Help Standardization (was: Linux Help Issues - from WINHLP-L)

Subject: Help Standardization (was: Linux Help Issues - from WINHLP-L)
From: William Swallow <WSWALLOW -at- commsoft -dot- net>
To: "'TECHWR-L'" <TECHWR-L -at- LISTS -dot- RAYCOMM -dot- COM>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 14:30:20 -0500

A few weeks ago the whole standardization of online Help issue came up. I
thought it would be nice to have a list for just these types of discussions,
so I created the Help Development Standards Advocacy eGroup. However, since
then I've been buried in work, and I haven't had a chance to get the ball
rolling.

The whole purpose for this eGroup (in my mind - it's subject to change as
needed) is for developers, Help authors and such to discuss where Help
should be going. It would be great if there was one technology that could
reach across OS's to deliver the same level of Help to users. Whether we can
reach that ideal is yet to be determined.

Anyhow, if anyone is interested in getting such a discussion/effort off the
ground, you can join at
<http://www.egroups.com/group/help-development/info.html>. I'm hoping that
we get representatives from the tool manufacturers and the OS giants in the
mix as well, but really this eGroup is open to anyone with a few good ideas.

Bill Swallow
Technical Writer
Aptis Inc.
a subsidiary of Billing Concepts
phone: 518.433.7698
fax: 518.433.7680
<mailto:william -dot- swallow -at- aptissoftware -dot- com>
<http://www.aptissoftware.com>

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ron Miller
> Subject: Linux Help Issues
> I sent this last week, but I am assuming all mail sent prior to the server
> changeover was lost.
> Has anyone seen the Industry News section in the latest Intercom Magazine.
> The article called "Linux Applications Raise Questions about Online Help"
> by
> Maurice Martin brings up some interesting issues regarding what happens
> when
> there is no clear standard for online help. This ties in a bit to our
> discussion earlier regarding what might happen if the government were to
> break up Microsoft. Could we be faced with supporting multiple flavors of
> help? As Linux takes hold at the desktop level--the article points out
> that
> Sun bought Star Office and has it available for free on their web site--we
> as online help developers may be faced with developing online help for
> Linux
> applications. It's a brave new world. I'm wondering what folks think about
> all this.


Bill Swallow
Technical Writer
Aptis Inc.
a subsidiary of Billing Concepts
phone: 518.433.7698
fax: 518.433.7680
<mailto:william -dot- swallow -at- aptissoftware -dot- com>
<http://www.aptissoftware.com>





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