In general, the more help that is available to users, the better. As Matt said, "try to assume the person on the other end is a drooling idiot and gear everything to that standard." That said, just make sure that the link to this example is easily found but not in the way. That way, users who need can easily find it and users who don't need it can easily ignore it.
-- Mosh Teitelbaum evoch, LLC Tel: (301) 942-5378 Fax: (301) 933-3651 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] WWW: http://www.evoch.com/ > -----Original Message----- > From: Chunshen (Don) Li [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Friday, July 11, 2003 3:15 PM > To: CF-Talk > Subject: Usability > > > Mosh, > > I have a question for you. I'm thinking about "adding a sample > data pop window for the Add function", do you think that's > helpful in general as a tool, and I'll make it easily > confirgurable as other attributes, that is, default to ENABLING > THIS FEATURE, however, admin user can easily disable it if he/she > thinks it's unnecessary for his/her environment. > > Thanks. > > >Your users would, hopefully, know their own capabilities. Just be > >forewarned that, even if they do understand their own > capabilities, they may > >not be able to write very well. Not that we developers are > necessarily such > >great writers, but... > > > >-- > >Mosh Teitelbaum > >evoch, LLC > >Tel: (301) 942-5378 > >Fax: (301) 933-3651 > >Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >WWW: http://www.evoch.com/ > > > > > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Chunshen (Don) Li [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> Sent: Friday, July 11, 2003 2:00 PM > >> To: CF-Talk > >> Subject: Usability > >> > >> > >> The power of majority opinion or the danger of it. > >> What I'm saying here is that the majority opinion is right in > >> this case, however, it swept me from my own ground, as indicated > >> by another follow-up by myself on another important element late > >> yesterday afternoon, which is, my design for the Help text is > >> client-driven or client-environment driven, hence, if the client > >> environment happens to be less-educated crowd, then, use Mosh's > >> example, please note, this Help text is actually entered by the > >> client system admin while if the client's user community is > >> scientist or the like, then, my original example would be fine, > >> but again, it is entered by the client system admin, and further > >> more, it's updatable. See URL, > >> http://68.32.61.40/datadata/DataMan_UFV.cfm?function=AddHelpText > >> > >> I believed this approach is most flexible. > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> >OK, guys, agree, consider every user as complete idiot in coding and > >> >treat every idiot in life as God :( > >> > > >> >>Yep...The Golden Rule: All users are complete idiots...code for it > >> >;-) > >> >> > >> >>Bryan Stevenson B.Comm. > >> >>VP & Director of E-Commerce Development > >> >>Electric Edge Systems Group Inc. > >> >>t. 250.920.8830 > >> >>e. [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> >> > >> >>--------------------------------------------------------- > >> >>Macromedia Associate Partner > >> >>www.macromedia.com > >> >>--------------------------------------------------------- > >> >>Vancouver Island ColdFusion Users Group > >> >>Founder & Director > >> >>www.cfug-vancouverisland.com > >> >>----- Original Message ----- > >> >>From: "Matt Robertson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> >>To: "CF-Talk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> >>Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2003 1:14 PM > >> >>Subject: Usability > >> >> > >> >> > >> >>> I think Mosh is spot-on in his assessment. I always try to assume > >> >the > >> >>person on the other end is a drooling idiot and gear everything to > >> >that > >> >>standard (sometimes I find this user model aimed too high :D). > >> >>> > >> >>> Also, imho while the longer message is... well, longer its also > >> >providing > >> >>more detail, which is never a bad thing, especially since we're > >> >talking > >> >>about someone who can't figure out they need to type in a number in > >> >the > >> >>first place. > >> >>> > >> >>> --Matt-- > >> >>> > >> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=4 FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Your ad could be here. Monies from ads go to support these lists and provide more resources for the community. http://www.fusionauthority.com/ads.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.4
