atw: Re: Guides and manuals [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

I would think that a guide explains how to go about doing something and a
reference is for looking up information. You could choose to name different
sorts of manual by the type of information they contain, but collectively
they would all be 'manuals'. So :

Klaatu User's Guide
Klaatu Guide and Reference
Klaatu Basics
Klaatu Planning Guide
Klaatu Information Roadmap
Klaatu Messages and Codes
Klaatu Quick Start
Klaatu Operations Manual

Together I'd call these the Klaatu manuals.

It would probably be a good thing to name manuals consistently, especially
across multiple products, but I don't think too many customers/users would
notice if you didn't.

I also wouldn't get too hung up the term 'user'. I know there are arguments
for why we should avoid that label, but in some cases we have to refer to
people who really have nothing in common except that they're users of the
product. There's no other collective noun.

BTW I just merged two separate manuals--one a Project Manager's and
Developer's Guide, the other a Reference. The new manual will just be
called '<product name> Guide and Reference'.

Stuart

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