Comments on: Rethinking the Help System in an Ajax World http://www.pathf.com/blogs/2006/06/rethinking_the_/ Running commentary about agile development, user experience design and Ajax. Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:08:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Michelle http://www.pathf.com/blogs/2006/06/rethinking_the_/#comment-899 Michelle Wed, 12 Jul 2006 15:32:52 +0000 http://www.pathf.com/blogs/2006/06/rethinking_the_/#comment-899 <p>Hi there! I stumbled upon your blog while searching for, of all things, Java positions for my husband! :-)</p> <p>I'm a technical writer, Help developer, and trainer, however. So I was intrigued by your post. I fully agree with you. </p> <p>I recently took the plunge and started developing Help in Madcap Flare. While the software still has, um, quirks, the idea is sound. The .Net Help can actually be integrated into the application. It's no longer the pop-up CHM file or HTML files. It's something more integral to the app itself. It's a good start towards what you're discussing. </p> <p>I think the real answer though lies in a combination of elearning and help development. Neil Lasher, of Trainer1 in the UK, has developed a tool called CSL (Context Sensitve Learning). I call it context sensitve help. It delivers just-in-time learning when the user needs it and it delivers it in small chunks - only the information needed at the time. The integration into the application is also seamless. (Check it out here: <a href="http://www.trainer1.com/csl_context_sensitive_learning.html)." rel="nofollow">http://www.trainer1.com/csl_context_sensitive_learning.html).</a> </p> <p>The future of Help is changing - finally it's more than just RoboHelp.</p> Hi there! I stumbled upon your blog while searching for, of all things, Java positions for my husband! :-)

I’m a technical writer, Help developer, and trainer, however. So I was intrigued by your post. I fully agree with you.

I recently took the plunge and started developing Help in Madcap Flare. While the software still has, um, quirks, the idea is sound. The .Net Help can actually be integrated into the application. It’s no longer the pop-up CHM file or HTML files. It’s something more integral to the app itself. It’s a good start towards what you’re discussing.

I think the real answer though lies in a combination of elearning and help development. Neil Lasher, of Trainer1 in the UK, has developed a tool called CSL (Context Sensitve Learning). I call it context sensitve help. It delivers just-in-time learning when the user needs it and it delivers it in small chunks - only the information needed at the time. The integration into the application is also seamless. (Check it out here: http://www.trainer1.com/csl_context_sensitive_learning.html).

The future of Help is changing - finally it’s more than just RoboHelp.

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