mewt 3 - testing, support and documentation

Testing, Support and Documentation

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Lessons learned from a combined role

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Methods of Doc Communication

Word

Search

PDF

Help

Print

Web

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Principles of Docs Communication

Help to achieve a task Power of Four

Searchability

Every Page is Page One Single Sourcing

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Lessons of Docs Communication

Not a substitute for bad design

Repetition and boilerplate dilutes the message

Discrete, consistent terminology

Support

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Methods of Support Communication

Direct

Phone

Kayako response

Non-SLA Mail

Release Notice

KBAs

Indirect

Internal Mail transfer

InternalConversation transfer

Changing Ticket Status

Reports

CC on Ticket

Absence of Contact

Principles of Support Communication

Consistent but not canned

Explain everything

Be a guide on our software

Know each customer

Lessons of Support Communication

Speed without relevance wastes time

Make message small enough to digest

Misrepresenting urgency undermines credibility

If you are not 100%, don’t say it

Metrics without context are dangerous

ReferencesGreat Documentation Blogs

• http://everypageispageone.com

• https://ffeathers.wordpress.com/

• http://idratherbewriting.com

• (Specifically http://idratherbewriting.com/2014/06/20/10-

technical-writing-principles-to-live-by/#)

Great Support Blogs

• There are none – unless you want a constant stream of

trite stories of how the author recently encountered

good/bad service in a restaurant/shop/airline.

Thanks

• Email: adampknight@a-sisyphean-task.com

• Twitter: @adampknight

• Blog: http://www.a-sisyphean-task.com