Online editing with FrameMaker? (Take II)

Subject: Online editing with FrameMaker? (Take II)
From: Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2005 09:25:17 -0500


TechComm Dood noted (with irony I appreciate) that <<I think your solution was embedded by the list server in your post.>>

It's true that WEBWORKS FINALDRAFT (the advertised product in question) does allow online _review_ of Frame documents, and seems to be quite good at that, but this is not at all the same thing as online _editing_.

My understanding of the product is that FinalDraft is a considerably more powerful and better managed (groupware) version of the simplistic commenting feature that comes with Acrobat. Unfortunately, that doesn't cut it for editing, because it seems like you're working outside the original Frame file. That means someone has to reintegrate the edits into the file. For comments, this is probably adequate; for heavy substantive editing, this is completely ineffective.

Also, for those of us who work on Macs, it's worth noting that Quadralay provides no Mac software. Although I can understand why they made this decision, I have to ask why, if the reviewer part of the package is integrated with Internet Explorer, they couldn't create something in Java that would offer cross-platform support. Not rocket science, boys and girls.

Last but not least, for those of us who consider Internet Explorer to be a great big "come ransack my computer" function for crackers and who avoid this particular malware wherever possible, I'm not keen on the software architecture either. "Internet Explorer security" is an oxymoron.

If I'm wrong about these points, I'd like to hear more from people who are actually using the software. I'm basing my opinions purely on the published specs at Quadralay's site, and perhaps I'm misreading something.

--Geoff Hart ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca
(try geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com if you don't get a reply)


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WEBWORKS FINALDRAFT - EDIT AND REVIEW, REDEFINED
Accelerate the document lifecycle with full online discussions and unique feedback-management capabilities. Unlimited, efficient reviews for Word
and FrameMaker authors. Live, online demo:
http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Technical Communication Certificate online - Malaspina-University College, Canada. Online training in technical writing, software (FrameMaker, RoboHelp, Dreamweaver, Acrobat), document & web design, writing manuals, job search. www.pr.mala.bc.ca/tech_comm.htm for details.

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References:
re: Online Editing with FrameMaker: From: Shlomo Perets
Online editing with FrameMaker?: From: Geoff Hart
Re: Online editing with FrameMaker?: From: TechComm Dood

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