- From: Kynn Bartlett <kynn-edapta@idyllmtn.com>
- Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 08:53:16 -0800
- To: Al Gilman <asgilman@iamdigex.net>, w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
- Cc: MKDoc developers list <mkdoc-devel@webarch.co.uk>
At 10:04 AM -0500 12/6/01, Al Gilman wrote: >AG:: All of the people there could consider the evidence that separate, >static pages for "help" are obsolete. > Is this presented from the view point of "how things really SHOULD work" or is it based on user studies and observed behavior? I think it may be too soon to declare one type of user assistance as "obsolete" especially if that type is in widespread use on nearly every operating system and application, from Windows help files to Unix man files. It's very common to identify specific items which "theoretically" are not necessary, but which "in practice" are still desirable because it will be expected and easily understood by users. An example is the left-hand navigation bar, which Jakob Nielsen agreed is inferior but which he had to concede special dispensation based on widespread use resulting in user expectations. Do you have any studies to back up the assertion that static help pages are obsolete? (Are they obsolete in the way that books about computers are "obsolete" too?) --Kynn -- Kynn Bartlett <kynn@idyllmtn.com> http://www.kynn.com/
Received on Thursday, 6 December 2001 12:26:24 UTC