Clarify 2 - How-to writing software [avoid]

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webfork
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Clarify 2 - How-to writing software [avoid]

#1 Post by webfork »

Disclaimer about this program: I recommend avoiding the program described below as it quits working after 30 days. Although it's a great program and an excellent toolset, the company behind this software decided the only folks who would care about this are big companies looking for a knowledge base tool, which is ridiculous. While the advanced, web-based version is in the $1,800 range and roughly matches competing offers, a basic version would go a very long way for both writers and new customers.

Contacts with the company asking for some kind of 3rd option for non-Enterprise customers were declined. Clarify 2 is abandonware.

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Disclaimer about this post: before you begin, this is a terrible write-up. First, the program isn't technically freeware, isn't portable, and isn't even in development anymore. It's also a bad test on my part as I had issues on a Win7x86 machine that didn't get resolved and then wasn't as thorough on my Win10x64 testing (just wanting to get it up and running).

I went out on a limb to try this as I needed to put together sequences in something other than a word processor. It doesn't make sense for basic, step-by-step procedures which I'm doing frequently in my professional life. Clarify 2 breaks up the steps of a sequence into clear groups. You can do screenshots, add text/marks, flavor text, and more.

Image

The major issue with the program is that it focuses the user on one-step-at-a-time processes, meaning you add an image, add some text, add some annotations, and then move on to the next step. When you're trying to describe a process, it's useful to record the process first and then go back and add clarifications, the goal here being to try and find a freeware alternative to the commercial Stepshot.

There is however a batch image-add that you might use to grab from your own screen capture sequence using something like StepsToReproduce or ActivePresenter, but I haven't been able to make that work yet.

It does get away from building a process using a word processor so I might find a use for this in the weeks and months ahead, in which case I'll add to this thread.

http://www.clarify-it.com/
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia ... rify.shtml

sophia_stepshot
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Re: Clarify 2

#2 Post by sophia_stepshot »

Hi there,

My name's Sophia and I'm a Marketing Manager at StepShot.

It was an interesting discovery to have seen several of your posts mentioning our tool.
We'd be glad to get in touch with you personally. However, the platform doesn't allow me to PM you.

Could you please reach me at sophia <AT> stepshot <PRD> net?
Will be happy to discuss your previous experience with StepShot and thank you for your activity.

Looking forward to your email.

Sincerely,
Sophia

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Re: Clarify 2

#3 Post by webfork »

sophia_stepshot wrote: Fri Apr 13, 2018 2:36 am It was an interesting discovery to have seen several of your posts mentioning our tool.
Actually it does but a variety of functions are limited to new users until they've posted a few times.
sophia_stepshot wrote: Fri Apr 13, 2018 2:36 am It was an interesting discovery to have seen several of your posts mentioning our tool... Will be happy to discuss your previous experience with StepShot and thank you for your activity.
I'll drop you a note but I'm not sure what you're looking for. Most of what's happening here is that I write a lot of software HOWTOs (probably 100+ at this point) and I need a program like program but not everyone (and not every employer) is willing or able to pay for a license. It's not unlike trying to find freeware options to try and supplement or replace a whole variety of other commercial software including MS Office, Photoshop, and Acrobat.

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Re: Clarify 2 - How-to writing software [trialware]

#4 Post by webfork »

Update here: the program quits working after 30 days. There's no way to fix this. I recommend against use of the program as it and the website connected to it really only exist for people who have purchased licenses in the past. I wish they were more clear about that on the site as I was hoping it was abandonware, but I think my research was tinged with some wishful thinking on my part.

Also by way of full disclosure, Sophia offered me software access because I mention Stepshot so much here on forums. I'm going to treat it like a prolonged trial period as I'm writing a lot of HOWTOs at work, really sick of doing it manually, and having trouble getting management to buy non-Microsoft software.

I also asked her to open the source code to StepsToReproduce.

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Re: Clarify 2 - How-to writing software [trialware]

#5 Post by webfork »

To avoid a thread hijack, I've moved discussion of StepShot to a separate thread.

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