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Again, thanks for the advice on the process, but I repeat, all concerned are
fully aware that the old text in question is not a finished product, but
rather raw data to be mined in building new text.
The single-sourcing advice does not necessarily apply in this case. Proposal
writing does not entail presenting the same content in different formats,
but rather tailoring it to the specific requirements of each contract. This
is not like the familiar task of simultaneously updating a chunk of
documentation in a printed User's Manual and the online Help; it's more like
creating different variations of the same User's Manual, e.g.: User's Manual
for Sleepy People, User's Manual for Grumpy People, User's Manual for
Bashful People, User's Manual for Dopey People, etc.
Dan Goldstein
-----Original Message-----
From: Hart, Geoff
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 11:51 AM
To: Techwr-L (E-mail); 'Goldstein, Dan'
Subject: DB app recommendations?
<snip>
I've often seen managers say "but it's already edited and
in print, so let's bypass the system and save time that way".
<<This is *not* a single-source documentation project, but rather an attempt
to add tools to the existing mining process.>>
Fair enough, but the same advice applies: "write once, reuse multiple times"
is the common thread between what you're doing and "true" single-sourcing.
The same advice applies in both cases.
NEED TO PUBLISH YOUR FRAMEMAKER CONTENT ONLINE?
?Mustang? (code name) is a NEW online publishing tool for FrameMaker that
lets you easily single-source content to Web, intranets, and online Help.
The interface is designed for FrameMaker users, so there is little or no
learning curve and no macro language required! See a live demo that
will take your breath away: http://www.ehelp.com/techwr-l3
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