Re: MadCap Nightmare

Subject: Re: MadCap Nightmare
From: "Bill Swallow" <techcommdood -at- gmail -dot- com>
To: "Donald H. White" <trlbldr -at- comcast -dot- net>
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 13:49:44 -0400

Gee, this is interesting. A fellow tech writer finds problems with a new
software application. Same person advises other tech writers of the things
she/he has found. Result: we ask the messenger what he/she has done to fix
the problems.

There's a 20-mile-thick line between advising and ranting. We saw the
latter. And yes, we ask the messenger what he/she has done to address
the issues. Why? Because that's what you do.

I thought software vendors would run their software through a QC process,
even though my experience has indicated over the years that a company's QC
"process" may be, well, less than effective. Nonetheless, if something
doesn't work, it doesn't work. I've spent a lot of my time -- more than I
should -- letting companies like Symantec, Adobe, and Dell know of problems
I've encountered. If they replied, they wanted me to fix the problem or
perform some really time- and labor-intensive effort to make their software
work.

Point? Yes, QC exists, but as you - a technical writer - should know,
QC doesn't catch everything. And in the case where a product is born
and released as a 1.0 within a year's time, how much QC do you think
is possible? Further, show me any software product in which QC was
done and there are no issues.

I don't own the software. I'm only a licensee. And, the software doesn't
require a programmer to use it, supposedly. So, why can't a vendor sell and
support its products?

We don't know the details, and that's a hack of an
assumption/accusation you're making. So you have evidence that MadCap
does not support Flare? If so, please share. I have evidence to the
contrary both in the HATT list archive and in my Gmail archive.

As for Anonymous, I believe that she/he did have an "agenda:" to let those
on this list know about his/her experience with Flare. What's the concern
over an agenda? Each of us has an agenda: pay the mortgage, wake up in the
morning, drink coffee, etc.

Discussing the agenda really is pointless considering we only have
part of a one-sided account. We still don't know if Anonymous reported
the bugs or contacted MadCap, and without knowing any of that info,
the post was nothing more than a rant.

Personally, the post didn't sway me. I'm still going to look into
Blaze when it's available for trial.

--
Bill Swallow
HATT List Owner
WWP-Users List Owner
Senior Member STC, TechValley Chapter
http://techcommdood.blogspot.com
avid homebrewer and proud beer snob
"I see your OOO message and raise you a clue."
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References:
Re: MadCap Nightmare: From: Al Geist
RE: MadCap Nightmare: From: Donald H. White

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