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Subject:Re: Post-its for Online Reviewing From:Stuart Burnfield <slb -at- FS -dot- COM -dot- AU> Date:Tue, 14 Oct 1997 15:40:11 +0800
It seems that Acrobat Exchange is the favoured solution for online
reviews, though if would be expensive to buy many licences for many
reviewers. May I suggest a cheaper solution that should result in
better reviews and happier reviewers.
Specialise. Don't have two or more colleagues review the whole document
looking for the same things.
You would use different optical gear depending on whether you're
looking for a comet, a bird, a sunspot or a coral reef. Encourage your
reviewers to use different mental goggles on your document. Someone
will be better at spotting technical flaws, someone else at copy-
editing, and someone else will have a better eye for flow and clarity.
If everyone is responsible for finding problems, no-one is responsible.
If Alexia is responsible for technical accuracy, she'll make damn sure
that the document is correct, even if she knows Melissa and Bernice may
read the same copy. Similarly, if Melissa is responsible for the copy
edit she'll be happy for other people to contribute but she won't
depend on them finding flaws that she missed.
Even better, you can stagger the reviews. Technical review can start
early. The structure can be reviewed before there's final copy to edit,
and the index will probably be edited last of all. You can spread the
load over a few weeks, and not rely on everyone being available at the
same time exactly when you need them. Finally, it means you can
probably get by with just one or two networked copies of Exchange.
Regards
---
Stuart Burnfield Artfully Seasoned Tech Writer, coming to
you from
Functional Software Pty Ltd in beautiful, balmy, blue-skied, mid-20s
Perth, Western Australia having just returned from a weekend of whale-
watching aboard the STS (Sail Training Ship)
Leeuwin. Exactly two days ago I was hanging
over the bowsprit, watching a humpback whale
and her yearling drift past about three
metres below. If I close my eyes I can feel
the building rock gently from side to side
as the project schedules flap lazily in the
sea breeze, and the coffee machine exhales
a blast of steam from its blowhole. . .
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