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RE: Single Sourcing: Word to Training PPT and Online Help
Subject:RE: Single Sourcing: Word to Training PPT and Online Help From:"Pinkham, Jim" <Jim -dot- Pinkham -at- voith -dot- com> To:"Suzette Leeming" <suzette -dot- leeming -at- gmail -dot- com>, "Pro TechWriter" <pro -dot- techwriter -at- gmail -dot- com> Date:Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:51:30 -0600
Well, let's start the ball rolling: )
Seems to me OP, with this subject line, begs the question that a
training presentation **should** be single-sourced from Word to
PowerPoint. Setting aside for the moment the thought that this may only
be feasible in a very loose sense, I suspect this could be the fast
track to "Death by PowerPoint."
A presentation and a manual, as we all know, are two very different
beasts, and each should be designed with that reality in mind. In the
best case, Michael's audience will NOT get the manual reproduced in a
truckload of slides that are interminable, hard to read, or both.
Rather, the trainer will extract several of the most salient points from
the manual for a few slides and develop those points in the course of
his or her presentation, with PowerPoint as a springboard -- not a
substitute -- for an effectively planned and delivered teaching
opportunity.
That said, if the Word document is well designed and formatted (yes, I
know, big IF) perhaps the major points are just waiting to be seen from
a click of the Document Map button. Next step, with or without that
running start, is to create a basic outline of the major points in Word,
going down no more than two or three levels. Then choose Word's Send to
PowerPoint option, apply a template, and just maybe you've got a
framework into which you can craft the meat of the presentation.
Sorry for the bit of soapbox there, but I suspect most of us have at
least one bored-to-oblivion experience from PowerPoint being misused.
Try googling for "Death by PowerPoint" and you'll soon be in the right
neighborhood for some curative resources. One good place to start, IMO,
is the white paper available here: http://www.tellnshow.com/.
Jim
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+jim -dot- pinkham=voith -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+jim -dot- pinkham=voith -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Suzette Leeming
Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 11:04 AM
To: Pro TechWriter
Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Re: Single Sourcing: Word to Training PPT and Online Help
I'll be watching this as well, to see if there's anything I can use.
I sure hope there are "experts" on the list (I'm confident there are),
and not just a bunch of people "watching".
Suzette Leeming
Stouffville, Ontario
On Thu, Feb 18, 2010 at 11:51 AM, Pro TechWriter
<pro -dot- techwriter -at- gmail -dot- com>wrote:
> Hey Whirlers:
>
> I am also looking at the same development path for training materials
> as well, so I am watching this conversation with interest!
>
> PT
>
> On Thu, Feb 18, 2010 at 10:29 AM, Michael Herman (Parallelspace) <
> mwherman -at- parallelspace -dot- net> wrote:
>
> > I've been given a reference manual for a software product authored
> > in
> Word
> > and now need to create a 2nd and 3rd output: a) training course
> > material (PPT + course notes) and b) Windows online help file.
> >
> >
> >
> > I don't want to go the generic HTML route. What products/add-ons
> > are
> there
> > that can help with this? I don't mind using more than one product
> > if that's what it takes.
> >
> >
> >
> > Thank you,
> >
> > Michael Herman
> >
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> >
> > Use Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word, or HTML and
> > produce desktop, Web, or print deliverables. Just write (or import)
> > and Doc-To-Help does the rest. Free trial: http://www.doctohelp.com
> >
> > Explore CAREER options and paths related to Technical Writing, learn
> > to create SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS documents, and get tips on
> > FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATION best practices. Free at:
> > http://www.ModernAnalyst.com
> >
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> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> Use Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word, or HTML and
> produce desktop, Web, or print deliverables. Just write (or import)
> and Doc-To-Help does the rest. Free trial: http://www.doctohelp.com
>
> Explore CAREER options and paths related to Technical Writing, learn
> to create SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS documents, and get tips on FUNCTIONAL
> SPECIFICATION best practices. Free at:
>http://www.ModernAnalyst.com
>
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as suzette -dot- leeming -at- gmail -dot- com -dot-
>
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> techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
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>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Use Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word, or HTML and produce
desktop, Web, or print deliverables. Just write (or import) and
Doc-To-Help does the rest. Free trial: http://www.doctohelp.com
Explore CAREER options and paths related to Technical Writing, learn to
create SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS documents, and get tips on FUNCTIONAL
SPECIFICATION best practices. Free at: http://www.ModernAnalyst.com
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as Jim -dot- Pinkham -at- voith -dot- com -dot-
Use Doc-To-Help's XML-based editor, Microsoft Word, or HTML and
produce desktop, Web, or print deliverables. Just write (or import)
and Doc-To-Help does the rest. Free trial: http://www.doctohelp.com
Explore CAREER options and paths related to Technical Writing,
learn to create SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS documents, and
get tips on FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATION best practices. Free at: http://www.ModernAnalyst.com
---
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