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I’ve been re-reading some old posts in the field, and after reading Amy Hoy's Slash7 post on " How Tech Writing Sucks: The Five Sins ," I started thinking… is it really possible not to commit any one of the five sins? The Five Sins - Losing...
Of late, I’ve been intrigued by something YouTube is doing. They are requesting user-submitted documentation in the form of videos. Well the video part makes sense, right? However, it’s interesting they are reaching out to the audience to supplement their...
Your suggestions are heard. Yes, I know it can be hard to believe sometimes but some people (finger pointing at me and the rest of Blackbaud) love to listen. Listening is fun because you don’t have to pretend to know everything. You can let others share...
A simple question. What do users need? My mind starts thinking about it and I realize there are just too many answers to mentally fathom. Recently, someone on my team shared a great link to discussion results from a recent CIDM conference. http://www...
In the evolution of software help, user assistance content has taken many shapes and forms. The search for the best way to assist you in your every day work processes is an ever changing quest. Long, jargon filled, and confusing technical documentation...
Does this sound familiar? A coworker sends an email asking you to explain how to do something. You begin your reply, feverishly typing out the necessary steps and details. Half a page later it dawns on you -- it would be easier for both of you if you...
Now that we have looked at what Blackbaud enterprise help offers our end-users and their clients - Part 1 and Part 2 - this week we will take a look at the technology driving the help system. We will also talk about how this technology serves to make...
In my last post about our next generation of help, I provided an end-user view of our new help system and mentioned in passing the customization functionality. In this post, we will take a more detailed look at the customization feature. Customization...
The more I explore help on the internet the more I see humor being used in documentation . Most of the time, I appreciate the unexpected approach to help. But, am I the exception? I’ve often heard how difficult it can be to use humor effectively. Humor...
Early in 2005, Blackbaud Inc. started work on an enterprise version of our constituent management software product. We targeted the software to high-end users interested in a powerful and customizable product, and of course, we wanted the help system...