interested in using for that purpose. Interesting. When I bought my ride-on mower a few years ago it came with a somewhat brief manual and a VHS tape. I’ve referred to the manual a dozen times – the tape is still in the original wrapping in a drawer in the garage.
I’d personally be less inclined to watch a video for info about my car than I would a 2 minute tutorial about software. It seems like it’s about the time commitment – the quick 30 second to 2 min software tutorials don’t interrupt your work flow – and can be watched while doing other things. Longer informational videos require dedicating time that most people don’t have or just aren’t interested in using for that purpose.

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