tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.comments2023-10-01T01:39:20.158-07:00The Humane ExperienceMichael Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06004741387594324547noreply@blogger.comBlogger527125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-68878341212116081802013-02-13T03:59:34.581-08:002013-02-13T03:59:34.581-08:00Interesting article and questions! I am also inter...Interesting article and questions! I am also interested in tools used for embedded help. My impression is that few authoring tools(if any?) support embedded help. Instead companies create their own system, which often is difficult to maintain for technical communicators. These systems often lack basic autoring functionality as inline links, search, formatting, pictures oetc.Anitanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-80849787630065945592013-01-24T16:15:34.510-08:002013-01-24T16:15:34.510-08:00Bummed to find out you still have to work in Heave...Bummed to find out you still have to work in Heaven <i>(might give it a miss)</i>.Bruce Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16942345371097517919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-57125868599587765932013-01-23T20:03:12.293-08:002013-01-23T20:03:12.293-08:00Wow! It can't get better than this!Wow! It can't get better than this!Harry Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02584183345384283124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-58172195017360885922013-01-19T01:21:39.524-08:002013-01-19T01:21:39.524-08:00Absolutely great. Only one reservation, hardly wor...Absolutely great. Only one reservation, hardly worth mentioning, but then, I'm a tech writer (or techwriter, as in the piece), is that the technical writer morphs into a technical communicator behind door 3 (and quite rightly, too) but becomes a technical writer the moment she comes out.PATRICIA CARMELhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06480290038149177679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-65297686263322129862013-01-17T10:44:01.945-08:002013-01-17T10:44:01.945-08:00This just got passed around our office. Very funny...This just got passed around our office. Very funny!BerkeleyBullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11627627936419169488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-37027171862395010032012-11-29T07:06:55.035-08:002012-11-29T07:06:55.035-08:00Thou shall protect and provide for the children - ...Thou shall protect and provide for the children - Simply I love it.Naveen kumarhttp://xmotorcycles.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-66591774843748462492012-09-28T13:55:22.763-07:002012-09-28T13:55:22.763-07:00I had one other thought. You must know that you h...I had one other thought. You must know that you have upset the religious right (or left?) when you said the Ten Commandments must have been written by rich old men? As we all know, the finger of God etched the Commandments into a book-like tablet on top of a mountain with Moses. See Charlton Heston.Warren Givensnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-19831195938847283712012-09-28T12:32:34.037-07:002012-09-28T12:32:34.037-07:00God himself could not do a better job (ducking fro...God himself could not do a better job (ducking from lightning). It puts you in strong company, my friend.<br /><br />There is one issue with "You shall not kill". I understand that the correct translation from the Hebrew into English is "You shall not murder". I find it interesting that one is a moral commandment, the other is a legal one. I'm with you on this, buddy, Warren Givensnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-86317511077315528312012-09-28T09:22:05.357-07:002012-09-28T09:22:05.357-07:00Heck, I'll vote for yours. Especially like #4....Heck, I'll vote for yours. Especially like #4... covers "a multitude of sins"!Sean Bentleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02777191262417995366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-38440136309137838592012-08-18T14:45:34.569-07:002012-08-18T14:45:34.569-07:00I, too agree that given the environment you descri...I, too agree that given the environment you describe, that creating new interaction methods for the UI should be confined to solving situations and handling new features that the pre-canned widgets can't handle. <br /><br />For anyone who remembers the general reactions to Windows Vista and Office 2007, users like to work in a familiar environment on UIs that are not only useful and useable, Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-42914539565769523922012-05-23T17:23:03.499-07:002012-05-23T17:23:03.499-07:00I loved this post for several reasons, and it'...I loved this post for several reasons, and it's similar to my adventure in learning to play the violin (as an adult). Thanks for the diagram and for the reminder that I need to get some new goals set.Melinda Bakernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-53229608917756620592012-05-14T11:30:33.288-07:002012-05-14T11:30:33.288-07:00In my case at any rate, getting better has meant g...In my case at any rate, getting better has meant getting out of my comfort zone and stretching the envelope. If I just sit back and enjoy, I will stay at that level. That's why I think it is important for me to linger periodically and enjoy--so I am not continually in a discomfort zone. But it's also important to know when it's time to grow some more. It's not so much focusing on Michael Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06004741387594324547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-56577453482903843572012-05-14T10:37:04.374-07:002012-05-14T10:37:04.374-07:00So if you have 6 months to live and concentrate on...So if you have 6 months to live and concentrate on enjoying the notes-Great! And if you unexpectedly live twenty years more having spent six months enjoying the notes will lead you to an ever higher level. You don't ever lose by focusing on the journey rather than the end.Valnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-17657229741461331742012-05-13T06:19:00.211-07:002012-05-13T06:19:00.211-07:00I cannot agree more. You can have something usable...I cannot agree more. You can have something usable when it's not that useful, and your user will have to 'find' time to use it. Or you can have something 'useful' that your user is dying to use, having it usable helps, but it being unusable means the user has to 'put up' with it.<br />So I definitely agree that 'usefulness' first, then 'usable' second.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-54714974900203394582012-03-18T23:15:25.448-07:002012-03-18T23:15:25.448-07:00Completely true. I agree with that theory. Most de...Completely true. I agree with that theory. Most decision theory needs to be revalidated using data over a period of time. Instantly calling a decision wrong on the basis of a single result is actually wrong. That means that if a coach uses a tried and tested theory play against a team that's worked in the past and it fails one time, he was wrong all the other times too.perpetualthoughthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12486953957353830964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-66266552263228856532012-01-25T09:22:24.786-08:002012-01-25T09:22:24.786-08:00You're absolutely right, Paul, it's a taut...You're absolutely right, Paul, it's a tautological contradiction. It was mainly a "headline gimmick." :-)Michael Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06004741387594324547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-11021193287530903142012-01-25T08:59:52.177-08:002012-01-25T08:59:52.177-08:00I would argue that 'not right' does mean &...I would argue that 'not right' does mean 'wrong': it's a binary decision. But I agree it is not an appropriate decision for the situation. Better a continuum or scenario based model of expessing a judgement.Paul Ballardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-67941547847139323552012-01-25T08:03:46.497-08:002012-01-25T08:03:46.497-08:00It works the other way, too. Machiavelli is misquo...It works the other way, too. Machiavelli is misquoted as saying that the end justifies the means. What he really said is that the end will be perceived to justify the means if the attempt is successful. But successful doesn't mean right.Andrea Wengerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17614778745975148084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-6222695983476020552012-01-18T14:22:15.187-08:002012-01-18T14:22:15.187-08:00Thanks - great advice!Thanks - great advice!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-75988056365511016202012-01-06T06:58:17.259-08:002012-01-06T06:58:17.259-08:00Thanks for your thoughts; this is indeed a good th...Thanks for your thoughts; this is indeed a good thing to consider.<br /><br />I've found that my closest friends who are honest with me are invaluable in helping to discern which areas to scrutinize my walk or my talk. Personally, I'm not so great at identifying these on my own without outside input.<br /><br />Also, I'm definitely going to look more into Action Science... that soundsAdam Caouettehttp://www.studioadam.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-22347406132489968472011-11-16T15:11:56.815-08:002011-11-16T15:11:56.815-08:00Amen Mike! It reminds me when color was first made...Amen Mike! It reminds me when color was first made available to programmers- every UI started looking like a tijuana taxi.<br /><br />I like your distinctions in categories. Every time someone decides to use an icon they should really ask The 5 Whys.<br /><br />It should also be said that 95% of software engineers should never, ever design the icon themselves. Mom lied when she put our artwork onJoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02642310279514768742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-20459474534061965492011-10-24T08:46:31.568-07:002011-10-24T08:46:31.568-07:00Mike,
Quite good and how well you can play while ...Mike,<br /><br />Quite good and how well you can play while seated on the vertical face of a cliff is just amazing. Wish I could do that, but I keep falling.Warrennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-68595416755338973522011-10-11T08:41:37.323-07:002011-10-11T08:41:37.323-07:00I think that's a valid observation. We expect ...I think that's a valid observation. We expect the intro filler in a live presentation because it's used to get the audience's attention. I have the same reaction to it in a recorded one: I'm already paying attention when I select and open the file. I agree that everything except a simple statement of the name of the presenter and the date and occasion where it was recorded should Techquestionerhttp://margaret.cekis2comcast.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-74885520875883462892011-08-24T09:44:57.625-07:002011-08-24T09:44:57.625-07:00A good grovel can also work wonders. ;-)A good grovel can also work wonders. ;-)bozoettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16608773751475479059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35562779.post-69591866520142148712011-08-21T10:07:56.438-07:002011-08-21T10:07:56.438-07:00I've learned that when any individual is motiv...I've learned that when any individual is motivated to comment on a blog or a demonstration or something they witnessed, they often do not necessarily want an action in response. They primarily want only to be acknowledged. "Thank you" is the all-purpose acknowledgement, for comments, for compliments, and even for insults. (They'll go away wondering if you really realized they Techquestionerhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretcekisnoreply@blogger.com