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Subject:RE: Using Word as an Authoring System From:Mike McCallister <mike -dot- mccallister -at- pkware -dot- com> To:"Cardimon, Craig" <ccardimon -at- M-S-G -dot- com>, "'TechWhirl (techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com)'" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Tue, 28 Nov 2017 22:30:37 +0000
Firmly agree with Gene here. Make a template full of the styles you intend to use, and replace normal.dotx with it.
I'll temper the "don't let your original Word doc out of your hands" advice (which is generally good) with the proviso that an exception can be made "if you are thoroughly convinced that the person you share the doc with won't murder it." I say this because in 8+ years of sharing docs with one mainframe developer, he's never screwed things up!
Lastly, do subscribe to the Word-PC mailing list. They know everything:
-- mailto:word-pc-subscribe-request -at- liverpool -dot- ac -dot- uk to join
Mike McCallister
Senior Document Architect
PKWARE, Inc.
201 E. Pittsburgh Ave.
Suite 400
Milwaukee, WI 53204
Direct: 414-289-9788 x1136
www.pkware.com
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+mike -dot- mccallister=pkware -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+mike -dot- mccallister=pkware -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Gene Kim-Eng
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 2:59 PM
To: Cardimon, Craig; 'TechWhirl (techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com)'
Subject: Re: Using Word as an Authoring System
Consistency is essential. The DTP tools that are the most popular with tech writers tend to impose consistency through their structure. Word doesn't do that, so you have to do it yourself. Not just yourself, but across your entire organization. And make sure that nobody outside the documentation group ever gets to edit or even open any of your Word files.
Gene Kim-Eng
On 11/28/2017 12:05 PM, Cardimon, Craig wrote:
> At my company, we are drifting away from our old authoring system and moving toward using Microsoft Word.
>
> Do you knowledgeable folks have any advice, suggestions, tips, or tricks for me about using Word for product documentation?
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