Gene Kim-Eng wrote in response to Joyce Johnson's question about Theory of Operation sections in a manual:
>>They can be useful for training, but once familiar with the product servicepeople will ignore them. Keep them brief, don't make them a hugely prominent part of the manual (appendices are good places for them) and don't let them become so detailed that it is possible for a competitor to reverse-engineer the product from them.<< Service manuals are reference materials that more often than not will spend most of their lives on a shelf or in a seldom opened file on the system software CD. However, when they're needed, the last thing the service people want to find is big gaps in the information needed to help them get everything back online as fast as possible. Also, why would you put them in the appendices? I agree that you don't have to make them the most prominent part of the manual, but they should be up front with the specifications, installation material, et al. It seems to me that the appendices are where you put things that are specific to that particular machine-parts lists, schematics, etc. I would worry less about loosing customers to companies that provide better material for servicing the systems than to competitors who try to reverse engineer from a service manual. Al Geist Technical Writing, Help, Marketing Collateral, Web Design and Award Winning Videos Voice/Msg: 802-872-9190 Cell: 802-578-3964 E-mail: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] URL: http://www.geistassociates.com (Online portfolio and resume) See also: URL: http://www.geistimages.com (Fine art photographic prints for home or office and beautiful note cards for all occasions.) ______________________________________________ Author Help files and create printed documentation with Doc-To-Help. New release adds Team Authoring Support, enhanced Web-based help technology and PDF output. Learn more at www.doctohelp.com/tcp. Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
