Comments on: How Embedded User Assistance Impacts Documentation http://www.useraid.com/blog/2009/05/12/embedded-user-assistance/ A blog of various topics and random thoughts Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:26:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: paulm http://www.useraid.com/blog/2009/05/12/embedded-user-assistance/comment-page-1/#comment-6638 paulm Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:26:47 +0000 http://www.useraid.com/blog/?p=80#comment-6638 This topic continues to be popular as more applications move toward integrated user assistance. Integrating community-generated content into applications is also an interesting related area. Nicky Bleiel (www.nickybleiel.com) and Scott DeLoach (www.clickstart.net) also often present conference sessions about embedded and integrated user assistance. If you would like to explore other options and methods, feel free to email me and I can share other samples with you. This topic continues to be popular as more applications move toward integrated user assistance. Integrating community-generated content into applications is also an interesting related area.

Nicky Bleiel (www.nickybleiel.com) and Scott DeLoach (www.clickstart.net) also often present conference sessions about embedded and integrated user assistance. If you would like to explore other options and methods, feel free to email me and I can share other samples with you.

]]> By: JamesD http://www.useraid.com/blog/2009/05/12/embedded-user-assistance/comment-page-1/#comment-6637 JamesD Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:14:45 +0000 http://www.useraid.com/blog/?p=80#comment-6637 Paul - I was just reading your blog post about embedded user assistance. We are thinking of moving towards embedding user assistance into one of our new apps, and I would really like to know how we can leverage our existing tools (RoboHelp, FrameMaker) to create this content. Any information you can give me would be much appreciated. You can email me directly if you find it is more appropriate. Paul – I was just reading your blog post about embedded user assistance. We are thinking of moving towards embedding user assistance into one of our new apps, and I would really like to know how we can leverage our existing tools (RoboHelp, FrameMaker) to create this content. Any information you can give me would be much appreciated. You can email me directly if you find it is more appropriate.

]]> By: Marc Achtelig http://www.useraid.com/blog/2009/05/12/embedded-user-assistance/comment-page-1/#comment-5323 Marc Achtelig Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:22:37 +0000 http://www.useraid.com/blog/?p=80#comment-5323 I think there is one more aspect why embedded help can be a good thing: My wife often complains that I'd rather search for an hour to find my way before I am willing to ask somebody for directions. The problem is: I just don't want to admit that I need help. It is the same with many users. They do not want to admit that they need help, so they don't call it. However, if by some lucky coincidence there is some clue on the screen this does not hurt their ego and gets them back on the right track. I think there is one more aspect why embedded help can be a good thing: My wife often complains that I’d rather search for an hour to find my way before I am willing to ask somebody for directions. The problem is: I just don’t want to admit that I need help. It is the same with many users. They do not want to admit that they need help, so they don’t call it. However, if by some lucky coincidence there is some clue on the screen this does not hurt their ego and gets them back on the right track.

]]> By:   Weekly links roundup by Communications from DMN http://www.useraid.com/blog/2009/05/12/embedded-user-assistance/comment-page-1/#comment-3045   Weekly links roundup by Communications from DMN Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:33:53 +0000 http://www.useraid.com/blog/?p=80#comment-3045 [...] Embedded user assistance can impact documentation [...] [...] Embedded user assistance can impact documentation [...]

]]> By: paulm http://www.useraid.com/blog/2009/05/12/embedded-user-assistance/comment-page-1/#comment-2967 paulm Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:08:14 +0000 http://www.useraid.com/blog/?p=80#comment-2967 Aneesa, embedded user assistance is different from context-sensitive help in that it is integrated directly into the user interface. It also isn't labeled as help (so more users will actually read it). For example, wizards are actually traditional documentation (steps) integrated into the UI as a guided process. The most important aspect is that information/assistance is delivered when and where the user needs it without making the user stop what he/she is doing and going into a separate help system to find the information he/she needs. Does that help? Aneesa, embedded user assistance is different from context-sensitive help in that it is integrated directly into the user interface. It also isn’t labeled as help (so more users will actually read it). For example, wizards are actually traditional documentation (steps) integrated into the UI as a guided process. The most important aspect is that information/assistance is delivered when and where the user needs it without making the user stop what he/she is doing and going into a separate help system to find the information he/she needs. Does that help?

]]> By:   Weekly links roundup by Communications from DMN http://www.useraid.com/blog/2009/05/12/embedded-user-assistance/comment-page-1/#comment-2960   Weekly links roundup by Communications from DMN Sat, 25 Jul 2009 10:19:51 +0000 http://www.useraid.com/blog/?p=80#comment-2960 [...] A short musing on how embedded UA impacts documentation [...] [...] A short musing on how embedded UA impacts documentation [...]

]]> By: Aneesha http://www.useraid.com/blog/2009/05/12/embedded-user-assistance/comment-page-1/#comment-2941 Aneesha Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:50:20 +0000 http://www.useraid.com/blog/?p=80#comment-2941 How is this different from context sensitive help? How is this different from context sensitive help?

]]> By: Reaching the customer with Embedded User Assistance | Clear Point Blog http://www.useraid.com/blog/2009/05/12/embedded-user-assistance/comment-page-1/#comment-1987 Reaching the customer with Embedded User Assistance | Clear Point Blog Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:39:50 +0000 http://www.useraid.com/blog/?p=80#comment-1987 [...] http://www.useraid.com/blog/2009/05/12/embedded-user-assistance/ [...] [...] http://www.useraid.com/blog/2009/05/12/embedded-user-assistance/ [...]

]]> By: Paul Sholar http://www.useraid.com/blog/2009/05/12/embedded-user-assistance/comment-page-1/#comment-1085 Paul Sholar Thu, 14 May 2009 00:19:50 +0000 http://www.useraid.com/blog/?p=80#comment-1085 I will be in touch. In the meantime, I would say that IMO it matters less whether the assistance appears *embedded* than whether the assistance is *intelligent*. By intelligent I mean that (1) the app is aware of the user's "progress" toward some set of explicit, app-relevant goals, and those goals must have been captured by the app at the outset of the user's work with the app; (2) the app's awareness of the user's progress through the app's workflow determines the set of assistive topics that are presented. These topics would form a tree whose root(s) is the topic "most relevant" to the user's present "location" within the workflow space. I will be in touch. In the meantime, I would say that IMO it matters less whether the assistance appears *embedded* than whether the assistance is *intelligent*. By intelligent I mean that (1) the app is aware of the user’s “progress” toward some set of explicit, app-relevant goals, and those goals must have been captured by the app at the outset of the user’s work with the app; (2) the app’s awareness of the user’s progress through the app’s workflow determines the set of assistive topics that are presented. These topics would form a tree whose root(s) is the topic “most relevant” to the user’s present “location” within the workflow space.

]]> By: paulm http://www.useraid.com/blog/2009/05/12/embedded-user-assistance/comment-page-1/#comment-1084 paulm Thu, 14 May 2009 00:10:42 +0000 http://www.useraid.com/blog/?p=80#comment-1084 Troy, you can use RoboHelp, Doc-to-Help, ePublisher, and many other tools to develop embedded UA content. Then, you work with the developers to create the content display mechanism you need to use. In fact, Doc-to-Help provides an HTML control that developers can embed directly in the UI. If you would like more information about various techniques and technologies, please feel free to contact me directly. Troy, you can use RoboHelp, Doc-to-Help, ePublisher, and many other tools to develop embedded UA content. Then, you work with the developers to create the content display mechanism you need to use. In fact, Doc-to-Help provides an HTML control that developers can embed directly in the UI. If you would like more information about various techniques and technologies, please feel free to contact me directly.

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