FLASH: Survey - Should Flash 5 use a browser-based help system?

[Michael Maffie]

Hi, David,


At 05:42 AM 02/02/2000 -0800, David Mendels wrote:

>This is bizarre.  You posted this on a Director list and several of our folks (Jake, James, etc) explained to you that there were a lot of fundamental errors in it, and you still posted to the Flash list with those errors.  Why?


Because I got a message from someone presumably in-the-know at

Macromedia that directly contradicts the things you folks are

saying, and I have no idea whom to believe.


At first, I brought my browser-based help woes to the wish-lists 

as you suggested. I received the following reply:


======== begin MM correspondence =====================================


Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 17:37:55 -0800 

From: (I'll send you the sender's name off-list, David)

Subject: Re: <DREAMWEAVER>Why is the Help system still messed up in v.3? 


Using HTML help is a conscious decision on our part and is not going to be

revisited. All Macromedia applications have or will have this help system

in future releases. There are a lot of good reasons you mentioned for using

Windows help, but the overriding consideration is that it is not cross

platform and everything we do must be cross platform without exception.

This is also the reason we don't use Java or Active-X controls for live

playback. 


I understand that you would prefer Windows help, but I did not want you to

think that it was a bug or a cost cutting decision rather than a corporate

standard.

                                         

======== end of MM correspondence =====================================


Please don't accuse me of overgeneralizing or jumping to conclusions, 

or of spreading false information, since the above message seems 

really unambiguous. What am I supposed to conclude when I see this? -


 >> All Macromedia applications have or will have this help system

 >> in future releases. ...the overriding consideration is that

 >> [native help] is not cross platform and everything we do must be cross 

 >> platform without exception.



>1. You write "[Macromedia]in fact, plans to extend this approach to its other products."  Where did you get this? 

>We do not have specific plans to extend browser based help to other products that don't have it now (some product teams may do that, some many not, but Macromedia does not have a plan in this regard.)  And as Jake and James told you on the Director list, Director for example will NOT have a browser based help system in its next release.


>2.  You write: "Macromedia tells me that they are moving all their applications

>to browser-based help because "everything we do must be cross platform

>without exception".  This is also not true...


I am relieved to know these things. However, the correspondence I received 

is completely at odds with what you say. It presents the browser-based 

help decision as a "corporate standard" to which all applications will 

eventually adhere. 


It looked to me that Macromedia was plunging into a terrible design 

decision that would make (or leave) many of my favorite products harder 

to use than they could be. It seemed important enough to raise on the list,

and based on the survey responses I received, several other people feel 

likewise.


>Please don't make pronouncements about what "Macromedia told you" that are untrue.


I'm merely repeating what I was told by a presumably reliable Macromedia 

staffer. I just gave the author the benefit of a doubt - why should 

I presume that it's bogus or outdated information? I never intended to 

misinform anyone, and am sorry if I did so, but I can't feel too 

blameworthy under the circumstances.


It seemed like important information, and I wanted to see how people 

felt about it. I did promise to post the results of the surveys, so 

you will see that posting. However, that may as well be the last word

on the issue.


Michael



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