RE: What would you do?

Subject: RE: What would you do?
From: "Gordon McLean" <Gordon -dot- McLean -at- GrahamTechnology -dot- com>
To: "'Kevin McGowan'" <thatguy_80 -at- hotmail -dot- com>, <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2007 07:54:21 -0000

I'd ask more questions but don't mention DITA or XML.

Once you have the full reasons behind their desire to publish to multiple
formats, in multiple languages, and generally understand the business
drivers behind the head towards single source (do they have a timescale in
mind? Of course they do!) then you'll have a better idea of what TOOL you
need to use to support those aims.

Like others have said, I'd maybe pitch it as a two phase operation (two LONG
phases).

1. Get the information edited and ready to be 'chunked' into re-usable bits.
2. AT THAT POINT weigh up the options and present your business case as to
which TOOL is best for the company.

That may, or may not, be a DITA based XML system.

It DOES sound like they are pulling on buzzwords though, so tread carefully.

Gordon

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+gordon -dot- mclean=grahamtechnology -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+gordon -dot- mclean=grahamtechnology -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- c
om] On Behalf Of Kevin McGowan
Sent: 21 March 2007 20:30
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: What would you do?

Hi everyone...

I'm in a bit of a bind, and I'd love to hear what y'all think I should do.
:)

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.

Please share any advice/experience...

Cheers,
Kevin

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full Unicode support. Create help files, web-based help and PDF in up
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References:
What would you do?: From: Kevin McGowan

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