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Subject:Re: Styles for User Guides From:John Posada <jposada01 -at- YAHOO -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 2 Apr 1999 10:11:26 -0800
I don't think there is a danger in reusing a template
since the normal process usualy involves changing
elements of each tag by the time the job is finished.
Shoot...I'm always tweeking my tags until just before
postscript delivery...I drive me nuts!
For arguments sake, let's say that you start a job
using a prior template with the PTag <Body> for the
normal, left margin content. This style uses (for
simplicity sake) New Times Roman, 12pt, 3pt above and
below, fully justified.
Now based on the normal evolution of the document, by
the time the document is done, you've gone from New
Times Roman to Times Roman, changed the point above to
5 from 3, and changed the justification to left (the
customer hates full justification...how was I supposed
to know?!).
Now, if all, or at least most of the existing Tags were
modified as such, some more and some less, are we still
stealing?
--- Sharon Burton-Hardin <sharonburton -at- email -dot- msn -dot- com>
wrote:
> I do agree that people will ask for a manual that
> looks like someone else.
> And that there is not ethical problem with creating
> one that looks like
> someone else's. Happens all the time. I did it
> recently for a client. That
> is called good ideas being used again and again.
>
> But, I cannot, in good conscience, re-use that
> specific template again. The
> client asked for and paid for that specific template
> with those tag names,
> what ever they might have been. Reusing that
specific
> template with those
> tag names for another client would, in my opinion,
be
> stealing. The client
> paid for and, thus, owns the template. I can use the
> same look and feel and
> create a new template for another client with some
> new tag names or formats
> or xref formats and use it with a clear conscience.
> The stickler is how many
> tag names make it unique, especially since I tend to
> use the same names in
> my templates.
>
> To be good, I would have to create a new one for a
> client and charge them
> for it. At least that is my opinion. I think, as
with
> the content, it is
> what my client pays for. And if they pay for it,
then
> they own it. The same
> can be said with the source files for the book or
> help. They paid for the
> creation effort and the content and it is theirs.
> Most contracts state that.
> How would a template be different?
>
> At least that is the ethical position for me. But
> then I have always want to
> do the right thing and not be bad. Better to err on
> the side of caution.
>
> sharon
>
> Sharon Burton-Hardin
> President of the Inland Empire chapter of the STC
> www.iestc.org
> Anthrobytes Consulting
> Home of RoboNEWS(tm), the unofficial RoboHELP
> newsletter
> www.anthrobytes.com
> Check out www.WinHelp.net!
> See www.sharonburton.com!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Posada <jposada01 -at- yahoo -dot- com>
> To: Sharon Burton-Hardin
> <sharonburton -at- email -dot- msn -dot- com>;
> TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> <TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU>
> Date: Friday, 02 April, 1999 9:18 AM
> Subject: Re: Styles for User Guides
>
>
> |Hi, guys...just giving my brain a chance to think
> about
> |something other than my User Manual...
> |
> |Hmmm...re-using a template...
> |
> |To be honest, this isn't a black and white issue.
I
> |think alot of what can be allowed is based on how
it
> |got to that point.
> |
> |Let's say a client says "I want a manual produced
> from
> |scratch, something that nobody has ever seen
before,
> |that will make my manual different than anything
> anyone
> |has ever seen before.
> |
> |In this case, using their template later on would
> |indeed be stealing. After all, part of the scope of
> the
> |project was that they wanted it to be different and
> to
> |make something later on similar would be removing
> the
> |effectiveness they were paying for.
> |
> |OTOH, walk into a client with no documentation and
> when
> |you start discussing template, they pull out a
> manual
> |done by someone else for someone else and they say
> "I
> |like the look and feel of this document. Produce a
> |template that is different, but similar enough that
> a
> |user in the same field would probably be familiar
> with
> |its methodologies and therefore, feel comfortable."
> |
> |I might therefore create a document that uses a
body
> at
> |11.5pt Times, in-column sideheads with 14ptBld H2
> and
> |12ptBldItal H3, 6pt above, 3pt below, new H2
heading
> on
> |the right facing page, 2 inch left margin, 1 inch
> right
> |margin, has a black header and footer with white
> font,
> |yada yada, yada.
> |
> |Do they also have the same right of ownership of
> this
> |template as the first example?
> |
> |I thnk not. After all, their template was designed
> |based on someone else and must fully expect that
the
> |same might be done with theirs.
> |
> |No rule in this business is absolute (except maybe
> no
> |spelling errors in a resume, but I degress). Each
> |situation must be based on the situation and your
> best
> |effort at being ethical must be the guide.
> |
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