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Once we've written hundreds or even thousands of discrete topics, we now
require an organizational database to make these topics available for use.
Each topic must then be associated with metadata that describes the topic
itself so we can understand specifically what the different topics are about
and when it's appropriate to incorporate that specific topic in a larger
assembly of topics. The formation of that metadata into a database will
require careful planning in order to make the database readily searchable. I
can envision the metadata often requiring far more storage space than the
topic text itself.
Having said that, the availability of the discrete topics is still going to
require an analytical process by a content planner (formerly known as a
technical writer) who's developed a sufficient amount of product knowledge
in order to select appropriate topics for the subject matter based on the
audience requirements. The greater the number of topic authors, the more
difficult the analytical process becomes as the content planner will have to
familiarize herself with the actual content of the available topics in order
to make rational selections.
And if we cannot incorporate cross-references into the actual topics, do we
then lose that ability in the finished document? Or do we add
cross-references as elements of the finished document that are not part of
the topic database?
Mike
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Gordon McLean" <Gordon -dot- McLean -at- GrahamTechnology -dot- com>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 8:00 AM
Subject: RE: Writing structured content [recap]
> It might well be that a set of guidelines is the starting point, and that,
> in fact, the 'rules' of writing content that can be reused aren't all that
> much different from what we have now.
>
> Understanding the structure is part of it, and yes that will include
> understanding when NOT to include some information... But presuming we are
> past that point, maybe there ISN'T a need for a training course in this
> area, maybe it is purely down to understanding the structure and following
> a
> set of simple guidelines.
>
> But I'm not sure, nor convinced, it's that "easy". As Fred says, at some
> point, once structure is understood, and the writer knows what NOT to
> include, the content that will be used has to be written. I presumed there
> was an approach to this type of writing, breaking the thought model out of
> chapter/book mode and into chunk mode, but maybe there isn't. Maybe it is
> just a set of "dos and donts"..
>
> One thing is for sure, this thread has certainly pressed home the
> importance
> of nailing the early requirements and fully understanding the structure of
> our documentation.
>
> Gordon
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