Online Documentation: Pros and Cons

Online documentation is a hot topic these days. It is also a large topic that is the subject of many complete books, so I am dedicating my next few articles to it.

First, we need a definition. Online documentation can be just about any information that is stored and viewed in electronic form including, Windows Help files, electronic books and manuals, context-sensitive help screens, databases, document management systems, and many more.

My focus in these articles will be primarily on manuals and user documentation that are available online, especially Windows Help files and context-sensitive help screens. I focus on these areas because they are where I have the most experience. However, many of the issues related to these types of online information also relate to all of the online forms I listed above.

This is such a hot topic primarily because of the pros associated with online documents:

Low cost reproduction

Low cost maintenance

Low cost distribution, especially if related to a software product

Reduction or elimination of paper costs—which relates to all of the above

Reducing or eliminating paper costs is often the number one goal for those who pursue online documentation. However, you must also consider your users and how they use the documentation you put online. This brings me to the cons. Online documentation:

Is not portable

Requires additional up-front planning and design

May not let the user view both the system and the documentation effectively

May not be accepted by users

Must not include installation instructions, therefore, at least some paper is still required

Is not practical for some environments, for example where PCs are not available

These cons may seem minor compared with the potential cost savings of the pros. Don’t delude yourself into thinking the cons are not important. If your users don’t accept the electronic documentation, they just may find a different product to use or call your technical support more than you would like. These situations can hurt your business more than continuing to incur the cost of paper.

Many people like to take a manual with them, turn down or mark up the important pages, and create tabs to find what they want quickly. I know you can do some of those things with today’s electronic documents, but somehow it’s not the same. Some people just feel more comfortable with paper. These issues are not likely to go away soon, though they will probably diminish with time. Young people who have grown up with computers and video games may accept online documentation more readily than those of us who did not.

Now, don’t get the wrong idea. I am not against online documentation. I believe it can be very valuable, and I both use and create it. You just need to consider all of the possible effects of moving your documentation online, especially if you plan to eliminate the paper version.

You can probably think of other pros and cons to converting to online documentation. Certainly my lists are not comprehensive, but I hope they will get you thinking about your decision.