Re: REquest for advice on Workflow & Tools

Subject: Re: REquest for advice on Workflow & Tools
From: Joe <jsokohl -at- mac -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 8 May 2002 23:38:38 -0400



On Wednesday, May 8, 2002, at 11:15 , Goober wrote:


OK, do you need to justify your existence by making
more work for yourself? Why stick with Word if you're
going to be publishing with FrameMaker? I don't get
it. Why not stick with Word then, make the PDF, and
then save as HTML like they are doing? You're not
making the workflow better... you're just adding
overhead. IMHO, of course. ;)

Uhhhh, gee, how about this: to make the PDF, you gotta have Adobe's Acrobat anyway. And to tsave as HTMl, gee, why didn't I think of that? Word's method is just soooo good--heck, why pay Quadralay any ducats? Are they just an HTML Abdominizer?
Of course, the answers seem to be, Word sucks at consistent document design (which is, as I stressed, the topic). But maybe it's not important, as Goober thinks. Maybe document design and even information design and, well, gaaawwwwlllly, maybe I should jus' let the architects do their own writing and editing and publishing...and I can go back to watching daytime tv...along with watching the bank account dwindle.

Sounds like you need to fix workflow, not jump to a
new tool. You may be able to fix your workflow without
jumping to tools, or at least by revisiting the
workflow in detail you could get an idea of how new
tools will help you. As of right now, I see no benefit
whatsoever in adding FM+WWP to your workflow.

I come to you and others on the list for advice, not ridicule. So what suggestions DO you have for other workflows? Sorry, but I've modeled this several ways--and other than getting my MS in CS and then becoming a software architect, I just don't see it. As far as benefits to FM+WWP, how about information design, single sourcing that doesn't suck, and extensibility? Or am I the only one on the list that thinks a workflow incorporating material taken from one source imported into FrameMaker to produce PDFs and HTML is a good workflow?

I'm looking for advice on workflow, cooperation, and
also tools. Thanks!

So you can't author any of this yourself, and you
can't get the Architects to use FM? Not even if you
create "bulletproof" templates? I'm curious, is your
role only as a typesetter/publisher? I'm just curious.
No, you're not curious, you're just a sniper...An organization that already owns Word and already has in-house (at least more-than-pedestrian) expertise in Word...why would it EVER go to FM? No, engineers and programmers aren't going to use this tool. From my 12-year experiential level, it seems to me that there are justification for creating technical editing/publishing roles within departments...because, so many times, writers just edit what programmers cobble together anyway--especially in cases like mine. Perhaps I'm not as smart as you, Goober...I guess that's why I posited the question.

Sorry for wasting your time.



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Re: REquest for advice on Workflow & Tools: From: Goober

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