xml-dev - RE: Improved writing -- who's going to pay for it?

[Linda van den Brink <lvdbrink@baan.nl>]

> Documents have "usability" issues
> in the same way as online interfaces.
> 
> Is it therefore not sensible to do
> "usability testing" (involving real users)
> on documents?
> 
> Really, this list (with all it's best
> intentions) can solve this problem.
> 
> What we need is some real research,
> followed by practical problem solving,
> involving a representative sample of
> actual users.
> 
> (I haven't just made this idea up: have
> a look at many of the respected usability
> books for a discussion of these concepts.)
> 

That sounds like a good idea. I would much rather do something about this
than just talk. It would be good to know more about how useful or unuseful
these specs really are. 

Do you have an idea of how to go about it? Could the research and testing be
entirely carried out through this list? How would you get your sample of
users? (I could  be one, since I haven't read the Schema spec yet and am a
potential user). 

Linda