Well then, first you have to tell the writer creating the manual what
it is that you want to do. Very few software products are so one
dimensional that you can predict in advance the exact learning path a
user will take. The reason why there aren't such products is that
people buy based on a features list, even if they aren't going to use
80% of those features.
Seriously, the manual that all technical writers really want to
create is just one line: [to the effect that]
"You figure it out, I had to."
Carson (gotta stick up for my adopted profession) Graves
carson@ileaf.com
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This is actually a very intresting topic to me (re: what things
do you like and dislike about photography texts). If there are
things that people out there can articulate about what works and
doesn't work, either for themselves or for their students I'd be
very interested in hearing.
My contribution would be poor writing skills to the point that it
isn't clear what the point is (or was). One example I remember, was
talking about making prints and mentioned in the middle of developing
the print that one way to reduce contrast was to reduce development.
Now, from the context it seemed as if the author was talking about
the development time of the print (which works to a certain extent),
but there were no details given and in the next paragraph the idea was
picked up again and applied to film. Very confusing - it actually was
a lot more jumbled that I could possibly describe it.
Anyway, I'd like to hear more.