docs on frozen CDs - how to handle updates to docs?

Subject: docs on frozen CDs - how to handle updates to docs?
From: Sam TechWriter <samtechwriter -at- yahoo -dot- com>
To: techwr-l <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:53:58 -0700 (PDT)

I'm looking for best practices for notifying customers that the documents on a CD have been updated, and for providing those updated documents. (The CDs we distribute to customers combine software with docs; we are expected to use the CDs we built with the original docs.)

Customers can access the latest documents on our website, but right now we have the problem of inconsistent document delivery, in which the CD contains old copies of the docs. We have never had to update documents this extensively and I'm wondering if there are alternatives to publishing an "Updated Documentation" CD for distribution with the existing CD. I'm also wondering if anyone on the list has used this approach and found problems...it occurs to me that the update CD and the original CD might get separated at some point and the next user down the road might use the original CD with the old docs, unaware of any update. I wonder what other scenarios I haven't thought of yet! Or maybe I'm just making up problems that don't exist...?

Has anyone on the list dealt with updates to docs on frozen CDs before?

Thanks in advance!
"Sam TechWriter"



____________________________________________________________________________________
Looking for earth-friendly autos?
Browse Top Cars by "Green Rating" at Yahoo! Autos' Green Center.
http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center/
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -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%40web.techwr-l.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/ for more resources and info.


Follow-Ups:

Previous by Author: RE: right to left languages
Next by Author: best practices for internal repository of published docs?
Previous by Thread: RE: MS Word checkbox
Next by Thread: Re: docs on frozen CDs - how to handle updates to docs?


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads