Such easy-to-use systems!: How organizations shape the design and use of online help systems

ABSTRACT

Despite the pervasiveness and proliferation of computerized systems, people still get stuck when they are trying to use them. Because organizations are heavily invested in their systems, they seek efficient and effective means to allocate necessary resources to make systems usable. Online help systems attempt to provide such targeted assistance in a variety of modes. This paper will review several online help systems, highlighting the organizational issues inherent in online help by focusing on the organizational arrangements that contextualize the design and use of these systems.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Training, help, and documentation

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.1 MODELS AND PRINCIPLES
      H.1.2 User/Machine Systems
          Subjects: Human factors
  H.4 INFORMATION SYSTEMS APPLICATIONS
      H.4.3 Communications Applications
          Subjects: Electronic mail
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Evaluation/methodology

  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.7 DOCUMENT AND TEXT PROCESSING
      I.7.2 Document Preparation
          Subjects: Hypertext/hypermedia

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.4 COMPUTERS AND SOCIETY

General Terms:
Design, Documentation, Human Factors, Standardization