Re: Current trends in Authoring Tools?
Gene says:
As far as the product research and writing aspect of my work
is concerned, I have NEVER been as productive with ANY
authoring tool as I was during the days when I hand-wrote my document manuscripts with a #2 pencil and then sent the sheets over to a team of production specialists.
Because of single-sourcing and content management systems, we may end up going back to those days. What worries me is that the templates for the output may not be designed by people who have effective technical communication on their minds.
I find it ironic that when I first got into
the biz, writers used coding to indicate to
the typesetter where to change fonts and so on.
Then the WYSIWYG tools came out and everyone
said "Look, we can control the appearance ourselves
and see our changes right away! Coding is clunky
and old-fashioned!" Then 15 years later, everyone
acted like it was a revolutionary trend: "Look! We
can use coding and have non-proprietary document
exchange!"
-- Janice, Who Works in a Company Where MS Word
Is Forbidden
***********************************************************
Janice Gelb | The only connection Sun has with
janice -dot- gelb -at- sun -dot- com | this message is the return address
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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 & 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 & Manual: http://www.helpandmanual.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot-
To unsubscribe send a blank email to techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40infoinfocus.com
To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
Follow-Ups:
- Current trends in Authoring Tools?, Geoff Hart
References:
Re: Current trends in Authoring Tools?: From: Nancy Allison
Previous by Author:
Re: global numbers / letters -- best practice
Next by Author:
Re: Singular or Plural?
Previous by Thread:
Re: Current trends in Authoring Tools?
Next by Thread:
Current trends in Authoring Tools?
Search our Technical Writing Archives & Magazine
Visit TechWhirl's Other Sites
Sponsored Ads