Do You Miss the Missing Manuals?

I remember back in the "old days" of computing, when every piece of software I bought came in a big box. In the case of a large program, that box might contain a whole stack of floppy disks. I remember that WordPerfect required six or eight floppies. But along with the program media, you got something else: a fat book that explained how to use the software. Often, these books were hundreds of pages long.

Not that most people read them. In fact, the phrase "RTFM" (Read The Freaking Manual) became a common response to those who asked simplistic questions or described problems that were addressed in the manuals. It was perhaps one of the earliest computer slang abbreviations. Wikipedia even has an entry on it:
RTFM - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There was actually a good reason so many people skipped reading the manuals. Most were written in dry, dull technical language that the average consumer found boring at best, and often unintelligible. It wasn't exactly the type of book you wanted to curl up in bed with - unless you were looking for a soporific (something to put you to sleep). And many were so badly organized that finding the answer to your specific question or problem became an exercise in frustration. Indexes were often either missing or poorly done.

Many computer users suspected that some software vendors deliberately did an awful job with the included manuals in order to entice users to buy additional books about the software (which the vendor or the vendor's partners just happened to have for sale). Another explanation, for those who are less cynical, is that those horrible vendor-provided manuals were written by the software developers. Although they are the ones who know the software best, programming and tech writing are two very different skill sets.

In fact, a person who is an expert at using a particular piece of software may not be the best at explaining the steps of using it. I frequently see "step by step" instructions by experts that leave out important information because the writer is so familiar with the software or with computers that he/she assumes the reader knows more than the average user really does. Sometimes the best "how to" is written by someone who is relatively computer savvy but new enough to the particular software to stumble into a few common "gotchas" along the way - which can then be described, along with how to resolve or circumvent them, in the instructions.

Interestingly, teaching users to use the software isn't the only purpose to which software manuals have been put. At one time, the manuals were often used as a primitive anti-piracy mechanism. After all, the program files could be easily copied but it was unlikely that those with unauthorized copies would also have copies of the fat manual. Scanning 800 pages of manual requires a lot more effort than copying a couple of disks. So software vendors would require that you input unlocking codes based on some obscure reference in the manual (for example, the program might stop working until you typed in the third word in the fifth paragraph on page 602). This was especially popular with game software at one time.

Today, of course, software vendors have more sophisticated anti-piracy technologies that they build into their programs. And many have stopped providing paper manuals altogether. One rationale is that a printed manual adds to the cost, a cost that's generally passed on in one form or another to the customer. Foregoing printed manuals can help vendors keep the cost of their software down. Users who want a book about the software can buy one of the many third party books that are usually available for popular software packages, and those who don't want the book don't have to pay for it.

In fact, this trend has led to a whole series of books by David Pogue called the Missing Manuals. These books cover dozens of subjects, from traditional applications such as PhotoShop, Quicken and Microsoft Office to online services like Wikipedia and Facebook, and even hardware devices such as the iPhone and complex concepts such as home networking. Here's a list of some of the Missing Manuals titles:
missingmanuals.com -- complete library

Another reason paper manuals have fallen out of favor is the "green" movement. Printed manuals are often referred to as "dead tree manuals" and eliminating the unnecessary use of paper is a major goal of the environmentalist initiatives. Software companies that are making an effort to reduce their impact on the environment find it hard to justify printing up all these fat books that are so often never opened.

But for those who aren't eager to run out and spend another $20 to $50 for the "missing" manual, software vendors provide alternatives to the printed manual, either in the form of Help files within the application, electronic manuals on disc, or both. Help files are usually more interactive, and you may be able to access updated information online through the Help files. Electronic manuals are often in .PDF format and are more like computerized versions of the traditional printed manual (although with some search and hyperlink capability). A common complaint about .PDF manuals is that they're difficult to navigate. On the other hand, .PDFs are designed so that you can easily print them if you really want a paper manual - although by the time you add of the cost of the paper and printer ink, you might have been better off buying a third party book.

Of course, many of us rarely buy software in a retail box anymore. We buy online and download the files over the Internet. We can easily download an electronic manual, and the vendor can save even more money by not having to put the software on physical discs or pay for boxes that will just be thrown away. This trend has also contributed to the demise of the paper manual.

Tell us what you think. Do you miss the "missing manuals" or do you say "good riddance?" Do you find most manuals to be unusable, or do you use them often? Would you prefer to do without a vendor-included manual if that helps keep the cost of the software down, or do you believe hard copy documentation is (or should be) an obligation of anyone who sells software? Do you think software vendors who continue to print fat manuals are being environmentally irresponsible? Do you prefer to use Help files or read .PDF manuals - or do you use both, for different purposes? Or do you assume instructions and explanations that are included with the software are probably outdated anyway, and just turn to the web when you have a question or problem concerning your software? Let us know your opinions.
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