Login | Register







Post new topic This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 9 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Looking for testers for an instruction project
PostPosted: April 14th, 2014, 5:25 pm 
Moderator
Moderator
User avatar

Joined: June 21st, 2011, 1:27 pm
Posts: 1408
Location: Southeast MI
I'm taking a Technical Writing course this semester, and for the last project of the semester I and a partner are writing a set of instructions. Our chosen topic is the typesetting system LaTeX, and we'll be writing instructions on how to use it to produce a short report (since our in-class usability testing is limited to about 15 minutes).

As long as I have been conversant enough in LaTeX to use it without referring to the documentation for the simplest tasks, I have thought that indie authors ought to use it in the production of their books, because it makes many of the difficulties of Word (or other word processors) that I so often hear authors complaining about become trivially easy. (It has its own difficulties, of course, and it's not a nominally what-you-see-is-what-you-get "word processor" like Word. And there's an initially somewhat steep learning curve. But still.)

To supplement the "usability testing" my partner and I will be doing in class a week from Wednesday, I wondered if any Holy-Worlders might be interested in trying out our instructions (when we've written them) and letting me know how well the instructions worked.

_________________
Originally inspired to write by reading C.S. Lewis, but can be as perfectionist as Tolkien or as obscure as Charles Williams.

Author of A Year in Verse, a self-published collection of poetry: available in paperback and on Kindle; a second collection forthcoming in 2022 or 2023, God willing (betas wanted!).

Creator of the Shine Cycle, an expansive fantasy planned series, spanning over two centuries of an imagined world's history, several universes (including various alternate histories and our own future), and the stories of dozens of characters (many from our world).

Developer of Strategic Primer, a strategy/simulation game played by email; currently in a redesign phase after the ending of "the current campaign" in 2022.

Read my blog!


Top
 Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Looking for testers for an instruction project
PostPosted: April 15th, 2014, 8:45 am 
Editor
Editor
User avatar

Joined: December 19th, 2013, 1:50 pm
Posts: 351
It sounds interesting. :D I'd be happy to test it...of course I can't promise anything because I have so little time to do things other than school. And I've never heard of that program.

_________________
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." ~ Helen Keller


Top
 Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Looking for testers for an instruction project
PostPosted: April 15th, 2014, 11:01 am 
Moderator
Moderator
User avatar

Joined: June 21st, 2011, 1:27 pm
Posts: 1408
Location: Southeast MI
Thank you, Kya. I'll post the instructions, or a link to them, here when we have them written. :)

_________________
Originally inspired to write by reading C.S. Lewis, but can be as perfectionist as Tolkien or as obscure as Charles Williams.

Author of A Year in Verse, a self-published collection of poetry: available in paperback and on Kindle; a second collection forthcoming in 2022 or 2023, God willing (betas wanted!).

Creator of the Shine Cycle, an expansive fantasy planned series, spanning over two centuries of an imagined world's history, several universes (including various alternate histories and our own future), and the stories of dozens of characters (many from our world).

Developer of Strategic Primer, a strategy/simulation game played by email; currently in a redesign phase after the ending of "the current campaign" in 2022.

Read my blog!


Top
 Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Looking for testers for an instruction project
PostPosted: April 15th, 2014, 11:52 am 
Writer
Writer
User avatar

Joined: January 5th, 2013, 3:01 am
Posts: 336
Location: *taps your shoulder*
I'd also be willing to help you out. I really like trying new things.

_________________
What I'm working on:
Andorin's Journal – a Holy Worlds exclusive
A Different Sort of RP Game/Writing Exercise – A Holy Worlds Collaborative Effort (Still looking for people to join!)

What I should be working on:
The Forgotten Memory (Fantasy Novel)


Top
 Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Looking for testers for an instruction project
PostPosted: April 16th, 2014, 8:58 pm 
Editor
Editor
User avatar

Joined: December 19th, 2013, 1:50 pm
Posts: 351
kingjon wrote:
Thank you, Kya. I'll post the instructions, or a link to them, here when we have them written. :)

Okay. Sounds good. :)

_________________
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." ~ Helen Keller


Top
 Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Looking for testers for an instruction project
PostPosted: April 19th, 2014, 9:10 pm 
Moderator
Moderator
User avatar

Joined: June 21st, 2011, 1:27 pm
Posts: 1408
Location: Southeast MI
Thank you, everyone who expressed interest. The instructions are now, I and my partner think, ready for testers. So I've made them an attachment to this post.

We would like to know anywhere you had any difficulty understanding or following the instructions, or anywhere that you think something could have been made more clear. Second, we would like to know how long it takes you to work through these instructions, including time waiting for software to download and install (we will be running a usability test in person in class on Wednesday, and we'd like some basis for estimating whether we'll be able to run one or two groups of our peers through). And third, we would like to receive any questions or comments of any kind you would like to give.

We will be doing our in-person tests in class this Wednesday, and the final version of our instructions is due that evening, so the sooner anyone can test and tell us his or her results the better.

Thank you!


Attachments:
File comment: How to Write a Simple Report in LaTeX
instructions.pdf [1.05 MiB]
Downloaded 36 times

_________________
Originally inspired to write by reading C.S. Lewis, but can be as perfectionist as Tolkien or as obscure as Charles Williams.

Author of A Year in Verse, a self-published collection of poetry: available in paperback and on Kindle; a second collection forthcoming in 2022 or 2023, God willing (betas wanted!).

Creator of the Shine Cycle, an expansive fantasy planned series, spanning over two centuries of an imagined world's history, several universes (including various alternate histories and our own future), and the stories of dozens of characters (many from our world).

Developer of Strategic Primer, a strategy/simulation game played by email; currently in a redesign phase after the ending of "the current campaign" in 2022.

Read my blog!
Top
 Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Looking for testers for an instruction project
PostPosted: April 20th, 2014, 12:21 pm 
Captain
Captain
User avatar

Joined: October 13th, 2009, 3:59 am
Posts: 3502
Location: Cork, Ireland
Adobe says the file is damaged, and nothing will open it readably for me. Error, p'raps?


Top
 Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Looking for testers for an instruction project
PostPosted: April 20th, 2014, 12:39 pm 
Moderator
Moderator
User avatar

Joined: June 21st, 2011, 1:27 pm
Posts: 1408
Location: Southeast MI
Mistress Rwebhu Kidh wrote:
Adobe says the file is damaged, and nothing will open it readably for me. Error, p'raps?

Sigh. I've just checked, and you're right. I've now re-uploaded it, and tested opening it this time, so this should be at least readable.

_________________
Originally inspired to write by reading C.S. Lewis, but can be as perfectionist as Tolkien or as obscure as Charles Williams.

Author of A Year in Verse, a self-published collection of poetry: available in paperback and on Kindle; a second collection forthcoming in 2022 or 2023, God willing (betas wanted!).

Creator of the Shine Cycle, an expansive fantasy planned series, spanning over two centuries of an imagined world's history, several universes (including various alternate histories and our own future), and the stories of dozens of characters (many from our world).

Developer of Strategic Primer, a strategy/simulation game played by email; currently in a redesign phase after the ending of "the current campaign" in 2022.

Read my blog!


Top
 Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Looking for testers for an instruction project
PostPosted: April 21st, 2014, 2:58 pm 
Editor
Editor
User avatar

Joined: December 19th, 2013, 1:50 pm
Posts: 351
Since I only get to download stuff on school computers and I can't download programs onto those, I don't think I'll be able to test it. However, I did read through the instructions and went through the initial set up steps. They seemed pretty clear. Sorry. *hangs head*

_________________
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." ~ Helen Keller


Top
 Offline Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic This topic is locked, you cannot edit posts or make further replies.  [ 9 posts ] 


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron