Re: Two Professional Questions

[Chris Morton <salt -dot- morton -at- gmail -dot- com>]

For any Word question (or M$ question), I recommend Windows Secrets
Lounge<http://lounge.windowssecrets.com/>(formerly Woody's Lounge, as
in long-acknowledged Word uber-guru, Woody
Leonhard).

> Chris
On Tue, Sep 28, 2010 at 10:01 AM, Roberta Hennessey
<rahennessey -at- gmail -dot- com>wrote:

> Oh my, I hope I've not been annoying.
>
> My consideration is that the guide I was hired to create is now apt to be
> at
> least two guides, and a future
> software releases will add a third book. There are no functional specs here
> nor program management milestones.
> It appeared Word was going to be the tool of choice before I got here.
>
> Not being a Word superuser,  I have found Word does not update the TOCs
> very
> well. I also cannot get Shift + F5 to
> work with cross references so users can go back to the point of origin of
> the cross reference. This would provide a user
> with quick, good access to additional information if they needed it. (Does
> anyone know of a fix? I see lots of complaints on web but no solution.)
>
> Part of the comfort factor is true, though I see ease of creating other
> versions of the doc a consideration as well.
> I think (and I could be very wrong) it would take another contractor far
> less time to come in an add 2 new chapters to
> a guide using Frame than using Word (and running the risk of the doc
> getting
> too big).
>
> Am I wrong? Can anyone suggest where a writer can go for expert superuser
> Word help? What alternative tools would people
> suggest - this is going to be 2 to 3 guides for an internet application. I
> think I have 6-9 weeks to complete.
>
> Bobbi
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Sep 28, 2010 at 12:21 PM, Gene Kim-Eng <techwr -at- genek -dot- com> wrote:
>
> > That was my interpretation as well.  Either the company is intrigued by
> > Bobbi's FM experience and would like to know whether FM would be an
> > improvement over what they have now, or (hopefully not) Bobbi has managed
> > to
> > annoy them with comments about how much "better" FM is as a tool and
> > they're
> > giving her a chance to put up or you-know-what by providing a detailed
> > FM-vs-Word comparison.
> >
> > I've done single-sourcing with FM and I hated it.  I doubt that I'd like
> > trying to do it in Word any better.  If it's a genuine future step, my
> > preference would be to move to a native XML tool.  Single-sourcing is a
> > significant mindset adjustment compared to traditional authoring, and
> > trying
> > to hang on to old, familiar tool environments just bogs down the learning
> > process.  At least it did for me.
> >
> > Gene Kim-Eng
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Sep 28, 2010 at 7:26 AM, Combs, Richard
> > <richard -dot- combs -at- polycom -dot- com>wrote:
> >
> > > So, to recap, here's the situation as I understand it: The company has
> > been
> > > using Word. Bobbi has come in as a contract technical writer, and she's
> > > experienced with FM, but has never used Word for such a project.
> > >
> > > Why would you say the issue isn't Word vs. FM? Other than your
> enthusiasm
> > > for ID, that is. :-)
> > >
> > > The issue is Word vs. FM because one is a comfortable fit for the
> company
> > > (no change required) and the other is a comfortable fit for their
> writer
> > (no
> > > learning curve or stumbling blocks).
> > >
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> >
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>
> --
> Roberta Hennessey
> Technical Writer
> (978) 835-4282
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
>  Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with
> Doc-To-Help.
> Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need. Try
> Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days.
> http://www.doctohelp.com
>
> LavaCon 2010 in San Diego Sept 29 - Oct 2 is now open for registration.
>   Use referral code TECHWR-L for $50 off conference tuition!
>          See program at: http://lavacon.org/
>
>
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Create and publish documentation through multiple channels with Doc-To-Help. 
Choose your authoring formats and get any output you may need. Try 
Doc-To-Help, now with MS SharePoint integration, free for 30-days. 
http://www.doctohelp.com

LavaCon 2010 in San Diego Sept 29 - Oct 2 is now open for registration.  
   Use referral code TECHWR-L for $50 off conference tuition! 
          See program at: http://lavacon.org/


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