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Re: Current trends in Authoring Tools?

Subject: Re: Current trends in Authoring Tools?
From: ct <straylightsghost -at- gmail -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2007 10:58:04 -0700

Aye Joe!

My point exactly...as this twisted topic winds its way to Heat Death.

The main tool? Skill and Talent. Everything else can be learned.
I'm REALLY going to PO a few people here...ready?

FrameMaker? RoboHelp? NOT brain surgery. 80% of what needs to be
done can be learned in a good weekend of sit-down, hands on study.

Will knowing these programs a Tech Writer make?

No.

Command of the language at hand? Be that language English, Chinese,
Hebrew, Pig Latin...THAT, my friends is what makes us Technical
Writers.

The tools are nice. But let's be realistic. All of us could do our
jobs with a pen and paper if we had to.

-Collin

On 2/8/07, Joe Malin <jmalin -at- jmalin -dot- com> wrote:

My favorite authoring tool is the system of glyphs often known as
"Roman": a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z. This tool
comes in many variations, some more usable than others. Along with this
tool, I also use English, a system of expressing ideas using
combinations of these glyphs plus others such as . , ; : and !. One of
English's key features is a set of rules known as "grammar". A great
many books have been written about English; I notice that English is
such a popular tool that many of the books are written using English itself.

English users seem to have followed the idea of design patterns and best
practices, so one can now find books on "rhetoric" and "style" that help
construct effective English. English by itself is very free-form, and
while this is often useful, one should also learn the most effective and
efficient design patterns.

English is, of course, not the only system out there, but it is very
popular. Other systems and other glyph tools exist, but you can find
experts that can convert your English into these other systems.

I have noticed some recent debate on whether or not we should replace
English with XML or Ruby on Rails. Regardless, English is the basis of
both of these systems, so learning English now will give you some future
payoff as well.

And by the way, I am only joking slightly here.

Joe

ct wrote:
> Good Point David.
>
>> Johnny:
>
>> Your comment "I have had the good fortune of not having to work with
> Word as my main
>> authoring tool for the past 13 years as a TW" is hardly the thing to
> motivate Word experts >to leap to your assistance. I, for one, think
> Word's flexibility and potential for automation >far outweigh its
> limitations. I won't sneer at your tools if you won't sneer at mine.
> Deal? >About your questions...
>
> Although I am trained in and use (mostly to keep current) a good
> number of the authoring tools, I've noticed a definite trend AWAY from
> the industry norms.
>
> The last few contract jobs I've worked as well as the last 3 permanent
> jobs (and the job I am moving into - a fortune 50 company) have all
> abandoned tools like RoboHelp, FrameMaker, Flare, etc. Their tool of
> choice?
>
> Word.
>
> Why? It's in use. It's got a future development path. And everybody
> knows it.
>
> Simple.
>
> May not be the best tool...but it's what's hot in Rome. And when in
> Rome....
>
> -Collin
>
> (I guess the tagline applies here...)
>

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Joe Malin*

jmalin -at- jmalin -dot- com <mailto:jmalin -at- jmalin -dot- com>

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include single source authoring, team authoring,
Web-based technology, and PDF output. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

Now shipping: Help &amp; Manual 4 with RoboHelp(r) import! New editor,
full Unicode support. Create help files, web-based help and PDF in up
to 106 languages with Help &amp; Manual: http://www.helpandmanual.com

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--
"Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human
soul in this world--and never will."

Mark Twain
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or printed documentation. Features include single source authoring, team authoring,
Web-based technology, and PDF output. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

Now shipping: Help &amp; Manual 4 with RoboHelp(r) import! New editor,
full Unicode support. Create help files, web-based help and PDF in up
to 106 languages with Help &amp; Manual: http://www.helpandmanual.com

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Follow-Ups:

References:
Current trends in Authoring Tools?: From: ct
Re: Current trends in Authoring Tools?: From: Joe Malin

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