Re: Word's "Master Document" feature

[Ned Bedinger <doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com>]

Chinell, David F (GE Indust, Security) wrote:
> Dan and Mike:
>
> If you're honest with yourselves, you'll have to admit that when it
> comes to serious, professional technical communication, Word comes up
> short when compared with almost any other tool. In fact, it really only
> has three features that make it a marginal contender. Word is:
>
> 1. Ubiquitous
> 2. Eternal
> 3. Fully extensible
>
> If it weren't for the fact that everyone has Word and knows (on some
> level how to use it), that it will outlive us all, and that it can be
> made to resemble anything or do anything you like, it would be little
> more than a toy.
>   

I know of two more, and it is these two that cause me to lament. Word is 
the worst thing to ever happen to tech writers!

4. Employers can assume that everyone has a PC at home with Word on it, 
and that everyone they hire already knows how to use it.
5. The saved training costs are hard to beat, but of course some 
employers try harder, giving Windows PCs to the developers and making 
them write their own documentation. These developers are people with 
great computer horse sense--to them, Word is nothing more than the 
defaults: three headings, TNR, and draft view. It never crashes or 
corrupts documents, they share their documents, and they can post them 
to the intranet without further adieu.

Woe is me.

With tongs firmly in check,

--Ned
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or 
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007 
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
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/ for more resources and info.