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> But people need to be looking at the process change, not the format
> change.
> Switching processes may pay big dividends. Switching formats without
> changing processes gets you nowhere. A switch from a monolithic to a
> staged
> process requires significant process design work, significant job role
> redefinition, and significant staff training. Without it, people will
> naturally cling to the familiar.
>
Ah, that's the trick, isn't it? I know my company tried. Various
people were brought in to train the staff. For a while, when I was the
"tools guy," I took a crack at it myself.
Part of the problem was that the XML, single-source solution was imposed
on a staff that really didn't want to do it. They were comfortable with
the old document development process. Each person considered themselves
Writers (note the capital W) and some had false illusions about being
graphic designers as well.
Going back two previous employers, we had an SGML system that worked
extremely well and the writers loved it. The difference I think was in
the self-perception of the writers. In the failed instance, the writers
mostly came from a local university where technical writing was under
the auspices of the English department. In the successful instance,
most of the writers came from a another local university where technical
writing was its own department, and the writers were required to take a
number of computer science courses.
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