TB! documentation poor

[Allister Jenks]

Hi Batters,

Breaking from the 'underwhelmed' thread to pursue a specific issue, I
have to agree with the original poster that TB!s help is quite
shockingly bad.

I've been in IT for about 16 years now and TB!s documentation is unique
in my experience.  Most software documentation falls into one of three
categories:

(a) Minimal
Just enough to claim the documentation exists, glosses over much of the
actual detail, but nevertheless covers all of the major parts of the
software.

(b) Commendable
Makes a serious attempt to cover all topics in detail and usually only
fails in a relatively small number of areas.  Most issues with this
category relate to the documentor's familiarity with the product leading
to assumptions of knowledge.

(c) Amateur
Not a technical writer in sight and often worse than no help at all.

The Bat! manages to be a mix of all three!  Some topics do not appear to
be covered at all - at least not where I expect to see it. Some of the
text is excellent and with superb detail, and some is actually
embarassing in its inability to convey the meaning.

Not everybody can write good documentation, but that is no excuse for
providing poor quality.  You wouldn't entrust the writing of TB!s code
to just anybody would you?  The documentation needs to be taken
seriously.

Personally, I have learnt MS Office and many other software packages
without any kind of formal training and mostly by RTFM.  I don't believe
I would be able to make use of TB! as much as I do without this list and
I really hardly even scrape the surface.  It's a powerful piece of
software, but that power is buried.

How many out there would be prepared to may more for the next version of
TB! if a comprehensive, structured help system were provided?

-- 
Allister Jenks.
TB 2.01.3




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Re: TB! documentation poor

[William Moore]

Hello Allister

Thank you for your email dated Wednesday, December 24, 2003, 7:00:22 AM,
in which you wrote:

AJ> How many out there would be prepared to may more for the next version of
AJ> TB! if a comprehensive, structured help system were provided?

Maybe there's an opportunity for a third-party technical author to
produce on-line/downloadable, saleable, user documentation for consumer software.

-- 

Regards
William

http://www.residues.info and http://www.magiric.com

Flying with The Bat!  www.ritlabs.com/the_bat
Windows 2000 Pro 2195 Service Pack 4




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Re: TB! documentation poor

[Simon]

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Hello Allister,

On Wed, 24 Dec 2003 20:00:22 +1300 your time, you said:

AJ> How  many  out  there  would  be prepared to may more for the next
AJ> version  of  TB!  if  a comprehensive, structured help system were
AJ> provided?

Well  I  hope that not too many would be! The idea of paying extra for
the  manual  isn't  a new one of course...but usually that's only when
the manual is made available in print; a hard copy IOW.

A  help  system should be an integral part of any software package and
purchasers  shouldn't  be expected to pay extra to acquire it. It'd be
like buying a washing machine and paying extra for the instructions on
how  to  operate it. It's up to RIT to make certain that their product
can be 'operated' by supplying adequate documentation to support it.

If  we learnt from RIT that the cost of producing better documentation
was going to lead to an increase in the price of The Bat! I think some
people  would  feel quite split over it. One of the attractions of TB!
is  its  price,  and  I  think  that a price hike would make it a less
attractive  choice  for  those  contemplating  moving  away  from free
versions.

At  just under £25 sterling/€35 I think TB! is priced just about right
myself.

- --
Slán,

 Simon @ i~n+f~o+w~i+z~a+r~d+.~c+o~.+u~k

*
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Current version is 2.02.3 CE | "Using TBUDL" information:
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Re: TB! documentation poor

[Jack Morrison]

Wednesday, December 24, 2003, 1:00:22 AM, you wrote:

> I don't believe I would be able to make use of TB! as much as I do
> without this list and I really hardly even scrape the surface.  It's
> a powerful piece of software, but that power is buried.

"I second that emotion."

> How many out there would be prepared to may more for the next version of
> TB! if a comprehensive, structured help system were provided?

"I second that emotion," too.

OTOH, I've been around here long enough to know that peace will break
out in the Middle East long before that ever becomes a reality.  :)

-- 

Best regards,
Jack

Using The Bat! 2.02.3 CE on Windows 5.1 (2600) Service Pack 1
  



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Re: TB! documentation poor

[rich gregory]

AJ> Some topics do not appear to be covered at all - at least not where I
AJ> expect to see it. Some of the text is excellent and with superb detail,
AJ> and some is actually embarassing in its inability to convey the meaning.

AJ> I have learnt MS Office and many other software packages without any kind
AJ> of formal training and mostly by RTFM. I don't believe I would be able to
AJ> make use of TB! as much as I do without this list and I really hardly
AJ> even scrape the surface. It's a powerful piece of software, but that
AJ> power is buried.

AJ> How many out there would be prepared to may more for the next version of
AJ> TB! if a comprehensive, structured help system were provided?

For me I have been trained to not even try the help screens after so many
years of exceedingly bad documentation from so many products. I see TB! has
(agreeing with the above) in some cases some very useful documentation and am
now trying to unlearn my avoidance of the help system. Not easy. Thank god
for this list!

Would I pay more for better help files? I do not know. I know I would be
happier with any product I spent my hard earned money on if it has better
this or that than I'd expected, help files included.

I would *certainly* have a *much* easier time recommending such a product, so
though I may not personally spend more for improved help I would expect
greater profits for the vendor based on higher sales volume.

-- 
Rich



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Re: TB! documentation poor

[rich gregory]

AJ> Personally, I have learnt MS Office and many other software packages
AJ> without any kind of formal training and mostly by RTFM.

So where it the 'fine' manual, anyway. THAT I would spend my money on!


-- 
Rich



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Re: TB! documentation poor

[Chris]

On Wednesday, December 24, 2003 at 4:24:25 PM, rich gregory wrote in
the message "TB! documentation poor"
<mid:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:

> For me I have been trained to not even try the help screens after so
> many years of exceedingly bad documentation from so many products. I
> see TB! has (agreeing with the above) in some cases some very useful
> documentation and am now trying to unlearn my avoidance of the help
> system. Not easy. Thank god for this list!
I too have seen that. However, I recently purchased Dantz's Retrospect
Backup. It came with a 300-page, paper manual (Although it does have a
habit of repeating itself). I do not think that The Bat! should have a
300-page manual. However, there should never be a time when I get the
"There is no help associated with this item. Please see your vednor
for a new help file." message.

-- 
Chris
Quoting when replying to this message is good for your karma.

On the door of a Computer Store: "Out for a quick byte."

Using The Bat! v2.02 CE on Windows XP 5.1 Build 2600 Service Pack 1


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Re: TB! documentation poor

[Allister Jenks]

Hello again folks,

Some nice, and considered, feedback to my thoughts.  Following which I
suggest that if it takes extra time/effort for RIT Labs to produce a
real help file, then maybe it could be made a chargeable extra.

I am all too aware of the 'cost of doing business' and maybe it is
because of the lack of documentation that TB! is so well priced.  Making
it an extra would leave users to make a choice.

If it were done properly, I would pay probably anything up to half the
price of the software again to obtain it.  For that it would have to be
*complete* and well written though.

-- 
Allister.



Current version is 2.02.3 CE | "Using TBUDL" information:
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Re[2]: TB! documentation poor

[Peter Ouwehand]

Hello Allister Jenks,

on Thu, 25 Dec 2003 14:13:40 +1300 (2003-12-25 02:13:40 in .nl) in the
message with reference
 you [AJ] wrote (at
least in part):

AJ> If it were done properly, I would pay probably anything up to half
AJ> the price of the software again to obtain it.

For PC software I would think 25% of the software price should be
enough. It basically is a 'popular' rewrite of the requirements.

AJ> For that it would have to be *complete* and well written though.

Agreed.

-- 
Kind regards,
Peter Ouwehand
E: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
- - -
Created the above using
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