RE: best practices for internal repository of published docs?

["Gordon McLean" <Gordon -dot- McLean -at- GrahamTechnology -dot- com>]

You say you have an intranet available. Then you say you don't want to
change "the way we do things around here". Which begs the question, what IS
the way things are done around there? Is the intranet used heavily? Would
people actually expect the docs to be there and are a little puzzled as to
why they need to head off onto a network drive to get them??

Not sure why you mention "fewer changes". Our intranet (Publications
specific area) has static pages which list the documents available for a
particular release. We also, recently, added a new 'draft' page which lists
useful information which isn't in the formal doc set (yet) but may be useful
to our staff. And with a small amount of planning you can double up... I
know that some of our staff know the machine and directory where our
intranet pages live. They are welcome to browse the network (using our
semantically named folders) to find what they want that way. Maybe you could
start with a network area and build the intranet on top??

As ever, the main crux is "know your users". The search for best practices
stops as soon as you leave your company boundaries. What is right for me may
not be right for others. 

HTH

Gordon
 

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+gordon -dot- mclean=grahamtechnology -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+gordon -dot- mclean=grahamtechnology -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- c
om] On Behalf Of Sam TechWriter
Sent: 11 July 2007 19:03
To: Pro TechWriter
Cc: techwr-l
Subject: Re: best practices for internal repository of published docs?

Pro TechWriter asked: 
"Do you have an intranet available to you? We have published our docs in a
"library" format in WebHelp format to the company intranet. You could also
use Sharepoint or even a department Web site built with FrontPage or
Dreamweaver. This would allow you to add a search capability and an index." 
 
Although we have an intranet available, I'd like to explore alternatives
that require fewer changes to "the way we do things around here." I have a
feeling that a publishing process (and resulting repository) with fewer
changes has greater chance of buy-in from others here in my company. I guess
what I'm really asking for is ideas for organizing directories on a file
share so everyone can find what they want independent of related CD build,
product, or audience. Although some of these details will have to be
specific to my company, I'm sure other technical writers may have
suggestions based on similar experiences in their companies. 

PT, I do appreciate your reply and I may "resort" to this probably-better
option anyway, but right now I'm interested in understanding a variety of
approaches tried by those on this list. 
 
Thanks,
"Sam TechWriter"
(Seattle, WA, USA)


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