Re: Why Aren't Open Source Tools Being Considered?

[jcornellier -at- abingdon -dot- oilfield -dot- slb -dot- com (John Cornellier)]

Open Source tools are being used a lot. However, often it is behind the 
scenes.

* Apache: when you look at a web page, chances are it's served by Apache 
on Linux running PERL, Python, MySQL, etc.
* Google: Every time you use Google, you are using open source software. 
One of the reasons for Google's success, AFAIK, is that they use 
relatively low-cost yet powerful Linux server farms running PERL and Python.
* MediaWiki: the engine behind the wildly successful Wikipedia.

You have to look at it on a case by case basis. Word, PowerPoint, Excel, 
PhotoShop, these are all mature apps which predate Linux, which have a 
huge installed user base, and which are mostly OK. They are also rather 
high profile.

So to answer Bruce's question, I think they're not being considered in 
the case of techwriting tools because good mature tools are already in 
place.

That said, the whole doc production process is changing. The days of the 
techwriter who "owned" the process from typing to layout to output are 
ending. Certainly the paradigm of FrameMaker, where the input workflow 
was dictated by the eventual output are numbered. This means new tools 
are needed, and many of those will be OS.

John Cornellier

Bruce Byfield wrote: