10Writing help and support

10.1Basic help and support

New users need their hands held. Exposition is good for them. These types of support requests are targeted at a fragile group. They are adventurous enough to try out something new, and not afraid to ask questions. But, they are also readily able to move away from Opera, if they don't find the support they need. For new users, or for explaining topics that basic users will need to learn, use this formula:

  1. Define the feature or setting clearly. Give real world examples of its use.
  2. Explain how to enable it.
  3. Explain how to edit or configure it, if applicable.
  4. Explain how to disable it.
  5. Explain how to manage exceptions, if applicable.

Concise writing is important here, because your readers are looking for a quick answer. But, by adding some friendly background information and explaining the reasons behind including certain features or settings into products, you will reassure your readers that you are trustworthy and supportive. For example:

Manage camera and microphone access in webpages

Developers are finding new capabilities for controlling webcams and microphones through modern browsers. Video chatting and conferencing are becoming popular among social sites.

By default, Opera will always ask you to allow a site to access your camera or microphone, when the site requests to use them. Opera will remember your sharing choice if the site is secured through an HTTPS connection.

To always deny sites access to your camera and microphone:

  1. Select Opera > Preferences.
  2. Click Websites on the sidebar.
  3. Under Media, select Do not allow sites to access my camera and microphone.

Click the Manage Exceptions button to set site-specific preferences.

You can also set which microphone or camera you wish Opera to use by default, if you have more than one connected to your computer. Use the drop-down menus to set your media preference.

10.2Power users

Experienced users, developers, and nerds look for quick access to information. For support regarding advanced features or other power-user communications, you can skip most of the exposition and get straight to the step-by-step. Chances are that if someone is looking for how to disable squashing composited layers for better browser performance, they know far more about the issue than you do. Just give them the steps and get them on their way. For example:

Debug your web app with Safari

Apple restricts third-party apps from using Web Inspector to debug web apps and pages. It is recommended that you use Safari to debug:

  1. Connect your device to your Mac's USB port.
  2. On your device, go to Settings > Safari > Advanced, and toggle on the Web Inspector option.
  3. On your device, navigate to your web app's location in the Safari app.
  4. On your computer, open Safari and select Develop > Device Name > Web App Name.

Debugging is disabled in private browsing sessions.