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Subject: Online Help
Author: Klaus
Date: 11/19/2003 18:32
 
I think (and I believe many others, too) that Xavier Roche 
is doing a great job here (really). I propose that this job 
gets extended to include editing of the help texts.

I think than many questions here (some of which even appear 
repeatedly) come fron the fact that the online help isn't 
as complete as it could be (I am referring to the help file 
of WinHTTTrack 3.30).

Issues in the current help file (IMHO):

1. In some cases the explanations are rather curt. For 
example, on "Options Panel: Expert Options", it's 
explained  that the item "Global Travel Mode" may be used 
to choose the global travel mode, and how the default is 
named, but not what it means. Or the other choices.

2. Explanations do not take into account any side-effects 
of/to related options. For example, can the "Scan Rules" 
override the "Travel Mode"? Will a change of the "Primary 
filter (scan mode)" override my choice in the Filter Rules?
3. The FAQ seems to be incomplete, and maybe in the wrong 
order. One the most favourite questions seems to be "how do 
I download a complete site which has various third level 
domians?". I didn't find the answer (+*.thesite.com/*) in 
the FAQ or the help (but multiple times in this forum 
here!). it may also be beneficial if the most popluar 
questions are answered first (the FAQ is already rather 
long).

4. Every page should have a link to the FAQ, and this link 
should be on the BOTTOM. Because that's where the deperate 
user is having his eyes when his has read a page without 
finding the desired information.

5. Every page should contain a "Back to home" link. Yes, 
really, this is not currently the case.

6. Additionally, if some text is (even loosely) related to 
a problem which is handled in the FAQ or the step-by-step 
tutorial, the text should provide a link to help the user 
to find some additional information with a different point 
of view.

I _guess_ if Xavier keeps his eyes open for discrepancies 
between help texts and the demands for information of the 
users here in this forum, he could to kill two birds with 
one stone: if he has to answer a question in the forum, he 
could also consider to include his essay into the help file 
(if he considers both question and answer worthy). Well, 
okay maybe no two birds with one stone exactly, but even 
1.324 birst with 1.023 stones may prove beneficial in the 
future when he has to answer one question less per month 
(based on the assmption that one user per month considers 
to "RTFM" instead of spamming the program authors with e-
mails first).

If now think that I consider the existing help texts as 
rather miserable, you are completely wrong. In fact, I 
think that the help texts are rather good. It's just that 
HTTrack is a mighty and complex application which can do 
mighty and complex tasks. And this requires a mighty 
understanding of the complex machanisms underneath. That's 
why I request improvement of the help files, not because I 
hold the author of the current texts in low esteem. If you 
catch my drift. :-)

- Klaus
 
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