Re: What would you do?

[Janice Gelb <janice -dot- gelb -at- sun -dot- com>]

Kevin McGowan wrote:
> 
> I started this tech writing job last week. The company has several 
> documents, all giant Word files. They want to move into an XML environment, 
> so we can 1) maintain XML modules of information, and create printable user 
> guides at will, 2) include some of these XML files as online help, clickable 
> from the UI.
> 
> Translation is also a concern...as they want to maintain multiple languages 
> (English, French, German, Dutch, etc...).
> 
> So, here I am...with a bunch of crappy and poorly-maintained Word files, and 
> I need to create a state-of-the-art XML system. They keep talking about 
> DITA...but I'm not convinced that the DITA format is the perfect way to go. 
> Frankly, I'm not sure about much at the moment.
> 

I'd tell them that the first step in converting
the documentation is cleaning up the Word
documentation for translatability and evaluating
it for reusable content. And that you can't decide
on the appropriate tool until that phase is complete.

Then I'd point them to this article by JoAnn Hackos
about the importance of evaluating and restructuring
content before moving to a new to a structured
content environment:

http://www.infomanagementcenter.com/enewsletter/200503/feature.htm

That should buy you some time to come up with
a plan :->

-- Janice

***********************************************************
Janice Gelb          | The only connection Sun has with
janice -dot- gelb -at- sun -dot- com  | this message is the return address
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or 
printed documentation. Features include single source authoring, team authoring,
Web-based technology, and PDF output. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

Now shipping: Help & Manual 4 with RoboHelp(r) import! New editor,
full Unicode support. Create help files, web-based help and PDF in up
to 106 languages with Help & Manual: http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.