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Re: [inframe] Single-sourcing = myth? (and other topics)


All:

I don't belong to STC and haven't seen the article, but I agree with Bill.

We are moving towards a situation where printed manuals, online help, Web
subsites, and PDF will all be generated from a single set of FrameMaker
files.  We use mif2go and will soon be switching to WebWorks Publisher to
generate help and HTML output.

We use FrameMaker because of its conditional content capabilities which
allow you to selectively hide or reveal content.  Thus we can hide
help-specific content from the printed manuals ("Getting the most from
online help") and other types of content specific to particular products
but not others.

You cannot just take legacy manuals and convert them into help.  You should
plan your online help and Web structure first, and decide how the different
deliverables are to be extracted and how they are to be presented.  A
logical heading structure, extensive cross-references, and a comprehensive
index are a must -- but aren't they are must for ANY documentation?

Then you produce your source files to the required standards and the rest,
as they say, is just a matter of pressing a button.

Regards,
Hedley

--
Hedley Finger
Technical Communications/Technical communicator and FrameMaker mentor
MYOB Australia <http://www.myob.com.au/>
P.O. box 371   Blackburn VIC 3130   Australia
12 Wesley Court   Tally Ho Business Park   East Burwood VIC 3151
Australia
<mailto:hedley_finger@myob.com.au>
Tel. +61 3 9222 9992 x 7421,   Mob. (cell) +61 412 461 558

(C) MYOB Limited 2002


                                                                                                                                    
                    "Bill                                                                                                           
                    Swallow"             To:     <framers@frameusers.com>, <framers@omsys.com>, <hatt@yahoogroups.com>,             
                    <wswallow@nyc        <inframe@yahoogroups.com>, <singlesourcing-mgmt@yahoogroups.com>,                          
                    ap.rr.com>           <stc-mohawk@yahoogroups.com>, <stc-single-sourcing-l@lists.stc.org>, "Techwr-L"            
                    Sent by:             <techwr-l@lists.raycomm.com>, <wwp-users@yahoogroups.com>, <albany-framers@egroups.com>    
                    owner-framers        cc:                                                                                        
                    @omsys.com           Subject:     [inframe] Single-sourcing = myth? (and other topics)                          
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                    
                    18/07/2002                                                                                                      
                    07:38                                                                                                           
                    Please                                                                                                          
                    respond to                                                                                                      
                    inframe                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                    




Am I alone here, or was anyone else really taken aback by the
July/August 2002 Intercom article "Differentiating Online Help from
Printed Documentation"?

I *KNOW* single-sourcing isn't a myth, as I've done it and know many
others who do it with great success. I guess I'm just amazed that such
misinformation would get past the editors of the magazine and become
published word, especially given the STC now has a brand new
single-sourcing SIG.

The article is full of sweeping generalizations and misinformation. It
mentions "myths", yet counters them with very weak evidence and,
ironically, more information stemming from age-old misinformation.

To go into detail in this e-mail would result in a passage longer than
the original article. If you get Intercom and have read the article,
please feel free to comment. I don't think I am alone in thinking that
this article needs to be addressed very quickly before more
misinformation is communicated through the industry.

B I L L   S W A L L O W
Information Design & Development Professional
tel/fax: 518.371.1867    wswallow@nycap.rr.com
List Owner: HATT, WWP-Users, InFrame
Co-Moderator: SingleSourcing-Mgmt
WebWorks Wizard     Editor of InFrame Magazine



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