Hello, this article is part of my Death by 1000 Cuts series that shines shine a light on glaring software development industry problems. I'm confident you'll find 1000 articles someday.
This article is the first in a series of deadly cuts I’ve experienced, and my proposed solutions.Software Documentation Gaps
I use Google to find documentation. Ideally, clicking help would get the job done. Unfortunately, most of the time, feature documentation is poor or non-existent.
I’ve been trying out Apple’s Photos app. First, I searched for Keep Folder Organization documentation when importing pictures. I thought this would help me, but I was wrong. I then searched for Import and found prospective documentation. I chose Import photos and movies from your camera to my Mac, which was not what I was trying to do. However, this was the best documentation I could find at that moment. Unfortunately, the article contained nothing about keeping a folder organized.
So I went to Google and found an article on Apple’s discussion forum, and this feature was not what I thought it was at all. I thought the feature would move files around and put data into folders.
The real purpose is to create albums based on your folder structure.
The worst aspect of this common problem is the fear of presenting problems. I expect someone will correct me and say I’m dumb for not knowing this. This behavior is not productive. Shutting people down doesn’t improve user experiences.
Solutions
- Use native software documentation systems
- Ideally, add context-sensitive help
- Create comprehensive documentation
- Allow documentation feedback
- Regularly test and improve documentation effectiveness