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Subject: RE: [dita-adoption-help] definition of Help
In our help system authors can define both index terms and keywords. Index terms are used in the index. Keywords are used to affect search results causing topics with the associated keywords to have greater relevance in the search results ranking when the keyword matches the search criteria. So our authors can have that control. Some of the PTC documentation groups no longer use index terms at all and just provide keywords in their topics.
Search is probably the primary way people try to find information in help systems, when not using a context link. It seems artificially limiting to me to exclude it.
-----Original Message-----
From: ian balanza-davis [mailto:ibalanza_davis@yahoo.co.uk]
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2011 2:58 PM
To: bnevin@cisco.com; Goolsby, Chris; dita-adoption-help@lists.oasis-open.org
Subject: RE: [dita-adoption-help] definition of Help
I think in all these cases, we would be best sticking to navigation elements authors have control over. I am not sure search falls into that -- at least not without becoming an index.
On Fri, 21 Jan 2011 19:36 GMT Bruce Nevin (bnevin) wrote:
>Right! And also not unique to Help.
>
>More generally, these are all means for identifying THE relevant bit of
>content and presenting it, and any other such means that can be imagined
>and implemented can be "optional characteristics" of Help. That rather
>vitiates the notion "optional characteristic". Google's search
>algorithms (and underlying them their intensive statistical analyses of
>huge bodies of content) would be very Helpful.
>
>The ToC can in addition be a high-level overview of the structure of a
>subject matter. Other presentations, such as a radial tree or a
>'mind-map' sort of graph can also serve this function.
>
>
>________________________________
>
> From: Goolsby, Chris [mailto:cgoolsby@ptc.com]
> Sent: Friday, January 21, 2011 2:12 PM
> To: Bruce Nevin (bnevin);
>dita-adoption-help@lists.oasis-open.org
> Subject: RE: [dita-adoption-help] definition of Help
>
>
>
> Do we want to address search at all? You talk about ToC and
>Index. Maybe search is an optional characteristic?
>
>
>
> Chris Goolsby
>
> PTC-Arbortext
>
>
>
> From: Bruce Nevin (bnevin) [mailto:bnevin@cisco.com]
> Sent: Friday, January 21, 2011 12:47 PM
> To: dita-adoption-help@lists.oasis-open.org
> Subject: RE: [dita-adoption-help] definition of Help
>
>
>
> Right, modular is an ambiguous term, and inspecific.
>
> >> May help with a user domain separate from its
>software vehicle.<<
>
> Do you mean that Online Help doesn't have to be
>associated with a piece of software? Or do you mean that some content in
>a software's Help might describe indirectly-associated concepts,
>business rules and the like?
>
> I meant the latter, e.g. a museum exhibit. Guidance for conflict
>of interest, insider trading, and the like might be examples of business
>rules. I'm sure you had other examples in mind, what are they?
>
>
>
> Here's another take which I think addresses your points.
>
> _____________________________________________________________
>
>
>
> What is Online Help?
>
>
>
> Essential characteristics:
>
> * It is user-assistance documentation.
> * It is presented by a computer.
> * Each topic is presented separately. (Like a website.)
> * In-topic links support navigation to other topics. (Like
>a website.)
> * A ToC, if provided, links to topics. (Unlike that in a
>book.)
> * An Index, if provided, links to topics. (Unlike that in
>a book.)
>
>
>
> Optional characteristics:
>
> * It documents a software product.
> * It is integrated with the UI of that product.
> * Parts of the UI may be linked to topics written about
>them. (Embedded help.)
> * Procedural steps may be linked to parts of the UI used
>to execute them. (Online coach.)
>
>
>
> Ancillary considerations:
>
> * The location of the content (e.g. local disk, website,
>cloud) is immaterial.
> * The type of display (e.g. CLI, GUI, kiosk, audio, video,
>mixed media) may constrain the content.
>
>
>
>________________________________
>
> From: Tony Self [mailto:tself@hyperwrite.com]
> Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2011 8:44 PM
> To: Bruce Nevin (bnevin);
>dita-adoption-help@lists.oasis-open.org
> Subject: RE: [dita-adoption-help] definition of Help
>
> Hi Bruce
>
>
>
> Here are some thoughts.
>
>
>
> >> Modular--relatively short topics<<
>
> Modular might not be the right term to use, because
>"modular Help" is used commonly to describe multiple Help systems that
>are merged at runtime to be delivered as a virtual single Help system.
>
>
>
> >> May help with a user domain separate from its
>software vehicle.<<
>
> Do you mean that Online Help doesn't have to be
>associated with a piece of software? Or do you mean that some content in
>a software's Help might describe indirectly-associated concepts,
>business rules and the like?
>
>
>
> I think we also need to define "online".
>
>
>
> Regards
>
>
>
> Tony Self
>
>
>
> From: Bruce Nevin (bnevin) [mailto:bnevin@cisco.com]
> Sent: Friday, 21 January 2011 8:43 AM
> To: dita-adoption-help@lists.oasis-open.org
> Subject: [dita-adoption-help] definition of Help
>
>
>
> I see
>http://wiki.oasis-open.org/dita-adoption/DITA_Help_Technologies_Guide_Al
>location
><http://wiki.oasis-open.org/dita-adoption/DITA_Help_Technologies_Guide_A
>llocation> that I am on the hook for a definition of Help. Here's a
>quick draft for comment.
>
>
>
>
>
> What is Online Help?
>
> * User assistance documentation.
> * Modular--relatively short topics, in some forms
>(e.g. rollover) smaller than a topic.
> * Delivered online by software, either locally or
>on the web.
> * Usually integrated with the UI of the software
>that it documents.
>
> * May help with a user domain separate
>from its software vehicle.
> * Is a kiosk or a guide to an exhibit
>online Help?
>
> * May be context sensitive (linked to user action
>or location or the state of the application).
>
> These characteristics usually compel the Help developer
>to address the problem of relevance that is central to all
>documentation: access to the relevant topic from the context of need.
>
>
>
> All user assistance documentation is part of the user
>interface; a Help system only more obviously so.
>
> /B
>
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