Re: TECHWR-L Digest - 24 Oct 1994 to 25 Oct 1994

[Joan Smith <jsmith -at- ENCORE -dot- COM>]

> There are 60 messages totalling 2177 lines in this issue.

> Topics of the day:

>   1. 3 ring binders or no? (6)
>   2. Re[2]: "Y'all" usage at MIT
>   3. Y'all listen up nau, yuh' hea'
>   4. Address or phone  for author Natalie Goldberg -Writing Down the Bones?
>   5. Missing Techwr-l Digests
>   6. Help Authoring Systems for Mac?
>   7. Advice on binding
>   8. binders and printing (2)
>   9. need advice on binding (6)
>  10. Anyone from NASA
>  11. dialect survey (3)
>  12. printing TeXinfo files
>  13. UK Employment
>  14. Low-run printing (2)
>  15. Rhetoric Positions at NIU
>  16. Framers list ?
>  17. Dialect survey
>  18. MIT courses
>  19. Cost Savings and Online Help (2)
>  20. Types of binding
>  21. 3-ring binders (6)
>  22. Web Site Up--Comments?
>  23. Velo Binding
>  24. Contract Writer needed - Dallas area
>  25. binders for the one-armed reader
>  26. Tech Writing as a career
>  27. ASCII resume research help
>  28. Re[2]: 3-ring binders
>  29. Commands Begining A Sentence (2)
>  30. Guidance
>  31. Converting FrameMaker and Interleaf Files into SGML
>  32. STC Austin Salary Survey Results are in.
>  33. STC Salary Survey
>  34. Northwest Tech writers
>  35. Job - El Paso, Texas
>  36. Interesting conference
>  37. Help with Digest
>  38. Bay Area tech writing classes?
>  39. course on building a document database with SGML

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 10:44:00 PDT
> From:    "Rollings, Gill" <WGILLR -at- WOK-MSMAIL-GW -dot- ISL -dot- COM>
> Subject: 3 ring binders or no?

> Kimberly Ferri asked whether supplying documentation in 3-ring binders is a
> good idea.  I would offer the following comments:

> * - My firm used to supply all our documentation in ring binders.  New or
> revised information was supplied in film-wrapped packs, with the volume &
> page numbers clearly marked so that the new pages could be slipped in to
> replace the old.  Both internal and external users failed to update their
> manuals most of the time.  Anecdotal evidence talks of consultants visiting
> customer sites finding piles of updates gathering dust.  Some people prefer
> to keep the page on which they scribbled in the margins rather than put in a
> new one.

> * - Yes, it's easy to mislay pages if they can be removed.  If someone takes
> a few pages out of a binder and doesn't replace them promptly (and in the
> right place...), it creates trouble for others who may want the same
> information.  Book(let)s might be a better bet - you either keep or lose the
> whole thing and can't muddle the order of the pages.

> * - Pages with holes where they fit in a binder tear more easily than pages
> bound in a book.  Binder pages can get awfully tatty, especially the ones
> that don't change and stay in there forever.

> * - What do we do now?  We ship all our documentation on CD, which means
> that (a) we don't have to keep stocks of manuals and (b) the customers can
> print off exactly how many copies of which books (or chapters or pages) they
> want.  In turn, we save lots of money on printing and shipping costs for
> sets of manuals, and customers can control their costs more precisely when
> they need extra copies of anything.  It's also a lot quicker to copy files
> with updates onto diskette to be mailed out than have someone standing by
> the printer getting new pages ready.

> Before anyone rushes to accuse us of dictating to our customers what WP
> package they must use, I should add that [someone] did some survey work and
> this was not an overnight diktat.  As our older product only ran on Tandem
> computers, the on-line help was in one format only and if you had the
> product, you had access to the tools to use the doc.  With the newer
> products, customers have a choice of hardware platforms and operating
> systems.  We supply olh in various formats, and comprehensive documentation
> in MS Viewer and Word for Windows.  Even if the customer has to buy one user
> licence so that someone in one department can print off copies of manuals,
> they don't necessarily have to kit out everyone in the office.  So far as I
> know, this is going down pretty well.  (Leaping to a defensive position
> before anyone attacks - you can see I've been reading this list for a while
> now...)

> I'm not necessarily advising Kimberly taking such a drastic step.  Depending
> on the time available and whether she can get help in assessing what her
> customers and colleagues really want, it may be out of the question.
>  However, sometimes it pays to make a "quantum leap" and change the whole
> approach to how you supply your documentation.  If you have more than one
> type of document to supply with a delivery (as you seem to indicate), maybe
> you need to look at a system which would allow you to concentrate more on
> content than presentation - in my personal view, the most important issue is
> to get the material right.

> Gill Rollings, Technical Writer, Internet Systems Ltd
> gill -dot- rollings -at- isl -dot- com

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 04:28:33 PDT
> From:    David Dubin <David_Dubin -at- NOTES -dot- PW -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re[2]: "Y'all" usage at MIT

> Isn't Honey Chiles the governor of Florida?

> david dubin

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 07:58:21 EDT
> From:    Richard Lippincott <rlippinc -at- BEV -dot- ETN -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: Y'all listen up nau, yuh' hea'

> Regarding Lavonna's "Sha-ee-it."

> Yep.  That was it.

> Rick Lippincott
> Eaton Semiconductor
> rlippinc -dot-  -at- bev -dot- etn -dot- com

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Mon, 24 Oct 1994 11:29:48 -0700
> From:    John Eldard <JOHN -at- CONNECT4 -dot- SLC -dot- UNISYSGSG -dot- COM>
> Subject: Address or phone  for author Natalie Goldberg -Writing Down the
 Bones?

> Do any of you know how I can contact Natalie Goldberg?  She is not a
> technical writer, but I am assuming that other writers on this list read as
> many writing books and authors as I do.

> Her writing books include:
> Writing Down the Bones
> Wild Mind
> Long Quiet Highway

> Thanks

> John -at- connect4 -dot- slc -dot- unisysgsg -dot- com

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Mon, 24 Oct 1994 14:00:36 GMT
> From:    Aahz <aahz -at- NETCOM -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: Missing Techwr-l Digests

> In article <01HILVUICIEI8Y7DKV -at- delphi -dot- com>,  <RJLIPPINCOTT -at- delphi -dot- com> wrote:
> >I don't get the digest, but my pattern of incoming mail has been up and down
> >the scale. Normally I get about 40-50 messages per day from TECHWR-L.
> > Monday I got about ten, Tuesday I got 85, Wednesday was normal, Thursday
> >was about eight, Friday I got 95.  I'm also noticing messages appear out of
> >order (i.e., I read responses to "Ph.D Programs" for about two days before
> >the original posting with the question showed up.)
> >
> >I have no idea why this happens.

> It's due to a number of factors, including the normal propagation issues
> over the Net.  More importantly, there are at least three different
> programs that process the list, and if any of them fail to work (or run
> slowly), weird output occurs.

> (The three programs that I can identify are: the list software itself,
> the mail/news gateway, and the digest program.)
> out
> --
>                       --- Aahz (@netcom.com)

> Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6
> Androgynous kinky vanilla queer het

> Usenet is not a democracy.  It is a weird cross between an anarchy
> and a dictatorship.

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Sun, 23 Oct 1994 08:20:00 EST
> From:    "Race, Paul" <pdr -at- CCSPO -dot- DAYTONOH -dot- NCR -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: 3 ring binders or no?

> One interesting side effect of the binder versus perfect-bound (paperback
> style) books is that after getting information from us in binders for years,
> many of our customers surveyed told us that they thought perfect-bound
> documentation "seemed" more professional.  The irony is that it is much
> cheaper - so much cheaper that for a document we used to completely update
> once a year and send change pages every qarter, we discovered that it was
> cheaper to send out four new perfect-bound editions  every year.  Of course
> we are looking at relatively small distribution, between 500 and 1500.  And
> a big cost of the 3-ring binders was the cost of getting the fancy tabs
> printed, which (like all other setup costs) goes down in proportion as you
> print more documents.   But we figured it out something like this:

> Printing 1000 binders with color inserts for the covers, and fancy tabs =
> $18,000.

> Printing 1000 collections of update pages = $2,000, three times a year,
> which = $6,000.
> So, our annual cost of the binder + update pages solution was in the $24,000
> a year range.

> In addition, we found that only a very small proportion of the change pages
> were ever put into the manuals, so most of our customers were using outdated
> documentation most of the year.

> Now we could print the entire manual, perfect-bound (using "bleeding" blocks
> at the edge of the page to make it easier to find the information, since we
> got rid of the tabs)
> for about $5,000 a print run.  We told the customers to pitch the old books
> when the new ones came, and printed the date clearly on the cover.

> Response from the customers was enthusiastic, and we stopped getting order
> forms, etc. that were 6 or 9 months out of date.

> At the same time, I put together a workbook with dozens of pages that needed
> to be filled out and sent in, and our account managers who were using the
> workbook insisted that it be punched for 3-ring binders, since they wanted
> to be able to get the pages out, photocopy them, and put them back in as
> many times as they wanted.  But with the exception of workbook pages, I
> don't think there is any good reason to follow the binder + update pages
> route.

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 07:44:54 -0600
> From:    Thomas Barker <DITTB -at- TTACS -dot- TTU -dot- EDU>
> Subject: Help Authoring Systems for Mac?

> This spring I'd like to introduce the use of help authoring
> systems (e. g. RoboHelp) in a course on writing for the computer
> industry.  I read a lot on this list and elsewhere about Windows
> help authoring systems, but have not, for some reason, seen much
> about help authoring systems for the Macintosh.

> Is there a Macintosh equivalent to RoboHelp or Doc-To-Help?

> Thomas T. Barker
> diTTB -at- ttacs -dot- ttu -dot- edu

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 08:55:00 PDT
> From:    Paul Gauthier <PGauthier -at- DELRINA -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: Advice on binding

> >Several of our customers have requested that we change our binding format.
>  We
> >are currently using wiro binding.  Customers and internal folks are
> requesting
> >3-ring binders for the following reasons:
> >
> >o Update information with change pages instead of just release notes.
> >o We expect to have many updates during the next 12-18 months.
> >
> >I'm aware of the following problems with 3-ring binder formats:
> >
> >o Binders are expensive.  That means initial cost will exceed my normal
> printing
> >costs.
> >o Binders are known to cause customers to lose pages.
> >o Change pages produce additional overhead, since we have to produce
> release
> > notes anyway.
> >
> >Because I am a department of one, resources are limited.  I'd appreciate
> your
> > sharing your experiences with 3-ring binder formats.

> Most of the manuals we send out are perfect-bound with an intended audience
> of end users of our products (people who design or fill in forms).

> Just now I am starting to document the programming interface for one of our
> products. The audience for this is programmers.

> Because of the change of audience, I did a quick survey of our development
> staff and found that most people preferred this kind of material in a
> binder.

> We hesitated because we wondered if people really do update their manuals
> when they receive update pages (we decided this was not our responsibility).
> Finally, we decided to go ahead and use binders.

> To reduce the cost, we are using plain-covered binders with clear plastic
> pockets on the front and on the spine in which we insert fancy covers
> depending on the product. That way the binders can be used for different
> products and we save because of buying in bulk.

> Hope this helps.
> Paul           8-)}
> (PGauthier -at- delrina -dot- com)

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 09:05:59 EDT
> From:    John Russell <johnr -at- BRS -dot- COM>
> Subject: binders and printing

> My company currently uses the three ring binder format. We are moving
> away from it for a number of reasons. Expensive, yes, to buy *and* to
> ship. But we've also had them break on us during shipping. If it's cold
> outside, say around 0, and they aren't handled nicely when they've been
> outside for awhile, they break. This has happened on a number of occasions.
> There is also the storage issue. They're big, they take up a lot of room
> in our storage room. (We're working around this in other ways, too, but...)

> That reminds me. You-all might find this interesting and worthwhile. We
> were in the process of moving to 7x9" format with on-demand printing with
> a company in NC. The rep at this company--knows what he's doing--mentioned
> that if we wanted to cut our printing cost in half and could afford 1/2 an
> inch vertically, recommended going with 7x8.5" page format. This way he
> could print two copies per 8.5x14" sheet of paper, cut it once and wala.
> This cuts our printing costs in half because you pay by the sheet, not
> what goes on the sheet. Pretty clever, we thought. Ever hear of this before?
> What do you think?

> My 2c worth.

> --

> kjr
> johnr -at- lurch -dot- brs -dot- com

>   ------------------------------------
>  |/   K. John Russell                \|
>  |    Dataware Technologies, Inc.     |
>  |    5 Computer Drive South          |
>  |    Albany, New York  12205         |
>  |\   (518) 437-4025                 /|
>   ------------------------------------

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 09:40:00 PDT
> From:    Jane S Torpie <handson!boston -dot- handson -dot- com!janet -at- UUNET -dot- UU -dot- NET>
> Subject: Re: need advice on binding

> Kim Ferri asked about the pros & cons of binding using 3-ring binders ...

> Kim,
> In almost 10 years of writing for various companies, I've found that 3-ring
> binders
> a pain and often an added expense.  I'd avoid it for the following reasons:

> The production phase gets more complicated & expensive.  You have to
> design binders, solicit bids, place orders, & track inventory.  Much easier
> to
> put paper covers on books & have your printer deal with it, all rolled into
> the
> printing project you have to manage anyway.  (Much easier if you're the only
> writer, too!)

> Unfortunately, if you write change pages, the burden is on the customer to
> update their books and they often don't do it, either b/c they're too
> lazy/busy,
> or the original books and the change pages don't make it to the same desk
> (original user changed companies or projects, etc.)  Customers get peeved,
> sometimes additional copies must be shipped, inventory tracking can be an
> order of magnitude more complicated, the doc. sometimes looks incomplete
> for reasons you can't possibly control, etc.

> When the customer calls Hotline Support with a question, the support person
> has to determine which version of the doc. the customer has.  This means you
> have to put a footer or some other code on each page ...

> At first look, I also thought it was easier & more economical to use 3-ring.
>  But
> having done it, I'd advise against that ...

> Jane S. Torpie
> Course Development Consultant
> Hands On Learning / Learn PC
> Burlington, Massachusetts, USA
> 617-272-0888
> janet -at- handson -dot- com

>  ----------
> From: TECHWR-L
> To: Multiple recipients of list TECHWR-L
> Subject: need advice on binding
> Date: Monday, October 24, 1994 4:13PM

> Several of our customers have requested that we change our binding format.
>  We
>  are currently using wiro binding.  Customers and internal folks are
> requesting
>  3-ring binders for the following reasons:

> o Update information with change pages instead of just release notes.

> o We expect to have many updates during the next 12-18 months.


> I'm aware of the following problems with 3-ring binder formats:

> o Binders are expensive.  That means initial cost will exceed my normal
> printing
>  costs.

> o Binders are known to cause customers to lose pages.

> o Change pages produce additional overhead, since we have to produce release
>  notes anyway.


> Because I am a department of one, resources are limited.  I'd appreciate
> your
>  sharing your experiences with 3-ring binder formats.


> Kimberly Ferri

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 10:15:39 EDT
> From:    Terance McNinch <tlmcninc -at- MTU -dot- EDU>
> Subject: Anyone from NASA

> Is there anyone from NASA on the list?

> I am doing research on the communication procedures that
> have been developed since the Challenger disaster.

> Any help from anyone?

> Terry McNinch
> Civil Engineering Dept.
> Mich. Tech. Univ.

> tlmcninc -at- mtu -dot- edu

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 09:48:53 CDT
> From:    Nora Merhar <merhar -at- ALENA -dot- SWITCH -dot- ROCKWELL -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: dialect survey

> I know this is only peripherally related to tech. writing, but I had to offer
> my 2 cents about dialects.

> I'm from a suburb of Columbus, OH, which is below what someone (sorry I can't
> remember who) said was the demarcation line in Ohio and Indiana (US 30).
> Growing up, I remember noticing the "southern" accents of many of the people
> who lived in Central Ohio (they tended to sound like Kentuckians). Since then,
> I've lived in Northwest and Northeast Ohio without anyone commenting on the
 way
> I speak (although I've noticed that Clevelanders tend to talk like New
 Yorkers,
> and Cincinnatians speak more slowly and are very polite--instead of saying
> "huh?" or "what?" when they mis-hear you, they say "excuse me?"--I could
 always
> peg someone from Cincinnati this way, and they were very impressed).

> Since I've moved to Illinois (I live in one of the southwest suburbs of
> Chicago), a number of people have commented on my "accent" and asked where I'm
> from. When I say "Columbus, Ohio", they express disbelief. When I ask where
> they thought I was from, they sometimes say "New York", but mostly I hear
> "Pennsylvania"!! I hear no difference between the way I speak and the way most
> of the people around me speak, and I had NO idea that there was a Pennsylvania
> accent, but apparently I have one (my parents grew up in PA). Can anybody tell
> me what a PA accent is?

> Nora
> merhar -at- alena -dot- switch -dot- rockwell -dot- com

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 11:16:46 EDT
> From:    Gayle Gustafson Ferreira <ggusta -at- MDEV -dot- MICROGNOSIS -dot- COM>
> Subject: printing TeXinfo files

> To All,

> We just downloaded GNU make documentation off the net. These
> are TeXinfo files--does anyone know how to format and print
> these blasted files? Also, dvi is mentioned--is this the
> generated output files from the TeXinfo source?

> Thanks.
>    ggggg   ggggg
>   g    g  g    g
>  g       g
>  g   ggg g   ggg
>   g    g  g    g
>    gggg    gggg
> -----------------
> Gayle L. Gustafson-Ferreira
> ggusta -at- mdev -dot- micrognosis -dot- com

> Micrognosis
> 517 Route One South
> 5th Floor
> Iselin, New Jersey 08830
> (908) 855-1221 x530
> -----------------

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 09:39:05 -0600
> From:    Kent Scadlock <KENTSC -at- WORDPERFECT -dot- COM>
> Subject: UK Employment

> Hello Everyone,

> I recently returned from my first trip to the UK, and fell in love
> with the place.  So, my questions for all of you is: does anybody out
> there know what the employment situation is for Tech. Writers in the
> UK?  I'm a Tech/Promotional Writer for a large software company and
> I'd love to work in England.  Any advice or ideas as to where I might
> look would be appreciated.

> Regards,

> kentsc -at- wordperfect -dot- com

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 09:05:16 PDT
> From:    Caryn Rizell <caryn -at- HPPTC95 -dot- ROSE -dot- HP -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: need advice on binding

> Kimberly:

> A while back someone had this same dilemma.  I had it once at
> a company I worked for.

> I will tell you my experience.  We also had the same request to
> use change pages.  We already used 3 ring binders, but we would just
> issue the entire volume at each release, rather than change pages.

> Since the request was mostly internal (management), we kind of
> had to go with change pages.  To say the least, it was a disaster.
> The release we did them for was a major one, with lots of small
> and large changes to the manual (changes to an existing program,
> new programs, etc.)

> It turns out that we had several hundred change pages (our documentation
> set was 4 volumes, around 2000 pages).

> The overhead was incredible.  There were 2 of us at the time and
> we had to keep contstant tabs on what the other was doing to make
> sure our change pages were in sync.

> Of course, most of the customers wanting nothing to do with the
> change pages.  The sales reps would end up having to do the insertions
> for the customers.  And in some cases, we (docs) were ordered to
> do the insertions for the sales reps so they wouldnt't have to do
> them for the customers!  For the next few months, we spent a lot
> of time just inserting the change pages for our customers.

> Needless to say, that idea died right there.

> Now, that doesn't mean that change pages are always bad.  I would
> determine whether to use them based on the number of changes
> you are going to have.

> If it is just a few pages (<5%) you might be able to get away with
> it.  But in general, most customers just don't want to do the work.

> If you are going to have lots of updates over the next 12-18 months,
> see what you can do to concentrate them in one release or two.  That
> way you can justify reprinting your manuals all at once.

> Anyway, that is my 2 cents.

> Caryn Rizell
> caryn -at- hpptc95 -dot- rose -dot- hp -dot- com

> >
> > Several of our customers have requested that we change our binding format.
 We
> >  are currently using wiro binding.  Customers and internal folks are
>  requesting
> >  3-ring binders for the following reasons:
> >
> > o Update information with change pages instead of just release notes.
> >
> > o We expect to have many updates during the next 12-18 months.
> >
> >
> > I'm aware of the following problems with 3-ring binder formats:
> >
> > o Binders are expensive.  That means initial cost will exceed my normal
>  printing
> >  costs.
> >
> > o Binders are known to cause customers to lose pages.
> >
> > o Change pages produce additional overhead, since we have to produce release
> >  notes anyway.
> >
> >
> > Because I am a department of one, resources are limited.  I'd appreciate
 your
> >  sharing your experiences with 3-ring binder formats.
> >
> >
> > Kimberly Ferri
> >

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 10:01:52 PDT
> From:    Faith Weber <weber -at- EASI -dot- ENET -dot- DEC -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: 3 ring binders or no?

> Paul Race wrote:

> >One interesting side effect of the binder versus perfect-bound (paperback
> >style) books is that after getting information from us in binders for years,
> >many of our customers surveyed told us that they thought perfect-bound
> >documentation "seemed" more professional.  The irony is that it is much
> >cheaper - so much cheaper that for a document we used to completely update
> >once a year and send change pages every qarter, we discovered that it was
> >cheaper to send out four new perfect-bound editions  every year.  Of course

> Beware -- it's not true that perfect binding would be cheaper for
> *everybody*. It depends on the size of the print run, and whether the
> printer you work with has their equipment set up for the size run
> you want to do.

> Also, Paul said that a large part of the cost of the 3-ring printing
> was the tabs. Using standardized tabs (e.g. numbered or lettered) or
> printing tabs separately in larger runs can reduce the cost. Or you
> can use bleeds in the 3-ring document (though I'm sure they're not
> as effective in a binder as in a perfect-bound document).

> I think the best argument for avoiding 3-ring binding is the fact that
> people almost never put in the update pages, even if they say they
> want them. (I also question whether they'll look at the updates
> immediately, in whatever format. Can you send groups of updates
> at once rather than lots of individual updates?)

> Here's another one: have you ever dropped a 3-ring binder? If you
> drop it just right, so it hits on one corner, the rings open. When
> those suckers let go, it's like an explosion -- paper everywhere!
> Heaven help the person who has to put it back together.

> Maybe distributing information electronically would work well for
> this situation. Then users could print just the updated pages (if
> they were identified as such) or the whole updated manual, and bind
> it any way they want. It sounds like the users really just want to
> have the most current information, and from their limited knowledge
> about document distribution, 3-ring binders and update pages seem
> like the only alternative. You may be able to come off as a hero
> by looking at the *underlying* message and offering alternatives.

> Faith Weber
> EA Systems Inc.
> weber -at- easi -dot- enet -dot- dec -dot- com

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 10:19:56 PDT
> From:    Faith Weber <weber -at- EASI -dot- ENET -dot- DEC -dot- COM>
> Subject: Low-run printing

> Well, since Kim successfully started a thread on binding, here's
> another question for you folks.

> Do any of you do *really* short print runs, e.g. of 100 or fewer copies?
> If so, I'm curious to know:

>  - What kind of binding you use

>  - Whether you ship individual documents or sets, and if you ship
>    sets, how you kit them (slipcase, just a shipping box, etc.)

>  - Whether you do your own shipping and inventory control, or another
>    department in your company does it, or your printer does it

>  - What, if any, other binding/shipment/inventory options you've
>    looked into

> We do short runs like the above, and use wire-o binding with a
> die-cut cover (the title of the manual shows through the window, so
> we can use the same covers for all titles). We want to start using
> concealed wire-o, so we'd have spines for title labels, and
> ideally we'd also like to use a standard slipcase for each product's
> manuals. I'm expecting the slipcase idea to be too expensive, but the
> spines are mandatory. I'd *love* to have the printer deal with
> shipping, as well, so we don't have to, but I haven't gotten any clear
> cost estimates yet.

> As far as we know, our quantities would have to go up a bit to
> justify perfect binding.

> Thanks,

> Faith Weber
> EA Systems Inc.
> weber -at- easi -dot- enet -dot- dec -dot- com

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 12:46:28 EDT
> From:    Richard Lippincott <rlippinc -at- BEV -dot- ETN -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: 3 ring binders or no?

> Paul commented that it's cheaper to revise an entire manual than it is to
> supply update pages.  He supplied some good numbers to support his case.

> Although you can't cover -every- combination of pages/update schedules, I
> think his observation will generally hold true.

> At my last military manual related job, I was revising very similar versions
> of a jet engine maintenance manual.  One version went to the U.S. Air Force,
> the other to a foreign customer.  Although most of the content was the same,
> they were separate manuals.

> The USAF manual was updated via change pages, we'd ship a 750-page change to
> them (2,000 page manual) every six months.  Due to MILSPECS, the USAF
> -required- the "change page" method.  The logic was that "750 pages is cheaper
> than 2,000 pages, right?"

> Of course, this didn't take into account that the printing process is not the
> most expensive part of the job.

> The foreign customer said "Update the manual in a way that is most cost
> effective."  We quickly switched to 100% revisions for them.  They'd get a
> brand-new 2,000 page manual twice a year.  They'd chuck the old one, and
> work from the new one.

> No dusty piles of change packages.  No mis-filed pages.  No hand-written
> notes in the margins.

> And it was easier for me to update the book by revising than to have to bother
> with insert pages, A-pages, and so forth.

> Although it would -appear- at a glance that the change-page method is cheaper,
> you can, if you dig up the numbers, prove that 100% revision is the way to
> go.  DTP methods are what has made this possible, IMOH.

> Rick Lippincott
> Eaton Semiconductor
> rlippinc -at- bev -dot- etn -dot- com

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 09:41:00 -0700
> From:    Richard Sobocinski <"Richard_G_Sobocinski%~WHC207"@CCMAIL.PNL.GOV>
> Subject: need advice on binding

>          Kimberly,

>          Consider including a "List of Effective Pages" if you go with
>          3-ring binders and page changes.  The LOEF includes a line
>          for each page and indicates the current revision no. (or
>          date) for the page.  For longer documents you might have a
>          LOEF that says, "All pages Revision X, with the following
>          exceptions:,"  and list each change page that belongs in the
>          authorized copy.  Of course, you'll have to issue a new LOEF
>          each time you issue a page change.

>          It also might help to number your pages as "1 of X" where X
>          is the last page in the document.

>          Hope this helps,

>          Rich

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 12:57:08 -0500
> From:    sullivan dale l <tb0dxs1 -at- CORN -dot- CSO -dot- NIU -dot- EDU>
> Subject: Rhetoric Positions at NIU

> The English department at Northern Illinois University
> announces that it is searching to fill the following
> positions in rhetoric.

> Assistant Professor with primary research interest in the
> teaching of English at the secondary level and with a strong support
> ing emphasis on rhetoric and composition.  Ph.D. in English
> required; research program essential.

> Assistant Professor or Advanced Assistant Professor with
> primary interest in technical writing, a grounding in
> rhetoric and tecnology, and an interest in assisting in the
> development of a program in technical and professional
> communication.  Ph.D. in English required; research program
> essential.

> Full-time, tenure-track, beginning 16 August 1995.  Salary
> competitive.  Send letters of application, vita, and
> complete credentials including at least three reference
> letters to J. I. Miller, Chair, Department of English,
> Northern Illinois University, DeKalb IL 60115-2863.
> Deadline:  15 November 1994.  AA/EO Employer.  The
> department seeks to diversify its faculty.

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 11:03:22 -0700
> From:    Marc Santacroce <santa -at- MAILHUB -dot- TFS -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: Framers list ?

> send TO: MAJORDOMO -at- DRD>COM
> message: SUBSCRIBE FRAMERS your email alias

> Be prepared for lots of mail.

> Regards,  ;-{)

> Marc

> M_a_r_c_ A. _S_a_n_t_a_c_r_o_c_e_________________________
> Technical Writer/Trainer
> TRW Financial Systems, Inc.
> 300 Lakeside Dr.
> Oakland, CA 94612-3540
> santa -at- tfs -dot- com     santacroce -at- aol -dot- com

> "Better to be judged by twelve, than carried by six"

> On Fri, 21 Oct 1994, usrhr.US wrote:

> > In-Reply-To: UNIX1:TECHWR-L -at- VM1 -dot- ucc -dot- okstate -dot- edu's message of 07-25-94 21:03
> >
> > Can anyone tell me how to join the framers-l list?
> >
> > Dick Harris
> > usrhr -at- chroma -dot- millipore -dot- com
> >

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 11:07:00 PDT
> From:    Rose Wilcox <RWILC -at- FAST -dot- DOT -dot- STATE -dot- AZ -dot- US>
> Subject: Re: need advice on binding

> The only advice I have on 3-ring binders is to supply your documentation
> in a 3-ring binder format, but do not supply, or limit the supply of, the
> binders to cut costs.

> Can you go back to your customers and suggest that they provide their
> own binders?  Can you go back to your customers and say I have
> a budget of such-and-such and I can provide you with x amount of
> binders after that you're on your own?

> Rose A. Wilcox
> Roving Tech. Writer

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 13:42:00 EDT
> From:    Watson Laughton <LAUGHTON%ALLOY -dot- BITNET -at- PUCC -dot- PRINCETON -dot- EDU>
> Subject: Re: Dialect survey

> Nora writes:
> >>Can anybody tell me what a PA accent is?<<

> I don't know how folks talk in Western PA, but out thisaway (Philadelphia
 northe
> ast to New Jersey) the PA accent is so
> thick you could cut it with a knife.  I couldn't _believe_
> it when I first got into a room with a bunch of locals... I
> thought I was in a foreign country!

> It's kind of hard to describe exactly what it sounds like..
> when I first heard it, I thought it was some kind of mutated
> British accent..."Toym tew phewwn hewwm" is the way they would
> say "time to phone home"..

> laughton%alloy -dot- bitnet -at- pucc -dot- princeton -dot- edu

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 14:01:23 EST
> From:    "Lindamood, Brad" <blindamood -at- SMTPGWY -dot- DCA -dot- COM>
> Subject: MIT courses

>      Hello-

>      I remember seeing a reference on this list to technical
>      writing-related courses (or seminars) offered by MIT, and would like
>      to get more information about them.

>      If anyone has taken any of these courses, or knows where I can find
>      information, I would greatly appreciate it.

>      *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
>      | Brad Lindamood             E-mail: blindamood -at- dca -dot- com |
>      | Information Specialist                                |
>      | D C A                      Phone:  513.745.0500       |
>      | 8230 Montgomery Road                                  |
>      | Cincinnati, OH 45236       Fax:    513.745.0327       |
>      |                                                       |
>      | "Objects in your monitor are closer than they appear" |
>      *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 11:24:36 -0700
> From:    Elaine Winters <ewinters -at- NETCOM -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: dialect survey

>         Clearly, a question for the Athnropology list:

>  Automatic digest processor <LISTSERV -at- UBVM -dot- cc -dot- buffalo -dot- edu>
>  General Anthropology Bulletin Board <ANTHRO-L -at- UBVM -dot- cc -dot- buffalo -dot- edu>

>  _________________________________________________________________________
>  E. Winters: Principal                 Program Facilitating and Consulting
>  Berkeley, CA, USA                     510-843-0909    ewinters -at- netcom -dot- com
>  Instructional_Design__________________Writing_________and_____Editing____
>  ______________________Interactivity__________Cross_Cultural_Communication


> On Tue, 25 Oct 1994, Nora Merhar wrote:

> > I know this is only peripherally related to tech. writing, but I had to
 offer
> > my 2 cents about dialects.
> >
> > I'm from a suburb of Columbus, OH, which is below what someone (sorry I
 can't
> > remember who) said was the demarcation line in Ohio and Indiana (US 30).
> > Growing up, I remember noticing the "southern" accents of many of the people
> > who lived in Central Ohio (they tended to sound like Kentuckians). Since
 then,
> > I've lived in Northwest and Northeast Ohio without anyone commenting on the
 wa
> y
> > I speak (although I've noticed that Clevelanders tend to talk like New
 Yorkers
> ,
> > and Cincinnatians speak more slowly and are very polite--instead of saying
> > "huh?" or "what?" when they mis-hear you, they say "excuse me?"--I could
 alway
> s
> > peg someone from Cincinnati this way, and they were very impressed).
> >
> > Since I've moved to Illinois (I live in one of the southwest suburbs of
> > Chicago), a number of people have commented on my "accent" and asked where
 I'm
> > from. When I say "Columbus, Ohio", they express disbelief. When I ask where
> > they thought I was from, they sometimes say "New York", but mostly I hear
> > "Pennsylvania"!! I hear no difference between the way I speak and the way
 most
> > of the people around me speak, and I had NO idea that there was a
 Pennsylvania
> > accent, but apparently I have one (my parents grew up in PA). Can anybody
 tell
> > me what a PA accent is?
> >
> > Nora
> > merhar -at- alena -dot- switch -dot- rockwell -dot- com
> >

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 12:28:40 -0600
> From:    Romay Jean Sitze <rositze -at- NMSU -dot- EDU>
> Subject: Re: Cost Savings and Online Help

> I'm also interested in this.

> > Connie Winch said:
> >
> > >> <snip>
> > >>
> > >> Documentation that is tailored well to its audience and
> > >> generally written well can be a value-adding entity.
> > >> (For support for that last statement, you can e-mail me, and I'd
> > >> be happy to share with you research sponsored by STC on that very
> > >> subject.)
> >
> > Connie, can you post this information instead? I am *very* interested
> > in ways to measure the value of good documentation, online or otherwise.
> > I'm currently working for a firm that's questioning the value of our
> > documentation efforts. How much information is really needed for the
> > users to get by? Can't we skip the screen captures and fancy illustrations?
> >
> > Management is concerned we tech writers are spending too much time
> > (and money) trying to produce quality doc. I've thought of surveying
> > the users for their opinions, but might not get approval for that.
> > So if there are other ways to prove--qualitatively or quantitatively--
> > the value-added aspect of documentation, I'd sure like to know!
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > KC Warren
> > warrenk -at- csos -dot- orst -dot- edu



>         ****************************************
>         *   RoMay Sitze     rositze -at- nmsu -dot- edu   *
>         ****************************************
>         *   Results! Why, man, I have gotten   *
>         *   a lot of results.  I know several  *
>         *   thousand things that won't work.   *
>         *            Thomas A. Edison          *
>         ***************************************
> *

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 12:48:22 -0600
> From:    Romay Jean Sitze <rositze -at- NMSU -dot- EDU>
> Subject: Re: Low-run printing

> On Tue, 25 Oct 1994, Faith Weber wrote:

> >
> > Do any of you do *really* short print runs, e.g. of 100 or fewer copies?
> > If so, I'm curious to know:
> >
> >  - What kind of binding you use

> We use 3-ring binders or spriral bound booklets, depending on the size or
> the document and/or the nature of the customer

> >
> >  - Whether you ship individual documents or sets, and if you ship
> >    sets, how you kit them (slipcase, just a shipping box, etc.)

> We send individual documents most of the time.  Occasionally we send a
> set--two volumes.

>  >
> >  - Whether you do your own shipping and inventory control, or another
> >    department in your company does it, or your printer does it

> We do have a shipping department, but we assist in getting things ready in
> a pinch  (we are small, less than 50 people)  Documentation keeps our own
> records for inventory.

>  >  >  - What, if any, other binding/shipment/inventory
> options you've looked into>

> We either run our own copies on the office copier or send to a local print
> shop.  The latter usually when the document is over 50 pages (I said we
> were small!) and would tie up the copier too long.  Also for multiple
> copies.  We use a view-binder and insert appropriate covers and spines in
> the office.  (As a part-time employeed, this is often my task to create)


> >


>         ****************************************
>         *   RoMay Sitze     rositze -at- nmsu -dot- edu   *
>         ****************************************
>         *   Results! Why, man, I have gotten   *
>         *   a lot of results.  I know several  *
>         *   thousand things that won't work.   *
>         *            Thomas A. Edison          *
>         ****************************************

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 11:32:00 -0700
> From:    Richard Sobocinski <"Richard_G_Sobocinski%~WHC207"@CCMAIL.PNL.GOV>
> Subject: Re: dialect survey

> --==Snip==--
> I'm
> from. When I say "Columbus, Ohio", they express disbelief. When I ask where
> they thought I was from, they sometimes say "New York", but mostly I hear
> "Pennsylvania"!! I hear no difference between the way I speak and the way
> most
> of the people around me speak, and I had NO idea that there was a
> Pennsylvania
> accent, but apparently I have one (my parents grew up in PA). Can anybody
> tell
> me what a PA accent is?

> Nora
> merhar -at- alena -dot- switch -dot- rockwell -dot- com
> ======================================
>          People around Pittsburgh have a very definite accent, which I
>          didn't realize until I moved away and everybody commented on
>          mine.  Certain consonant sounds get slurred together.  East
>          Liberty (a section of the city) is pronounced "Eesliberty".
>          The "ow" sound in _downtown_ is pronounced something like
>          "duhntuhn".  Same with the "ou" in _house_ -- more like
>          "hahss".  Try to say those words without your lips forming a
>          circle (like "ooo") and that's it.

>          Then there are words that peg you as a Pittsburgher right
>          away:
>          Gumband = rubber band
>          Jumbo = bologna
>          You'ns = Y'all
>          Ahrn = Iron City beer (as in, "Gimme an Ahrn and a jumbo
>                                 sammich.")
>          Mupear = I'm up here (when you're in Erie, you tell the
>                   locals, "Mupear from Pittsburgh, how you'ns dune?")

>          I don't think the accent is quite the same in Philadelphia or
>          other parts of the state.

>          Rich
>          (temporarily displaced Pittsburgher)

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 12:18:05 PDT
> From:    Kimberley Lackey <97372509 -at- WSUVM1 -dot- CSC -dot- WSU -dot- EDU>
> Subject: Types of binding

> Hello all,

> I have not entered the profession yet, but from working in a library for many
> years I thought I would mention that velo-binding is a common way of doing it.
> That provides a professional look and is capable of having pages added to it
> at any time.  I am not sure, but I would think it is fairly low cost as well.

> Hope this helps.

> Kimberley Lackey
> 97372509 -at- wsuvm1

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 12:26:23 PDT
> From:    Kim Ferri 415-428-2710 <kim -at- ASPECTDV -dot- COM>
> Subject: 3-ring binders

> Thanks to everyone who responded to my request for input on using 3-ring
>  binders.  I'm going to use the input to write up a proposal.  I don't think
>  it's a good idea to switch to 3-ring binders, but I may need to do a trial
>  switch to prove it.  Might be good experience ;->

> Thanks again,


> Kimberly

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 14:25:12 -0500
> From:    "Eric J. Ray" <ejray -at- OKWAY -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU>
> Subject: Web Site Up--Comments?

>      Hi gang,
>      A couple of weeks ago, at the STC Region 5 Conference
>      in Houston, I gave a presentation about how we as
>      technical communicators can use the Internet
>      professionally. I prepared several pages of resources
>      as handouts, and then announced at the conference that
>      I would be putting the information on a Web server.
>      Well, it is finally up and running.

>      Point your Web browser at:
>      http://www.okstate.edu/cis_home/ejray/index.html

>      Please send pointers to information to me at the
>      address below. If you have appropriate resources but no
>      server to place them on, we might be able to load them
>      here. I'm thinking particularly of some TECHWR-L
>      postings which might be appropriate, given permission
>      of the posters.

>      This list of resources is very much a rough and
>      evolving thing, so if you have comments or suggestions
>      or additions, I would really appreciate them. Right now
>      we have just the bare-bones, but I'll be adding bells
>      and whistles shortly, I hope.

>      Looking forward to your comments,
>      Eric
>      ejray -at- okway -dot- okstate -dot- edu
>      TECHWR-L Listowner and occasional Web builder.

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 13:02:15 PDT
> From:    Kimberley Lackey <97372509 -at- WSUVM1 -dot- CSC -dot- WSU -dot- EDU>
> Subject: Velo Binding

> To Virginia and all others who don't know what velo-binding is:

> Velo-binding is done with a clear plastic cover, so that the cover page can be
> seen without opening the manual.  The ones we use in the library have black
> plastic backs to them.  They can be taken apart at any time so that extra
> pages can be added or outdated material can be removed.  Our library gets them
> in all different paper sizes, not just 8 1/2 by 11.

> Hope this describes them well enough.  Feel free to contact me for more info.

> Kimberley Lackey
> 97372509 -at- wsuvm1

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 15:56:58 -0400
> From:    "mrw.EMAIL" <manu!mrw -dot- EMAIL -dot- oramail -at- UUNET -dot- UU -dot- NET>
> Subject: Re: 3 ring binders or no?

> In-Reply-To: UUNET:uunet!VM1.ucc.okstate.edu!TECHWR-L's message of 10-23-94
>  08:20

> Another point to make about 3-ring binders is that it *is* so easy to remove
> and photocopy pages.  If you are concerned about people violating copyright or
> photocopying manuals rather than buying them, don't use three-ring binders.

> Regards,
> Mary Wise

> mrw -at- manu -dot- com

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 15:14:33 -0500
> From:    "Virginia L. Krenn" <asdxvlk -at- OKWAY -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU>
> Subject: Re: 3-ring binders

>      Kim,

>      Don't give up on the idea of using three-ring binders.

>      If you feel that the binders themselves are too expensive, just do
>      what IBM has been doing for many years and send out the manuals in
>      shrink wrap for users to insert into their own binders. (Don't we have
>      a tech writer from IBM on this list? Comments?)

>      For the past three years, I have been receiving documentation from
>      NOTIS that is in ring binder format. As a user, I really appreciate
>      this format for several reasons, some of which are:

>          I don't have to dispose of an entire manual full of my notes or
>          recopy them into a new manual when update pages are sent instead
>          of completely new manuals.

>          The pages lie flat on the desk and don't turn by themselves if I
>          don't hold them open or put a heavy object on them. It's really
>          annoying to have to hunt for information again after the book has
>          shut itself.

>          A page can be removed and copied if I want to do some writing on
>          the page without altering the original text.

>          A page can be removed and placed in the holder next to my terminal
>          screen for easy reference.

>      As for the comments about some users not inserting the update pages,
>      perhaps they're the kind of users who don't use hard copy docs anyway.
>      I can say that I always kept my manuals completely up-to-date.

>      Virginia




> ______________________________ Reply Separator
 _________________________________
> Author:  Kim Ferri 415-428-2710 <kim -at- ASPECTDV -dot- COM> at SMTP

> Thanks to everyone who responded to my request for input on using 3-ring
>  binders.  I'm going to use the input to write up a proposal.  I don't think
>  it's a good idea to switch to 3-ring binders, but I may need to do a trial
>  switch to prove it.  Might be good experience ;->

> Thanks again,


> Kimberly

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 15:58:37 -0500
> From:    "Doug, Data Librarian at Ext 4225" <engstromdd -at- PHIBRED -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: 3-ring binders

> This is in response to Virginia's comment:

> *************************
>      As for the comments about some users not inserting the update pages,
>      perhaps they're the kind of users who don't use hard copy docs anyway.
>      I can say that I always kept my manuals completely up-to-date.
> *************************

> At the 1989 STC convention, I heard a presenter (the name escapes me) who
> said the breakdown on inserting manual updates is (approximately) as
> follows:

> 1)  If you have an authority who regularly inspects manuals and has the
> power to impose sanctions for failure to update, (such as military IG's)
> compliance above 95 percent can be achieved.

> 2)  If there is a technical librarian whose number-two priority is
> handling updates, compliance of 50 to 60 percent can be expected.

> 3)  If inserting changes is left entirely to individual users, compliance
> percentage plummets to the low single digits.

> The figures where based on the consultant's research and experience.

> Doug                            "There are no small projects,
> ENGSTROMDD -at- phibred -dot- com           just incredibly bad initial
>                                  estimates."

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 14:14:31 -0700
> From:    "You can't get there from here; you have to go somewhere else first."
>          <angela -at- VENUS -dot- SMARTSTAR -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: need advice on binding

> We've used 3-ring binders for years, because we usually do not have the
> volume to make perfect binding cost-effective, and because our manuals are
> too large for wire-o binding.  The initial cost for the binders is expensive,
> but next time you have a release, you can just send existing customers new
> manuals (shrink-wrapped) to put in their old binders.

> Some disadvantages we've found to using 3-ring binders:

> 1.  It will make your documentation appear larger, because it will take up
> more shelf space and more room on the desk when open for use. Our customers
> have complained about this. They (at least the ones we've heard from) prefer
> perfect binding, because it takes up less room and looks more like a "real
> product".

> 2.  IMHO, it makes the documentation look less professional.  We use plain
> white binders with clear pockets and slip in our own cover stock with
> pre-printed artwork, logo, title, etc., into the front and spine.  Even though
> the cover sheets we slip in look pretty good, the overall effect is that the
> manual looks "home-made" in a binder.

> 3.  About replacement pages:  In theory, we thought this would be one of the
> few advantages of a 3-ring binder.  In practice, however, it didn't work out.
> Unless your documentation is constructed so that every new topic starts on a
> new page, it could be very difficult to make replacement pages that will
> actually fit in to the right place in the previous manual without breaking up
> topics or messing up the page numbering.  I once created a packet of
> replacement pages for an update release, but not many people actually took the
> trouble to put the replacement pages in their manuals.  I guess it was too
> much work to open and close the binder 50 times in different places to put the
> new pages in the right places.

> Angela Howard
> angela -at- smartstar -dot- com

> ------------------------
> MHOs, not my employer's.
> ------------------------

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 16:36:29 -0500
> From:    Joe Fockler <jfockler -at- IPHASE -dot- COM>
> Subject: Contract Writer needed - Dallas area

> A friend of mine contacted me and asked if I would be interested or knew
> someone who might be interested in a contract technical writing position
> in the North Dallas area.

> The position requires 3-5 years of technical writing experience, solid
> knowledge of FrameMaker 4.0 for Windows, knowledge of/experience with
> OS/2 operating system, and IPF tag language.

> The contract is through April of 1995 and could lead to a permanent position.

> If you are interested please reply to me at jfockler -at- iphase -dot- com --
> From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=====
> *                             |                                              *
> *   Joe Fockler               | "The price of greatness is responsibility."  *
> *   Interphase Corporation    |                                              *
> *   Dallas, Texas 75234       |                     -- Winston Churchill     *
> *                             |                                              *
> *   jfockler -at- iphase -dot- com       | "He that brings hope, brings leadership."    *
> *                             |                                              *
> *                             |                      -- unknown              *
> From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=====

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 17:33:41 -0400
> From:    "usrhr.US" <usrhr -at- CHROMA -dot- MILLIPORE -dot- COM>
> Subject: binders for the one-armed reader

> In-Reply-To: UNIX1:TECHWR-L -at- VM1 -dot- ucc -dot- okstate -dot- edu's message of 10-25-94 08:55

> i'm certainly in the minority, but i have a pet peeve.   With only one good
> arm, I can't hold a manual open, and operate my PC, unless the manual is
 either
> 3-ring bound or wire bound.

> Dick Harris
> Waters Corp.
> usrhr -at- chroma -dot- millipore -dot- com

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 14:46:07 -0800
> From:    Erik Harris <ewh -at- PLAZA -dot- DS -dot- ADP -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: Tech Writing as a career

> James Driggers asked:

> >a. What do you do over the course of a day as a writer?

> Manage dozens of review copies, make little picky changes, revise templates
> used to create multiple similar documents. The job I hold now is much more
> secretarial than any other TW job I've held, but strangely, it pays more.
> In other days, I used to design documents and even the systems they were
> supposed to support. I was the only writer in a 45-person company then. Now
> I work for a huge company that has many writers but not as professional a
> writing culture.

> >b. How did you get your first job as a writer?

> Applied to a posted job description during senior year of college. Then it
> turned out that I knew someone who worked there...he was the other writer,
> a philosophy major, and the company had done so well with him that they
> were looking for another writer with no specific TW background, just
> aptitude (and cheap).

> >c. What kind of skills did you have starting out?

> I could write and edit for a variety of audiences. I could teach myself how
> to use word processors and other computing ideas. My first "professional
> writing sample" was an outline of a set of policy guidelines for my college
> radio station, where I was program director. *That* job required a lot of
> organizational skills and analytical ability, which is 40-60% of TW, in my
> opinion.

> >d. What kind of skills are needed now starting out?

> All of the above, plus, to get one's foot in the door, being able to claim
> knowledge of various WP and DTP tools.

> >e. What's best/worst part of being a writer?

> Best: proving your organizational strategies by putting them into practice.
> Experimenting with products to see what "the truth" about their use really
> is, as opposed to what the spec says. (If there is a spec.) Convincing
> management to let you use your usability knowledge and your sense of
> user-advocacy to revise the design prototype.

> Worst: people thinking you're there to "make it pretty" and/or be their
> secretary. Non-editors taking the opportunity to edit your work for "style"
> instead of content, like they're supposed to be doing. Management not
> inviting you to design sessions and then giving you a rotten product to
> document in a big hurry.

> >f. What advice would you give someone thinking about writing as a career?

> Technical writing is excellent analytical work. You have to like details,
> however. Also, consider whether you can be satisfied practicing your craft
> in obscurity rather than receiving accolades from a broad, responsive
> readership.

> >g. What kind of advancement opportunities are there as a writer?

> System interface design (I hope!). Writing books on the subject. Consulting
> for $$$.

> >h. What kind of money can be made at entry level?  After 1-3 years?

> I made $23K out of college and got 20% and 10% raises in years 1 and 2.
> This was in a sweatshop in New England. In Montana I wrote proposals for
> $16K, which was crazy, so I moved to Oregon where I now make what I did in
> N.E. If you're any good and your employer isn't paying in the 30s after 2-3
> years, work somewhere else. You'll know by then whether TW is for you.

> >i. With strong writing skills, a BA in sociology and much clerical type
> >experience, but next to none in programming, what kind of chance do I
> >have getting a job as a tech writer?

> Convince someone that the soc. degree is highly analytical and your chances
> will be better than fair. Assemble a portfolio. Figure out what companies
> *need* in a tech writer (they have varying requirements). Can you learn
> programming concepts quickly? You'll probably need to, even if you never
> write any programs. You might consider working for a printshop that accepts
> copy on diskette in various formats...they have to have lots of computer
> programs that will output customers' documents to their linotronic devices
> and whatnot. You could gain experience with the programs and the
> publications process, then make a transition to a TW job by stressing or
> proving your writing skills to an employer.

> Best of luck. It's a growing field...so if you can contribute, you're welcome.

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 16:28:00 -0500
> From:    Kim Tresselt-Wharton <whart001 -at- MAROON -dot- TC -dot- UMN -dot- EDU>
> Subject: ASCII resume research help

> As researchers and educators at the University of Minnesota in
> professional and technical communication, we are trying to help applicants and
> employers take better advantage of new electronic capabilities in
> career/applicant searches.  Specifically, we are investigating the use of
 ASCII
> formatted resumes.  We are looking for individuals who have
> designed/received an ASCII resume or have taken advantage of electronic
> career centers (e.g.  On-line Career Center or misc.jobs.resumes).

> If you are a job seeker willing to complete our brief questionnaire, please
> send an email message to maso0007 -at- gold -dot- tc -dot- umn -dot- edu -dot- 

> If you are an employer willing to complete our brief questionnaire, please
> send an email message to whart001 -at- maroon -dot- tc -dot- umn -dot- edu -dot- 

> Your help would be greatly appreciated.

> Thank you for your time.


> Lisa D. Mason
> University of Minnesota
> Department of Rhetoric
> 201 Haecker Hall
> St. Paul, MN 55108-6122
> maso0007 -at- gold -dot- tc -dot- umn -dot- edu



> Kim Tresselt Wharton
> Rhetoric Department
> 201 Haecker Hall
> St. Paul Campus, Univ. of MN
> 625-4710

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 16:57:57 -0500
> From:    "Virginia L. Krenn" <asdxvlk -at- OKWAY -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU>
> Subject: Re[2]: 3-ring binders

>      Surely I'm not the only person who wants to have accurate up-to-date
>      information. And if no one inserts update pages, then what happens to
>      the millions of them that IBM sends out every year?

>      What kinds of users were surveyed? Are we analysts / programmers that
>      much different from other users?

>      Virginia

> ______________________________ Reply Separator
 _________________________________
> Author:  "Doug, Data Librarian at Ext 4225" <engstromdd -at- phibred -dot- com> at SMTP

> At the 1989 STC convention, I heard a presenter (the name escapes me) who
> said the breakdown on inserting manual updates is (approximately) as
> follows:

> 1)  If you have an authority who regularly inspects manuals and has the
> power to impose sanctions for failure to update, (such as military IG's)
> compliance above 95 percent can be achieved.

> 2)  If there is a technical librarian whose number-two priority is
> handling updates, compliance of 50 to 60 percent can be expected.

> 3)  If inserting changes is left entirely to individual users, compliance
> percentage plummets to the low single digits.

> The figures where based on the consultant's research and experience.

> Doug                            "There are no small projects,
> ENGSTROMDD -at- phibred -dot- com           just incredibly bad initial
>                                  estimates."

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 16:58:58 EDT
> From:    Robert Sweitzer <alsun6!rob -at- ALUXS -dot- ATT -dot- COM>
> Subject: Commands Begining A Sentence

> Hi all. I'm documenting software systems, and I have a question that
> I need some advice on. There are commands that must be entered in
> all lower case. The problem is when they appear at the beginning of
> a sentence and in headings. Do you:

> a) leave it all lower case
> b) initial capitalize it anyway
> c) all upper case (this is common here)
> d) rewrite the sentence so that the command is no longer the first word

> Any comments you can give would be greatly appreciated. You can post to me,
> and I will summarize and post it to the list.

> Rob Sweitzer
> rob -at- aluxs

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 17:10:00 -0400
> From:    "harold (h.o.n.) floysvik" <hal -at- BNR -dot- CA>
> Subject: Guidance

> Hi!

> My name is Hal Floysvik. I work in a technical documentation group at
> Northern Telecom in Ottawa, Canada. I access Internet through the
> facilities of Bell-Northern Research, hence the bnr part of my address
> (by the way, it is hal -at- bnr -dot- ca). I  am currently involved in a project to
> convert our legacy Interleaf documents to I5<SGML>.

> As a brand new user on Internet, I am just starting to feel my way
> around the net. I just recently saw a printed copy of "Internet List
> TECHWR-L". My curiosity  is  piqued. Briefly, I was wondering if you
> could:

> *  point me in the direction of Canadian technical writer newsgroups;
>    I'd like to have a view of both U.S. and Canadian goings-on

> *  tell me where I can find out about ODA (Office Document Architecture -
>    a standard equivalent to SGML and popular in Europe, or so I'm told)

> *  Add me to your digest

> Other general questions...

> *  are there newsgroups for people to share experiences with SGML conversion?

> *  are there FOSI and DSSSL newsgroups?

> *  what other newsgroups are there on Internet for technical writers

> I hope I haven't loaded you down with too many questions. I'm just
> getting started, but I expect I'll be doing a lot more exploring once I
> get my Internet legs.

> Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

> ...Hal

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 17:00:39 -0500
> From:    "Virginia L. Krenn" <asdxvlk -at- OKWAY -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU>
> Subject: 3-ring binders

>      Surely I'm not the only person who wants to have accurate up-to-date
>      information. And if no one inserts update pages, then what happens to
>      the millions of them that IBM sends out every year?

>      What kinds of users were surveyed? Are we analysts / programmers that
>      much different from other users?

>      Virginia

>      ______________________________ Reply Separator _______________________
>      Author:  "Doug, Data Librarian at Ext 4225" <engstromdd -at- phibred -dot- com>
>      at SMTP

>      At the 1989 STC convention, I heard a presenter (the name escapes me)
>      who said the breakdown on inserting manual updates is (approximately)
>      as follows:

>      1)  If you have an authority who regularly inspects manuals and has
>      the power to impose sanctions for failure to update, (such as military
>      IG's) compliance above 95 percent can be achieved.

>      2)  If there is a technical librarian whose number-two priority is
>      handling updates, compliance of 50 to 60 percent can be expected.

>      3)  If inserting changes is left entirely to individual users,
>      compliance percentage plummets to the low single digits.

>      The figures where based on the consultant's research and experience.

>      Doug                            "There are no small projects,
>      ENGSTROMDD -at- phibred -dot- com           just incredibly bad initial
>      estimates."

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 15:52:16 MDT
> From:    Michael LaTorra <mikel -at- HUEY -dot- ACCUGRAPH -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: Converting FrameMaker and Interleaf Files into SGML

> Harold Henke asked about the possible existence of a tool for
> doing conversions to SGML from FrameMaker or Interleaf.

> In the case of Frame, there is a product from Frame Technology
> called SGML Toolkit, which includes SGML Utilities for doing
> such conversions.  Unfortunately, at this time SGML Toolkit
> is only available for the Sun running OS4.

> I can't speak to the question of how well SGML Toolkit
> works, since I've been waiting for the HP version for many
> moons now.

> Checking my SGML files, I find there is also a product called
> Rainbow, from Electronic Book Technologies.  They claim to
> "ease the transition from proprietary word processor data to SGML".
> For more info about Rainbow, phone (401) 421-9550 or e-mail to
> kjs -at- ebt -dot- com

> Good luck!  And please let us know if you find a solution that
> the rest of us might benefit from.


> Live long & prosper,
> Mike LaTorra

> Documentation Supervisor
> Accugraph Inc.
> mikel -at- accugraph -dot- com
> .....................................................................
> The opinions expressed are my own, ][ "Politics is the business of
> and not necessarily those of my    ][  getting power and privilege
> company -- but they probably       ][  without possessing merit."
> should be.                         ][   -- P.J. O'Rourke
> ....................................................................

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 17:16:05 -0400
> From:    Laurie Rubin <lmr -at- SYL -dot- NJ -dot- NEC -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: binders and printing

> I use the 7x8.5 format. You certainly don't lose anything by doing it in this
> format!
> Laurie

> > That reminds me. You-all might find this interesting and worthwhile. We
> > were in the process of moving to 7x9" format with on-demand printing with
> > a company in NC. The rep at this company--knows what he's doing--mentioned
> > that if we wanted to cut our printing cost in half and could afford 1/2 an
> > inch vertically, recommended going with 7x8.5" page format. This way he
> > could print two copies per 8.5x14" sheet of paper, cut it once and wala.
> > This cuts our printing costs in half because you pay by the sheet, not
> > w> hat goes on the sheet. Pretty clever, we thought. Ever hear of this
 before
> > ?
> > What do you think?

> > My 2c worth.

> > --

> > kjr
> > johnr -at- lurch -dot- brs -dot- com

> >   ------------------------------------
> >  |/   K. John Russell                \|
> >  |    Dataware Technologies, Inc.     |
> >  |    5 Computer Drive South          |
> >  |    Albany, New York  12205         |
> >  |\   (518) 437-4025                 /|
> >   ------------------------------------

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 16:16:59 -0500
> From:    Dianne Driskell <ddriskel -at- CS -dot- UTEXAS -dot- EDU>
> Subject: STC Austin Salary Survey Results are in.

> The STC Austin Chapter annual salary survey is available.
> I hesitate to post it here since it is 5 pages of ASCII.
> Boring - yes. Informative - yes.

> To request an online copy send email to:

> ddriskel -at- cs -dot- utexas -dot- edu


> If the response is overpowering, I'll reconsider and post it to the net.

> Dianne Driskell
> Publications Office
> Department of Computer Sciences
> Taylor Hall, Room 2.124
> The University of Texas at Austin
> Austin, TX 78712-1188

> fax: 512 471-8885
> phone: 512 471-9595

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 17:46:44 -0500
> From:    Glen Accardo <glen -at- SOFTINT -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: Commands Begining A Sentence

> > I need some advice on. There are commands that must be entered in
> > all lower case. The problem is when they appear at the beginning of
> > a sentence and in headings. Do you:
> >
> > a) leave it all lower case
> > b) initial capitalize it anyway
> > c) all upper case (this is common here)
> > d) rewrite the sentence so that the command is no longer the first word

> Items b and c are completely out.  If you capitalize the command, it won't
> work; people can't type it; it's wrong.  Leaving the command in lowercase
> looks funny, but I don't really have a problem with it.  I normally
> rewrite the sentence, but that ins't always an options.  Bottom line,
> make sure that people can type the command and get it to work.

> ------------
> glen accardo                         glen -at- softint -dot- com
> Software Interfaces, Inc.            (713) 492-0707 x122
> Houston, TX 77084

> Did the Corinthians ever write back?

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 18:57:02 EDT
> From:    "Larry Kunz ((919) 254-6395)" <ldkunz -at- VNET -dot- IBM -dot- COM>
> Subject: need advice on binding

> Kim Ferri (kim -at- ASPECTDV -dot- COM) wrote:

> > Several of our customers have requested that we change our binding
> > format.  We are currently using wiro binding.  Customers and
> > internal folks are requesting 3-ring binders for the following
> > reasons:
> >
> > o Update information with change pages instead of just release notes.
> >
> > o We expect to have many updates during the next 12-18 months.
> >
> > I'm aware of the following problems with 3-ring binder formats:
> >
> > o Binders are expensive.  That means initial cost will exceed my normal
> >   printing costs.
> >
> > o Binders are known to cause customers to lose pages.
> >
> > o Change pages produce additional overhead, since we have to produce
> >   release notes anyway.

> On the basis of what you've told us, I lean toward 3-ring binders.
> Hey -- your users are asking for them:  that's one good reason
> right there.  The frequency of updates is another, although you
> might consider not doing changed pages if your users are happy
> with the release notes.

> But there are other factors you don't mention:

> o How big is the book?  If it's more than 200 to 250 pages, the
>   wiro binding becomes a hindrance.  (That's MHO, of course.)

> o What kind of information is it?  If it's technical reference
>   information, your users might prefer a binder into which they
>   can insert changed pages.  OTOH, if it's end-user or marketing
>   information, your users won't want to insert changes, and the
>   wiro binding will give you a neat, smart appearance.

> One last thought:  You mention that 3-ring binders are expensive,
> and they are -- for your users.  But the alternative is more
> expensive for you.  So why not buy the 3-ring binders and give
> them to your users?  I think you'll find that it costs about the
> same as printing the book with wiro binding.

> Larry Kunz
> STC AP for Professional Development
> ldkunz -at- vnet -dot- ibm -dot- com

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 16:22:49 PDT
> From:    Ray Bruman x2325 <rbruman -at- TURING -dot- RAYNET -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: 3-ring binders

> "Virginia L. Krenn" <asdxvlk -at- OKWAY -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU>  writes:
> > Subject:      3-ring binders
> >      Surely I'm not the only person who wants to have accurate up-to-date
> >      information. And if no one inserts update pages, then what happens to
> >      the millions of them that IBM sends out every year?

> Here's a hint.  What happens to the millions of Chinese Take-Out menus
> that flood the halls of Manhattan apartment buildings?  Or, as Mason
> Williams asked, "What happened to all the rubber that's been worn off
> tires ever since cars were invented?"

> Seriously.  Check the bookshelves and drawers next time someone vacates
> an office or cubicle.  Bet you'll find lots of shrink-wrapped updates.

> >
> >      What kinds of users were surveyed? Are we analysts / programmers that
> >      much different from other users?

> Yes.  Even from other analyst/programmers, I'll bet.

> It's impossible to get data figures here; we're all just going on hunches.
> But many tech writers are delighted if the users take the shrink wrap off
> the ORIGINAL version of the documentation, let alone the change pages.

> Ray Bruman             In this establishment,
> Raynet Corp.           we DO NOT DISCUSS
> rbruman -at- raynet -dot- com     race, religion, politics,
> 415-688-2325           or nutrition.

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 19:36:57 -0400
> From:    Ruth-Ellen Flanagan <ref -at- GR8FUL -dot- III -dot- NET>
> Subject: STC Salary Survey

> Hi,

> Someone asked about the STC Salary Survey. You can anonymous
> ftp it from:

> clark.net in the directory pub/stc

> I know someone who did her resume as a Windows Help file and
> just got a job - I will ask her if it helped that she had
> done her resume that way. I am working on one myself, just to
> get more practice and to have it available.

> Awhile back I asked about contracting and how to get into it.
> Well, I left Digital on Sept 16 and started a contract job
> the following Monday. I ended up getting the job through an
> agency and find that great for dealing with taxes etc. So,
> I will see what the future may bring.

> Ruth-Ellen Flanagan
> ref -at- gra8ful -dot- iii -dot- net
>  Some Change comes down for the better...
>                               Boz Scaggs

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 19:15:16 EDT
> From:    Bob Stromberg <stromberg -at- VNET -dot- IBM -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: 3-ring binders

> "Virginia L. Krenn" writes:

> >If you feel that the binders themselves are too expensive, just do
> >what IBM has been doing for many years and send out the manuals in
> >shrink wrap for users to insert into their own binders. (Don't we have
> >a tech writer from IBM on this list? Comments?)

> I suspect that IBM products are moving away from 3-ring binders.
> One of my products is MVS/ESA, for which there are simply dozens of
> books.  For the most recent release (MVS/ESA SP V5.1), we switched
> to lay-flat bindings, after checking with users at the GUIDE
> and SHARE user groups.

>   -- Some users prefer binders, some prefer not having them.
>   -- The practice of producing change pages (which IBM calls
>      TNLs, or Technical Newsletters) is disappearing.
>      Without the need to insert changed pages, one can bind the
>      pages into a book.
>   -- We avoided producing bound books until the "lay-flat"
>      improvement came in.  Users had complained that
>      the books wouldn't stay open on the desk.

> NOTE: Another major operating system, VM/ESA, has used bound books
> for years.  A couple of years ago an IBMr asked the following
> on an internal forum:

> >Subject: MVS looseleaf Manuals versus VM 'books'.
> >
> >Hi, I've just received a new batch of MVS manuals and will
> >as usual go through the drag of putting them in their
> >binders, adding technical newsletters, etc.  It does
> >become a pain if you get a lot of manuals regularly as I
> >do.  I will get a CD-ROM soon but still have a need for
> >hardcopy.
> >
> >I would feel a lot happier if the MVS/ESA manuals came in
> >pretty much the same format as the VM/ESA ones, i.e.  as
> >books! Just replace the old ones with the new ones, no
> >binders neccessary.
> >
> >I assume that they wait until a significant number of
> >changes are needed or a very important change then simply
> >issue a new book.
> >
> >Any chance of MVS manuals going this way?

> Well, indeed, the MVS books have switched over.   (We still
> punch holes in them just in case.)

> Hope that helps,
> Bob Stromberg, MVS/JES Information Development, IBM Corporation
> Internet: stromberg -at- vnet -dot- ibm -dot- com   IBM Mail Exchange: USIB2FZL

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 16:36:14 PDT
> From:    Kimberley Lackey <97372509 -at- WSUVM1 -dot- CSC -dot- WSU -dot- EDU>
> Subject: Northwest Tech writers

> Is there any technical writers on this list from Oregon or Washington?  I hear
> a lot about California and parts east of here, but little about the pacific
> northwest.  There is a posibility I may be relocating to Oregon and I was
> curious about the job market for tech writers in that area.

> Thank you for any and all your help in advance. You are a world of knowledge.

>  Kimberley Lackey
> 97372509 -at- wsuvm1

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 17:35:30 MDT
> From:    Michael LaTorra <mikel -at- HUEY -dot- ACCUGRAPH -dot- COM>
> Subject: Job - El Paso, Texas

> NOTE to my fellow TECHWRLers: I am posting this job to the list
> even though Tech Writing ability is not the primary emphasis.
> If you have some combination of engineering and writing experience
> that fits in the categories listed below -- even if you don't
> have ALL of them -- please do not hesitate to apply.

> P.S. -- Don't respond directly to me; all resumes must pass
> through our Personnel Manager, Malena Field (see address at end
> of message).

> -- Mike

> $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

>           Job Opportunity:  Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer

> The position of QA Engineer reports to the Manager of Quality
> Assurance and Documentation.  The primary responsibility of the QA
> Engineer is to provide documentation and testing services to all
> Accugraph product groups.

> Responsibilities:

> 1.      Testing of installation, setup, functionality,
>         and documentation of Accugraph products.

> 2.      Develop, implement, and document testing procedures for
>         Accugraph products.

> 3.      Creation and maintenance of documentation and on-line
>         help as required for Accugraph products.


> Requirements:

> 1.      Two years of professional experience in the areas of communications
>         technology and network management.

> 2.      Graduation from an accredited University with a B.S. degree
>         in Computer Science or Engineering fields or an equivalent
>         combination of training and experience.

> 3.      Two years of professional experience in technical writing
>         and strong communication skills.

> 4.      Experience in SQL and the use of an industry standard
>         Relational Database, preferably Oracle, Informix,
>         Sybase or Ingres.

> 5.      Knowledge of UNIX operating system, networking and file
>         management.

> 6.      Experience with Computer Aided Drafting and Design software
>         is desired but not essential.


> Please respond to:

> Accugraph Corp.
> 5822 Cromo Drive
> El Paso, TX 79912

> Attn: Malena Field

> $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 20:17:35 -0400
> From:    "John H. Olds" <JOlds -at- AOL -dot- COM>
> Subject: Re: Cost Savings and Online Help

> We technical writers should spend more time and effort selling management on
> the project management and team building aspects of developing good technical
> documentation.  During the research phase of product development it is
> generally the writer who sees the big picture and adds a system control
> aspect to the products development.
> Often the egineering team is made up of mechanical, electrical, software and
> process engineers.  These people have a narrow focus and often do not
> communicate or get along with each other.  The technical communcations
> function therefore is the one place were the entire project comes together.
>  This is an oportunity to micro manage the products development by being an
> honest broker and bringing the various functions together.  This promotes
> understanding and communcations among the product team members were it is
> most lacking.
>  I do not have time here to go into more detail but would welcome the proper
> form to do so.
> I feel it is up to us to convince senior management because it is not in the
> immediate best interest of others to admit their short comings.

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 17:26:19 -0700
> From:    Elaine Winters <ewinters -at- NETCOM -dot- COM>
> Subject: Interesting conference

> May
> 30 - June 2 Electronic Publishing and the Information Superhighway
>             Enabling Technologies, Issues, Applications
>             Location: Boston, Mass.
>             Sponsor: Dartmouth College

>                      The Dartmouth Institute for Advanced Graduate Studies
>                      6211 Sudikoff Laboratory
>                      Dartmouth College
>                      Hanover, NH 03755
>                      <dags95 -at- cs -dot- dartmouth -dot- edu> (e-mail)
>                      <http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~samr/dags95.html (url)
>            The DAGS '95 Conference on Electronic Publishing and the
>            Information superhighway will bring together a broad variety of
>            people to discuss the issues, applications and underlying
>            technologies for electronic publishing. Potential participants
>            include computer scientists, publishers, commentators, policy
>            makers and authors. Topics included in the conference are enabling
>            technologies, systems and tools; issues and implications; and
>            applications. Deadlines are as follows: Tutorial proposals, papers
>            and short papers, Dec. 1; Panel proposals, Dec. 15; Authors
>            notified, Jan. 15; Camera-ready copy, March 15; Proposals for
>            posters and demonstrations, March 30.

>  _________________________________________________________________________
>  E. Winters: Principal                 Program Facilitating and Consulting
>  Berkeley, CA, USA                     510-843-0909    ewinters -at- netcom -dot- com
>  Instructional_Design__________________Writing_________and_____Editing____
>  ______________________Interactivity__________Cross_Cultural_Communication

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 18:37:54 MDT
> From:    Hilary Lane <hilary -at- NETWISE -dot- COM>
> Subject: Help with Digest

> Help!

> I keep trying to get a digest form of this listserv, and have sent the
> requisite command of SET DIG and SET DIGEST to the proper address. Every
> time I get back the message: "You are not subscribed to the TECHWR-L list.
> "

> What am I doing wrong? It took 7 tries to get on the list; now I can't
> set options. I tried sending a query of Help to the address, but keep
> getting back an invalid entry type message. I've got the info card commands,
> but they don't seem to work for me.

> Thanks,

> hilary lane
> hilary -at- netwise -dot- com

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 18:30:53 PDT
> From:    Faith Weber <weber -at- EASI -dot- ENET -dot- DEC -dot- COM>
> Subject: Bay Area tech writing classes?

> Does anyone know of any decent beginning tech writing classes
> being offered in the San Francisco Bay area? I have a friend
> who could use a class that provides a reasonably thorough overview
> of researching, writing, and producing manuals. I get brochures
> about such classes regularly, but most of them are in other
> states! The local classes I see seem to be either on advanced
> topics, or intended for engineers who have to write (emphasis on
> the "have to"!).

> Thanks for any leads you can provide!

> Faith Weber
> EA Systems Inc.
> weber -at- easi -dot- enet -dot- dec -dot- com

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 22:09:18 -0500
> From:    janice czyscon <jczyscon -at- FACSTAFF -dot- WISC -dot- EDU>
> Subject: course on building a document database with SGML

> I'm cross posting this to several mailing lists so please excuse the
> duplicates that you might run across.


> University of Wisconsin-Madison
> Department of Engineering Professional Development
> Announces a Short Course on

> Building a Document Database with SGML
> January 23-25, 1995
> in Madison, Wisconsin

> Course Description

> If your organization publishes information-catalogs, manuals, support
> materials-as part of its daily business, then you can benefit from
> assembling this information into a single document database. Document
> databases based on the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML-ISO
> Standard 8879) allow you to flexibly reuse parts of existing documents in
> any combination and in any number of new documents. The combination of
> document databases and SGML can be your key to intelligent document
> management.

> Key course objectives
> o       Understand the business needs driving the development of SGML-based
> document databases.
> o       Understand how document databases and SGML affect an organization's
> workflow.
> o       Learn how document databases can help reduce publications costs.
> o       Learn how to structure information so it can be flexibly reused.
> o       Learn the fundamentals of writing a document type definition (DTD).
> o       Understand the purpose and uses of SGML itself and the applications
> related to it.
> o       Learn about designing and implementing your own SGML-based document
> database.

> Who Should Attend
> Managers who need to know the "whys" and "hows" of document databases
> should attend this course. Database and MIS managers, systems analysts,
> technical writers, format developers, and managers responsible for
> developing corporate documentation will benefit.


> More Information Available Via e-mail
> To receive a complete course brochure that includes more detailed course
> descriptions, course outlines, and instructor bios via e-mail, send a note
> via e-mail to Janice Czyscon at

> jczyscon -at- facstaff -dot- wisc -dot- edu

> ------------------------------

> Date:    Tue, 25 Oct 1994 21:24:49 -0700
> From:    Richard Mateosian <srm -at- C2 -dot- ORG>
> Subject: Re: 3 ring binders or no?

> >MILSPECS -required- the "change page" method.  The logic was that
> >"750 pages is cheaper than 2,000 pages, right?"

> Two advantages of the change page method are that you know what hasn't
> changed, and you can keep unchanged pages that you may have made notes on.
> I'm no fan of change pages or mil std requirements, but it's not fair to
> assume that the people who wrote the spec are stupid.  ...RM

> Richard Mateosian    Technical Writer in Berkeley CA     srm -at- c2 -dot- org

> ------------------------------

> End of TECHWR-L Digest - 24 Oct 1994 to 25 Oct 1994
> ***************************************************



--

 Not everybody wins, and certainly not everybody wins all the time.
 But once you get into your boat and push off, tie into your shoes and
 bootstretchers, then "lean on the oars," you have indeed won far
 more than those who have never tried.  (Unknown)