Comments for Accelerated Authoring™ @ Method M http://methodm.com/blog For People Who Write and Edit Documents Every Day Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:39:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 Comment on Reichman’s Rule for When Wikis Work for Technical Documentation by The Tech Writer Blog directory | just write click http://methodm.com/blog/2007/04/29/reichmans-rule-for-when-wikis-work-for-technical-documentation/#comment-16 Sat, 03 May 2008 17:36:11 +0000 http://methodm.com/blog/2007/04/29/reichmans-rule-for-when-wikis-work-for-technical-documentation/#comment-16 [...] I found the Tech Writer Blog directory from a post by Katriel Reichman who recently wrote me an email message in response to my post about Wikis for technical documentation - one writer’s story. Katriel has a nice post about rules for when a wiki would work well for tech docs. I’m looking forward to more posts with his insight on wikis and tech pubs. [...] […] I found the Tech Writer Blog directory from a post by Katriel Reichman who recently wrote me an email message in response to my post about Wikis for technical documentation - one writer’s story. Katriel has a nice post about rules for when a wiki would work well for tech docs. I’m looking forward to more posts with his insight on wikis and tech pubs. […]

]]> Comment on Succor for Victims of Word’s Automatic Formatting by avi.aharon http://methodm.com/blog/2007/09/24/succor-for-victims-of-words-automatic-formatting/#comment-12 Tue, 25 Sep 2007 07:53:31 +0000 http://methodm.com/blog/2007/09/24/succor-for-victims-of-words-automatic-formatting/#comment-12 Making sure the Word document has as little number of styles as possible seems to work best. For up to 10 styles, any Word annoyance can be easily overcome. Making sure the Word document has as little number of styles as possible seems to work best. For up to 10 styles, any Word annoyance can be easily overcome.

]]> Comment on Winston Churchill and DITA by Katriel Reichman http://methodm.com/blog/2007/07/05/winston-churchill-and-dita/#comment-10 Mon, 09 Jul 2007 10:54:25 +0000 http://methodm.com/blog/2007/07/05/winston-churchill-and-dita/#comment-10 Hi Avi, You're right -- if there really is no reuse, DITA still makes sense because topic-centered writing and minimalism make for more effective documents. However, even if all your content was delivered on a single site, I would bet that there is still a need for "reuse". Some of your topics, possbily most, will be contatined in how-to tasks, but what happens when a single task can be reused in multiple topics? Or when a reference topic is incorporated in a troubleshooting procedure and a how-to task? Bingo, you have reuse. Or you want to provide different information based on the operating system or the configuration of a particular installation? Bingo, you have reuse. Katriel Hi Avi,
You’re right — if there really is no reuse, DITA still makes sense because topic-centered writing and minimalism make for more effective documents.
However, even if all your content was delivered on a single site, I would bet that there is still a need for “reuse”. Some of your topics, possbily most, will be contatined in how-to tasks, but what happens when a single task can be reused in multiple topics? Or when a reference topic is incorporated in a troubleshooting procedure and a how-to task? Bingo, you have reuse. Or you want to provide different information based on the operating system or the configuration of a particular installation? Bingo, you have reuse.
Katriel

]]> Comment on Winston Churchill and DITA by avi http://methodm.com/blog/2007/07/05/winston-churchill-and-dita/#comment-9 Mon, 09 Jul 2007 08:35:09 +0000 http://methodm.com/blog/2007/07/05/winston-churchill-and-dita/#comment-9 A question regarding content reuse. I assume/guess that eventually all of the content I deliver will be available on the web, on a single site. That is, when readers of mine will be looking for something, they won't mind whether it is under "Installation Guide", "Support how-to", "User Guide", etc. So, actually, there won't be a need for content reuse. If this is true, content reuse - and reformat - considerations will become irrelevant. Hence, the aspects of DITA that will remain relevant would be topic-centered writing and minimalism. This aspects will serve not as tools for easier reuse, but for easier readability. A question regarding content reuse.
I assume/guess that eventually all of the content I deliver will be available on the web, on a single site. That is, when readers of mine will be looking for something, they won’t mind whether it is under “Installation Guide”, “Support how-to”, “User Guide”, etc.
So, actually, there won’t be a need for content reuse. If this is true, content reuse - and reformat - considerations will become irrelevant. Hence, the aspects of DITA that will remain relevant would be topic-centered writing and minimalism. This aspects will serve not as tools for easier reuse, but for easier readability.

]]> Comment on Winston Churchill and DITA by Katriel Reichman http://methodm.com/blog/2007/07/05/winston-churchill-and-dita/#comment-8 Mon, 09 Jul 2007 07:53:45 +0000 http://methodm.com/blog/2007/07/05/winston-churchill-and-dita/#comment-8 If Robo Help works for you... then remember the first rule from Engineering 101: "If it works don't fix it". But if you need to deliver content in multiple channels (PDF), if you need to tailor content for specific audiences, if you want to reuse content for different needs (implementation, training, user guide, troubleshooting, support, etc.), if you need to cut down on translation costs... then IMHO you should be thinking seriously about DITA. Katriel If Robo Help works for you… then remember the first rule from Engineering 101: “If it works don’t fix it”.

But if you need to deliver content in multiple channels (PDF), if you need to tailor content for specific audiences, if you want to reuse content for different needs (implementation, training, user guide, troubleshooting, support, etc.), if you need to cut down on translation costs… then IMHO you should be thinking seriously about DITA.
Katriel

]]> Comment on Winston Churchill and DITA by avi http://methodm.com/blog/2007/07/05/winston-churchill-and-dita/#comment-7 Mon, 09 Jul 2007 07:08:30 +0000 http://methodm.com/blog/2007/07/05/winston-churchill-and-dita/#comment-7 Thanks, Katriel. Further question: Given that I deliver CHM, and already have a suitable tool (RHX5), what could I possibly benefit from replacing a tool? Thanks, Katriel.
Further question:
Given that I deliver CHM, and already have a suitable tool (RHX5), what could I possibly benefit from replacing a tool?

]]> Comment on Winston Churchill and DITA by Katriel Reichman http://methodm.com/blog/2007/07/05/winston-churchill-and-dita/#comment-6 Mon, 09 Jul 2007 07:01:55 +0000 http://methodm.com/blog/2007/07/05/winston-churchill-and-dita/#comment-6 DITA is a standard -- and is implemented using topic-centered and minimalism (methodology). DITA is NOT a tool! DITA can be edited by any XML edtior (althouhg a "DITA aware" editor will be helpful -- especially since it well help you visualize the relationships between DITA topics. You could write DITA using Word or RoboHelp -- but you could also dig a foundation for your home using a spoon. (Or, to use an analogy closer to home, you could edit the files in notepad.) Katriel DITA is a standard — and is implemented using topic-centered and minimalism (methodology). DITA is NOT a tool! DITA can be edited by any XML edtior (althouhg a “DITA aware” editor will be helpful — especially since it well help you visualize the relationships between DITA topics.

You could write DITA using Word or RoboHelp — but you could also dig a foundation for your home using a spoon. (Or, to use an analogy closer to home, you could edit the files in notepad.)
Katriel

]]> Comment on Winston Churchill and DITA by avi http://methodm.com/blog/2007/07/05/winston-churchill-and-dita/#comment-5 Mon, 09 Jul 2007 06:49:15 +0000 http://methodm.com/blog/2007/07/05/winston-churchill-and-dita/#comment-5 Once and for all: is DITA a methodology or a specific tool? Can I write DITA using RHX5? Word? Once and for all: is DITA a methodology or a specific tool? Can I write DITA using RHX5? Word?

]]> Comment on Technical Documentation and Your Company in Google by Accelerated Authoring™ @ Method M » Blog Archive » More on Using Documentation to Improve Google Ranking http://methodm.com/blog/2007/05/06/technical-documentation-and-your-company-in-google/#comment-4 Sun, 20 May 2007 08:45:39 +0000 http://methodm.com/blog/2007/05/06/technical-documentation-and-your-company-in-google/#comment-4 [...] In this space we have written about Technical Documentation and Your Company in Google. For some practical tips and discussion about getting Google to index your documentation, see the tips “Create a word map of your help” and [...] […] In this space we have written about Technical Documentation and Your Company in Google. For some practical tips and discussion about getting Google to index your documentation, see the tips “Create a word map of your help” and […]

]]> Comment on Really? “Everything takes longer with DITA” by avi http://methodm.com/blog/2007/05/14/really-%e2%80%9ceverything-takes-longer-with-dita%e2%80%9d-2/#comment-3 Thu, 17 May 2007 10:28:01 +0000 http://methodm.com/blog/2007/05/14/really-%e2%80%9ceverything-takes-longer-with-dita%e2%80%9d-2/#comment-3 It's funny to hear of an FM user complaining on the time it takes to complete tasks :-) It’s funny to hear of an FM user complaining on the time it takes to complete tasks :-)

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