RE: Reporting Structure/Work Model for Documentation Department

["Sean O'Donoghue-Hayes (EAA)" <Sean.O'Donoghue-Hayes -at- ericsson -dot- com -dot- au>]

Ahhhhhh the old content versus style,
and coherent
structure
raises it's old ugly head,
like a hydra that we slay and slay and slay,
then it pops back,
a weed beneath our feet,
a garden rake whacking into our face,
a true Three Stooges moment,
yes content is important,
yes communicating with SMEs is important,
yes white space is important,
yes fondling a font in public is indecent,
yes style,
yes presentation,
yes relationships with management,
yes working with others well, and professionally,
are all very important,
one with out the other,
is like a baseball game without a bat,
or without a ball,
or without a diamond,
how the players play is important,
and the style is important,
but so is winning,
if content wins it for you,
focus content,
if style wins it for you,
focus style,
if fonts win it for you,
focus fonts,
but each without the other is all the weaker.
So this seems to have content,
but is probably,
real, painful to read,
yeah style can hurt,
and build,
as can a lack of content,
or a repetitive attack of
the same content,
presented the same,
old,
way.....
it called a cliche.

But back to the cliche...I mean discussion, of style versus content...   

regards and thanks, 
Sean 

~~oh and MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY PROSPEROUS AND
ENJOYABLE NEW YEAR~

To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: Reporting Structure/Work Model for Documentation Department



<mary -dot- kendig -at- convergys -dot- com> wrote in message news:180503 -at- techwr-l -dot-  -dot-  -dot- 

> Does the doc group function as a "center of excellence," producing doc
> standards and templates for others in the company to follow, providing
> guidance and recommendations for all doc issues, etc.?

None of these things would make a tech pubs department a "center of
excellence."  More like a "center of mediocrity." A true "center of
excellence"
for a doc department would be a team of writers with exceptional *technical*
knowledge about their employers products and services and the ability to
help
both customers and internal staff use and understand those goods and
services
through comprehensive and insightful documentation & training materials.
Templates and standards are of minimal consequence. 

Andrew Plato 


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