Hi Uwe,
we have two types of invisible search words or cross-references in the
index:
First, the "see" cross-references that teach the users to use the
"correct" term during searches (ex.: frames, see borders).
Second, the "see also" cross-references that invite the user to extend
the search to other areas (ex.: captions, see also legends/callouts)
For the "see" cross-references we could have a table which lists our
technical terms on one side and possible "user" terms on the other. But
I do not believe that this is a real help for the user because he must
already know the technical term which he can then look up directy in the
Index or Find tab. I would prefer to collect the "user" terms and insert
them as "see" cross-references in the index. For this procedure, a
special feedback tool that should be integrated in the help, would be
needed, because users tend to forget their individual search terms after
a while.
For "see also" cross-references we do not have the "bad" and the "good"
terms, but we have terms that are more or less similar. The most simple
approach would be a list of synonyms. But I would prefer a sort of word
clouds with the most similar words in the center, for ex. "captions" and
"legends", and the others in the margins, for ex. "names". "names" could
then be in the margin of another cloud with "callouts" and "labels" in
the center.
Martina
Uwe Fischer schrieb:
Hi,
when you go to the Find tab page of the OOo help viewer and search for
"captions", you get a list of pages where that word can be found.
Additionally you also get pages where that word is not visible, but it
exists only as an index word as in "captions; see 'call outs'"
There are some more examples. For example, a user may try to find
information about those "frames" around paragraphs, but the user does
not know that we use the term "borders" for the lines around a
paragraph. So we inserted the "frames" index word also on the help
page about "borders around paragraphs", although the word "frame" does
not occur on that page.
What do you think how can we make the "invisible" search words visible?
Should we make them visible?
They are inappropriate words to describe the contents of the current
help page, they are only there to lead the user who does not know the
"right" term to the correct help page.
Uwe
--
[EMAIL PROTECTED] - Technical Writer
StarOffice - Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Hamburg, Germany
http://www.sun.com/staroffice
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