Re: TECHWR-L: XML & the future of tech writing (topic from last week) LONG

[Filipp Anthony Sapienza <fsapienz -at- carbon -dot- cudenver -dot- edu>]

In general, I think Andrew is right, XML will be one among many options
for doing single source. Here at CU-Denver, we're offering a course that
will alternate by semester single-source approaches -- for example, one
semester might focus on a database driven site using PHP and MySQL,
another might look at XML, and so forth. Tech writers should be versed in
technologies but also keep aware of the main aspects of the profession
(usability, design, etc). Throwing technology at a writing problem won't
produce better documents.


> Why? The biggest problem among tech writers today isn't that they can't
> produce documentation faster - its that they have no clue what they are
> documenting. You can put a toad in a Porsche, but he won't know where to
> go. Likewise, you can put a ignorant tech writer in a huge XML environment
> and it won't matter if he doesn't know what to write.
>
Filipp Sapienza
Assistant Professor - Technical Communication
University of Colorado - Denver
Communication Department
Plaza Building 102P
Campus Box 176, P.O. Box 173364
Denver, CO 80217-3364

http://comm.cudenver.edu/~sapief
Phone: 303-556-2609
Fax: 303-556-6018



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