Reminiscing on the days of software manuals....whatever happened to those things anyway?
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It used to be that there was “money” to be made in writing a software manual. That was in the old days when:
- Computers were new
- There weren’t too many programs
- Those programs didn’t have too many features
- Program version upgrade cycle was every three years (not every six months)Program version upgrade cycle was every three years (not every six months)Program version upgrade cycle was every three years (not every six months)
- People would curl up with a book readPeople would curl up with a book readPeople would curl up with a book readPeople would curl up with a book read
- Writers cared
Today, programs change too fast. By the time a manual is properly written, the pictures and illustrations are obsolete. It used to be that writers would get a beta copy of the new software months before its release and use it for the manual. Now, software is released as .0 version for sale when it is really still in beta.
And when you look at the programs, there are so MANY features, that manuals turn into feature catalogues, rather than something that one could actually use to learn a program. At the other end, manuals have become collections of tutorials (often on topics that are irrelevant to your intended use).
The best manuals I have found are the “Mere Mortals” series: “SQL Querries for Mere Mortals”, “Database Design for Mere Mortals”. These manuals set out the fundamental principals on which these programs are based. From there, an intelligent developer can “ask the right questions” when going through the online help and knowledge bases.
All are welcome to add comments for thought.