Re: TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY

[Jill Burgchardt <jburgcha -at- PESTILENCE -dot- ITC -dot- NRCS -dot- USDA -dot- GOV>]

Roger Peterson asks: Can you separate the technology from the task?

I find it helpful to recognize a distinction between technology and task.
Considering the task helps me focus on content or substance. The
technology/tools help me focus on delivery methods and form. Both are
important, though I consider substance primary for the documents I write.
Separating these items helps me keep both content and delivery objectives
visible while I work on a project.

That said, the most important reason I can think of for keeping these
objectives visible is so that I consciously plan how they work together. I
try to use html, javascript, GUI eye candy, and any tools or technology at
my disposal to create content-laden help systems that integrate seamlessly
with the application. I try to use DTP programs to produce manuals that
are as inviting to read as they are informative. Each project, I move
forward, but looking at past projects is always a humbling experience. I
find the evolution of better methods and tools for integrating form and
content is one of the most exciting aspects of this work.

Ironically, it seems that content is often overwhelmed by technology
rather than enhanced by it. When I had to retype each draft of a paper, I
spent a significant portion of time planning, organizing, and outlining. I
didn't want to type more drafts than absolutely necessary. Now, there's a
temptation to just sit down and write, even though I know better.
(Deadlines have that effect.) Occasionally, I need to get away from the
computer to keep myself from brushing off those critical steps. That's
when I pull a stack of 3 x 5 cards out of my desk drawer . . .

Jill Burgchardt
jburgcha -at- pestilence -dot- itc -dot- nrcs -dot- usda -dot- gov