on Revision Dates

[DAVID IBBETSON <ibbetson -at- IDIRECT -dot- COM>]

Chuck Beck writes:
<snip>
>Here's the question we are wrestling with:

>When revising or adding pages, should we--
>    1. place the date of the changes/additions *only* on the pages we are
>revising or adding (and not on other existing pages), with the current
>revision date as the supersession date?
>    2. place a date consistent with the current manual revision date in the
>revision date block (even though the changes are being made after that date)?
>    3. change the revision and supersession dates in the entire manual
>(which would be a huge hassle, given the frequency with which this company
>wants changes made/added)?
<snip>

I recommend option 1 with the addition of a revision sheet that indicates
the revision status of every page in the manual.  I think ISO 9000 would be
happy with something like that.

Updated revision sheets (life's usually easier if they come as a complete
set) would be distributed with every copy of the revised pages Your office
copies might well contain (possibly as non-printing annotations on the
computer) additional information such as cross references to the file(s)
supporting the revision.

David (the annotated and revised idiot) Ibbetson

David Ibbetson                                   ibbetson -at- idirect -dot- com
133 Wilton St, #506, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5A 4A4
Phone (416) 363-6692    Fax (416) 363-4987

If I were a cassowary
On the plains of Timbuctoo,
I  would eat a missionary,
Cassock, band, and hymn-book too.
-- Bishop Samuel (Soapy Sam) Wilberforce, ascribed.
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