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No, the question is how to train writers how to think outside the
book and learn how to write self-contained topics that can be
used in different contexts and assembled in different ways and
still make sense. Not everything is a question of analysis. Ultimately
the information still has to be expreessed in words and sentences
and paragraphs and tables and illustrations so that communication
can (possibly) occur.
>From: Richard Lewis <tech44writer -at- yahoo -dot- com>
>To: quills -at- airmail -dot- net, Gordon McLean
><Gordon -dot- McLean -at- GrahamTechnology -dot- com>,techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>Subject: RE: Writing structured content [recap]
>Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 14:56:25 -0700 (PDT)
>
>I think the question is how are the chunks determined.
>
> Richard Lewis
>
>quills -at- airmail -dot- net wrote:
> At 8:28 AM +0100 6/22/07, Gordon McLean wrote:
> >Thanks to everyone who has chosen to respond to my question.
> >
> >The information mapping topics, whilst interesting, aren't really
>answering
> >my question. I asked, specifically, about "structured writing" or
>"writing
> >for single source", I also mentioned that I'm more interested in how best
>to
> >shift a docs team from writing chapters, to writing distinct chunks of
> >information. Hence why I titled my email "Writing structured content" not
> >"What is structured writing"... Too subtle, right?
> >
> >A. the rewriting of existing content
> >B. a distinct method of writing content in the future, which allows for
> >maximum re-use.
>
>Then I'm stumped, why ask if you know the answer?
>
>If you are doing the job correctly you are already writing structured
>content.
>
> >From Macro to micro. Your chunks are discrete portions of a procedure
>or whatever that can stand alone. Your write from that view to
>accomplish the objective of that topic. The more narrow the topic the
>more detailed and smaller is the chunk. Think tasks. Each task is
>separate.
>
>As for single source. Well, that doesn't work too good if your
>audience changes as well as presentation and what or why you are
>presenting that information. An experience programmer doesn't have
>the same needs as a newbie. Nor does an administrator need the same
>type of information as does a user.
>
>Single source is only allowed for the same audience. If you use
>structured writing, you might, and I emphasize might, be able to
>reuse portions in different documents. Though again, because of the
>needs of your audiences, you might not.
>
>And procedural won't work with informational information needs.
>
>So what do you really want to discuss?
>
>Scott
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