atw: Re: Should we always give users what they ask for?

  • From: "Rhonda Bracey" <rhonda.bracey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Geoffrey Marnell" <geoffrey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 9 Mar 2009 10:16:49 +0900

I'd opt for as many mediums as possible/reasonable within the
constraints of time and budget. Online has an inherent fail point -- and
that's electricity. We *presume* that electricity will be available to
power the computer that has the information, and if stored on an
intranet or the internet, that the network/phone cables/satellite
connection will also work. 
 
In an emergency situation that may not be the case. 
 
Recently our town was close to being wiped out by a bushfire -- and we
lost all power. We also lost all mobile phone communications and those
with satellite lost satellite coverage too (satellite services don't
work in severe storms or when the sky is blackened by smoke etc.). Our
situation was nowhere near as devastating as what happened in Canberra
or Victoria, but it brought home to me the reliance we have on
electricity. Without it, we lose all access to online information,
whether stored on our own computers, on a network, or on the internet.
At such a time, the only reliable source of information is paper --
booklets, posters, quick reference cards, manuals, whatever. And
generator or battery powered devices (laptops, radios, etc.)
 
Rhonda

Rhonda Bracey
rhonda.bracey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.cybertext.com.au <http://www.cybertext.com.au/> 
CyberText Newsletter/blog: http://cybertext.wordpress.com
<http://cybertext.wordpress.com/> 
Author-it Certified Consultant 

 

________________________________

From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Geoffrey
Marnell
Sent: Monday, 9 March 2009 10:00 AM
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: Re: Should we always give users what they ask for?



Hi John,

 

Some good points, but ...

 

Imagine you are the manager of a nuclear-power plant. You have provided
all the control room workers with a wide variety of instructional
documents in many formats: some printed, some online. You know that they
all prefer online. So, in a crisis requiring the workers to quickly
ascertain what to do, you suspect that they will opt for the online
materials. But you also know that comprehension of online materials is
poorer than printed materials. You know, too, that if a crisis is not
immediately countered, the plant may blow up and hundreds may die. Would
you still be happy for the workers to discover what to do in a crisis
from online sources? And if not, doesn't this mean tat you might want to
ensure that critical procedures are only made available in the control
room in printed form (or in whatever form provides maximum
comprehension)?

 

BTW, this doesn't mean that I am not a fan of online delivery. Online
help, video, wikis and all the rest are great for learning and for
training. All I'm saying is that in some situations, you might not want
to offer a particular medium, regardless of users' preferences.

 

Cheers

 

Geoffrey Marnell

Principal Consultant

Abelard Consulting Pty Ltd

T: +61 3 9596 3456

F: +61 3 9596 3625

W: www.abelard.com.au <http://www.abelard.com.au> 

________________________________

From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of John Catania
Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 11:39 AM
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: Re: Should we always give users what they ask for?

 

Hi everyone,

 

I think it's appropriate to provide required materials in a variety of
media: available in print and online; or online as a video link, where
appropriate.  I think the key here is choice, to maximize the meaning of
information for consumers.  

 

I understand that many organisations also have an imperative to comply
with disability communication standards; providing a variety of formats
takes this into account.  

 

It seems reasonable, then, to provide as many feasible options to
consumers, to maximize their understanding of the information.

 

John   

        ----- Original Message ----- 

        From: Michelle Hallett <mailto:michelle@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>  

        To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 

        Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 8:59 AM

        Subject: atw: Re: Should we always give users what they ask for?

         

        Interesting question, my thought:

         

        Do we provide information in the most comprehensible format or
the format which will actually be consulted and read? Which is more
likely to prevent death or injury, comprehensive instruction materials
no one reads, or less easily comprehended materials that people are
reading?

         

        Best regards

        Michelle

         

         

        
________________________________


        From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Geoffrey
Marnell
        Sent: Monday, 9 March 2009 9:51 AM
        To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        Subject: atw: Should we always give users what they ask for?

         

        Hello austechies,

         

        The digital age has changed the way we gather information. Where
once we had only printed texts, we now have printed texts and a vast
range of digital media. There is some evidence to suggest that some
readers (especially younger readers) now prefer to source information
from digital media and that some are shunning printed texts altogether.
Some commentators suggest that this requires a radical rethink about how
technical writers deliver information. There is good reason to think
that the younger generation will carry their preferences with them as
they become the middle generation and then the old generation; thus all
readers will eventually prefer digital media. Best to get ready, then,
and start leaving behind old technologies, such as printed texts.

         

        But hang on a minute. Should user preferences be the sole
determiner of the media we choose for delivering technical
documentation?

         

        Consider this case:

         

        *       We are writing instructional materials to accompany a
product whose misuse might lead to death or injury (say, a lathe, the
control system of a nuclear-power plant, a dialysis machine, or the
like). 
        *       We have an option to deliver the material in printed
form or in digital form (via a visual display unit attached to, or near,
the product). 
        *       We discover that the majority (even all) our intended
audience prefers to gather information online rather than from printed
texts. 
        *       We know from research that the comprehension of online
material is poorer than that of printed material. That is, our
understanding of material read online is poorer than of the same
material read offline, as judged by our ability to correctly answer
questions about it. (Cognitive psychologist and web usability expert
Jakob Neilsen reports that comprehension can be up to 25% lower; other
studies suggest as much as 60% lower: see "Effects of online reading" by
M. Macedo-Rouet et al., Science Communication, vol. 25. no. 2, Dec.
2003, pp. 99-128. Also see "Online v. print reading: which one makes us
smarter?", Scientific American, December 2008). 

         

        In these circumstances, would we accept our audience's
preference for online delivery knowing that comprehension of material
read online can be as low as 60% of the comprehension of the same
material read in printed form? Is there not, in such cases, a moral
dimension to the choice of delivery media? In cases where death or
injury might result from misuse, are we not morally obliged to produce
documentation in whatever medium minimises the risk of misunderstanding,
regardless of user preferences?

         

        Even in cases where misunderstanding is unlikely to lead to
death or injury, there may be good reasons to override user preferences.
Suppose, for example, that you manage a call centre. You have to decide
whether the printed knowledgebase that your support staff now relies on
should be converted to online and then decommissioned. You poll the
staff and they all say that they prefer online reading. But if
comprehension of online instructions is markedly less than of printed
materials, the risk of customers getting poor advice from support staff
is higher if support staff have only online references to rely on. Hence
online delivery would potentially lead to greater customer
dissatisfaction, and possibly even more support calls (as disgruntled
callers call back for further assistance). Online might be cheaper,
easier to maintain and preferred by your staff - and yet possibly a poor
business decision in the long run.

         

        By all means let's explore new ways to deliver instructional
material. But we need to temper our enthusiasm for new media with the
realisation that not all media is be equally effective in transmitting
understanding. Readers' preferences for particular media are important
and need to be considered. But there are cases where considerations of
effectiveness, and perhaps ethics, are of equal, if not greater,
importance.

         

        Some questions for young readers (and others who prefer to read
online)

        1.      Suppose you are studying for an exam. If you are like
most students, you will want to get as high a mark as possible. Suppose
you need to master the contents of a particular textbook to do well in
the exam, and suppose further that the textbook is available for loan
from the library and available online. Like all young readers, you
prefer digital to paper media (or so we are told). But you happen to
discover that comprehension of online material is poorer than that of
printed material (up to 60% poorer in fact). Will you now study the
textbook online or borrow it from the library? 

         

        2.      Suppose, now, that you have got your degree and have
started your first job. You want to get on quickly in the company, be
seen as bright and enthusiastic, and not goof up. Your job requires you
to consult lots of policies, procedures and work instructions. If you
misunderstand these policies, procedures and work instructions, you may
goof up. The policies, procedures and work instructions are available
online and in print. You know that comprehension of online material is
poorer than that of printed material. Will you opt to read the policies,
procedures and work instructions online? 

         

         

        Let the arguments begin.

         

         

        Geoffrey Marnell

        Principal Consultant

        Abelard Consulting Pty Ltd

        T: +61 3 9596 3456

        F: +61 3 9596 3625

        W: www.abelard.com.au <http://www.abelard.com.au> 

         

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