RE: Word vs. Frame

["T. Word Smith" <techwordsmith -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

I would guess her employer and bosses, like so many
others, want people other than the technical writers
to work in the source files developing content.

--- "Goldstein, Dan" <DGoldstein -at- DeusTech -dot- com> wrote:
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > ...Word is not part of the solution, it is STILL
> part of the problem.
> > You know you can also program using notepad. But
> why on earth would 
> > you want to limit yourself by using an inadequate
> tool?...
> 
> Unless Suzette tells us "why on earth" her company
> is considering Word, we
> can only guess.
> 
> There are certain advantages to using an application
> that almost the entire
> business world uses. This list has already seen a
> post from a skilled writer
> who threw his company into a tizzy when he left,
> taking with him the
> company's sole knowledge of FrameMaker.

I missed that post. HOWEVER, what happened to the
"retention" part of "recruitment and retention"? I
mean, treat your people like crud and they leave. Even
if that author were using Word, with perhaps some VBA
macros, intimate knowledge of template, styles, solid
knowledge of the subject, understanding of the content
and content types that go into the docs, when and
where ... even if that author used Word, the company
loses when the author leaves. Period.

Hiring somebody costs money. Over time, that person
becomes more tuned and more valuable to the
organization ... so why not actively "retain" them? 

And, FrameMaker experience is really not that rare, is
it?

> This is not to say that Word is "better." However,
> it is possible that
> intelligent managers who care about good
> documentation can still make a
> well-considered business decision to choose Word
> over FrameMaker for their
> particular needs.

Maybe. I've done 500-page docs in Word that went to
press ... lots of graphics, lists, etc. It took a lot
longer and required a lot more rework than FrameMaker,
but it can be done. Ain't no such thing as perfect
software, you try to go with the software that best
meets your needs ....

My two cents, anyway.

=====
T.

"Money makes the world go 'round is an incomplete statement; money is the fuel, and stupidity is the short bus that burns it." (Bill Swallow-02/04)


	
		
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