Change Control for Documentation

Sun Dec 2 07:46:27 MST 2007

To Beth Agnew,

In my last position, the company used both Microsoft Visual SourceSafe and
Subversion (an open-source application) for both software and tech
documentation change control. Subversion seemed to be far superior, but the
learning curve may be somewhat longer for some people. I also used
Documentum in several earlier jobs. 

Melanie
Tech Writer/Editor in the Rochester NY area - "between jobs"

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Today's Topics:

   1. Change Control for Documentation (Beth Agnew)
   2. Re: Change Control for Documentation (Gene Kim-Eng)
   3. RE: How do you differentiate yourself (UserFriendly)
      (Cardimon, Craig)
   4. IE7 has no back button in popups (Keith Hansen)
   5. Upgrading Acrobat without messing up Word (Dan Goldstein)
   6. Re: [TCP] Documentation Delivery: Print or CD? (Susan W Gallagher)
   7. Ooops RE: Documentation Delivery: Print or CD? (Susan W Gallagher)
   8. problems with eps graphics in framemaker (pacholkd)
   9. RE: problems with eps graphics in framemaker
      (Butler, Darren J Ctr 584 CBSS/GBHAC)
  10. Re: How do you differentiate yourself (UserFriendly)
      (Gene Kim-Eng)
  11. Re: IE7 has no back button in popups (Rick Stone)
  12. Re: IE7 has no back button in popups (Beth Agnew)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 07:44:36 -0500
From: Beth Agnew <Beth.Agnew at senecac.on.ca>
Subject: Change Control for Documentation
To: TECHWR-L <techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com>
Message-ID: <475005B4.4090305 at senecac.on.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

What change control methods do you use for documentation in your 
organization? In draft stages, I incorporate feedback, corrections and 
changes into subsequent drafts, but as we get closer to deadline, I 
typically go to a "bug priority" method that parallels those used in 
software development. Anything considered a "showstopper", in that it 
would cause the user trouble if left unchanged in (or left out of) the 
final manual gets immediate attention and may even affect release date. 
Other changes that are important but not particularly urgent may get 
into the current manual or be prioritized for the next edition, 
depending on how close we are to release. Nice-to-haves are incorporated 
into the next version of the documentation.

I'm sure there are variations on the above. What have you found to work 
in your shop?
--Beth

Beth Agnew
Professor, Technical Communication
Seneca College, Toronto

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:41:19 -0500
From: "Gene Kim-Eng" <techwr at genek.com>
Subject: Re: Change Control for Documentation
To: "Beth Agnew" <Beth.Agnew at senecac.on.ca>,	"TECHWR-L"
	<techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com>
Message-ID: <001a01c83356$b20d9de0$6d01a8c0 at hsd1.va.comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

Most of the best companies I've worked with use the
same change order system that applies to any other
part.  Proposed changes are documented in an ECO
(Engineering Change Order) that describes the change, 
why it is needed and what the priority is.  The ECO
is evaluated, and if the proposed change does not drive
an immediate revision it is put into the release system
as "defer to next revision" change.  Any attempt to 
release a new revision that does not reference the 
ECO will result in a flag in the release system that
has to be resolved, either by making the change or
deferring it again.  The companies I've worked with
that treated documentation differently from "real
product" have all turned out to be bad experiences.

Gene Kim-Eng

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Beth Agnew" <Beth.Agnew at senecac.on.ca>
> What change control methods do you use for documentation in your
> organization? In draft stages, I incorporate feedback, corrections and 
> changes into subsequent drafts, but as we get closer to deadline, I 
> typically go to a "bug priority" method that parallels those used in 
> software development. Anything considered a "showstopper", in that it 
> would cause the user trouble if left unchanged in (or left out of) the 
> final manual gets immediate attention and may even affect release date. 
> Other changes that are important but not particularly urgent may get 
> into the current manual or be prioritized for the next edition, 
> depending on how close we are to release. Nice-to-haves are incorporated 
> into the next version of the documentation.
> 
> I'm sure there are variations on the above. What have you found to 
> work
> in your shop?

------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:23:34 -0500
From: "Cardimon, Craig" <ccardimon at M-S-G.com>
Subject: RE: How do you differentiate yourself (UserFriendly)
To: "Dori Green" <dgreen at associatedbrands.com>
Cc: techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com
Message-ID: <19C7D9BC73C7914BAB5D21A6C05F2AD7449806 at Delmar2.m-s-g.com>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

>> I can't believe other candidates don't do those things, but
I'm told that I'm very different.  I guess this is not a bad thing. <<

Dori Green

------------------------------

I would think this is a good thing.

-- Craig

------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:00:38 -0600
From: "Keith Hansen" <KRH at weiland-wfg.com>
Subject: IE7 has no back button in popups
To: <techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com>
Message-ID:
	<B4DBD1887147DE4BBAB1CBD0C1C99AD9E40214 at wfg-win2k3-exch.WFG.LOCAL>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

Perhaps this isn't really a tech writer question, but I thought SOMEONE here
might be able to shed light on this!

I have IE7. In my browser, when I click on a link that opens a popup, the
popup opens--but no Back or Forward buttons are displayed on the browser's
toolbar. 

I googled and found one site where another person had also experienced this
problem:

http://lists.webjunction.org/wjlists/web4lib/2007-August/044988.html

As she wrote:
"when IE7 is open via a javascript popup command, even if toolbar=yes, there
are no back or forward buttons"

If I click on a link that does NOT involve a javascript popup command, IE7
opens a full window with Back and Forward buttons.

My questions:
* Has anyone else encountered this?
* Any way to make the popup open WITH the Back/Forward buttons?

Thanks!

Keith

------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 10:13:42 -0500
From: "Dan Goldstein" <DGoldstein at riverainmedical.com>
Subject: Upgrading Acrobat without messing up Word
To: <techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com>
Message-ID:
	<0ADA9A22B5BC2147B360A22FD2BAD25CE3DD09 at RMGBEX01.rmg.local>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

Running Word 2003 under Windows XP Pro SP2. Acrobat 6.0.6 Standard currently
installed, just received the upgrade for Acrobat 8 Standard. Has anyone seen
this upgrade mess with Word settings? If so, how can this best be prevented
or mitigated?

TIA,

Dan

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Message: 6
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 07:53:31 -0800
From: "Susan W Gallagher" <susanwg at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [TCP] Documentation Delivery: Print or CD?
To: TECHWR-L <techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com>
Message-ID:
	<f7ae85ff0711300753hae9ab74p9eb903b3ddde412c at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

True. At my previous gig, we delivered training materials for both customer
training classes and internal sales seminars on jump drives. The nice thing
about a jump drive is that it isn't going to get thrown away. If a
salesperson is packing a suitcase to go home from a sales seminar and there
isn't enough room in a suitcase or briefcase, paper docs will probably get
left behind; not so with a jump drive. -Sue Gallagher

On 11/30/07, Kelly McDaniel <kmcdaniel at pavtech.com> wrote:
>
> Plus, and no one's mentioned this yet, we now have cheap storage. For 
> example, I bought a Sandisk 512mb jump drive for about $80 a couple of 
> years ago. This year, I bought a Sandisk 2gig drive for $31/landed 
> FedEx...and I believe that Sandisk is one of the high-priced lines!
>
> The point I'm trying to make is that I can carry my entire library of 
> docs (~4 thousand pages), plus my docs source, plus all my personal 
> stuff on my jump drive. As for size, it's like my new digital camera, 
> a little too small. True, it requires power, but so does a book, 
> unless you read it outdoors during the day.
>

------------------------------

Message: 7
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 07:56:19 -0800
From: "Susan W Gallagher" <susanwg at gmail.com>
Subject: Ooops RE: Documentation Delivery: Print or CD?
To: TECHWR-L <techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com>
Message-ID:
	<f7ae85ff0711300756xa7c4b07ladde034ad77c4e1 at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

So sorry - please ignore this post. My mailbox somehow cross-threaded
itself. -Sue

On 11/30/07, Susan W Gallagher <susanwg at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> True. At my previous gig, we delivered training materials for both 
> customer training classes and internal sales seminars on jump drives. 
> The nice thing about a jump drive is that it isn't going to get thrown 
> away. If a salesperson is packing a suitcase to go home from a sales 
> seminar and there isn't enough room in a suitcase or briefcase, paper 
> docs will probably get left behind; not so with a jump drive. -Sue 
> Gallagher
>
>

------------------------------

Message: 8
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:41:41 -0600
From: "pacholkd" <pacholkd at comcast.net>
Subject: problems with eps graphics in framemaker
To: <techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com>
Message-ID: <001b01c83380$a6391b50$6401a8c0 at winter7>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

> Hello. I'm having trouble bringing up EPS graphics imported by 
> reference in FrameMaker 7.2 and FrameMaker 8 documents. JPG, TIF, PNG, 
> and other formats load quickly. However, a good sized EPS graphic 
> imported by reference can take 5 minuets or more before it shows up. 
> This only happens when working off the server. If I copy all files and 
> work locally, EPS graphics show up almost immediately.
> 
> The same EPS graphics load just fine in other applications (FreeHand 
> 9, MS Word from Office 2003). The IT tech has done data transfer rate 
> benchmarks and data is moving back and forth between the server and my 
> laptop normally; laptop is an IBM ThinkPad T60p wide screen, with 3GB 
> RAM, ATI graphics. The EPS graphics load just fine on my old Pentium 
> III workstation.
> 
> Any insight as to what's happening would be appreciated.
> 
> R. Pacholke
> Sr. Tech. Wr.

------------------------------

Message: 9
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:05:19 -0500
From: "Butler, Darren J Ctr 584 CBSS/GBHAC"
	<Darren.Butler.ctr at Robins.af.mil>
Subject: RE: problems with eps graphics in framemaker
To: "pacholkd" <pacholkd at comcast.net>, <techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com>
Message-ID:

<0A3BCB96867F3C4189717E5D03CDF0320174C7C2 at VFGAMLAO12.Enterprise.afmc.ds.af.m
il>

Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

Hello,

'Need a bit more info.

>a good sized EPS graphic imported by reference can take 5 minuets

How large are these "good sized" graphics. *.eps files tend to be more
compact.

>trouble bringing up EPS graphics imported by reference in FrameMaker
7.2 and FrameMaker 8 documents. JPG, TIF, PNG, and other  formats load
quickly

Have all the layers in the EPS been flattened? Is EPS the original format
for these files?

Are there links within the file to another type of format (such as TIF or
JPEG).

>This only happens  when working off the server.

Do you have a different or backup server that you can experiment
loading/importing the file from? The data transfer rate benchmark may not be
giving you the whole picture

Blessings,

Darren

****************************************

Darren J. Butler

Sr. Technical Writer-Editor, Template Wrangler, Mil-Spec Pharisee, Conscript
Technical Illustrator

Integrated Data for Maintenance

NG Corp

-----Original Message-----
From:
techwr-l-bounces+darren.butler.ctr=robins.af.mil at lists.techwr-l.com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+darren.butler.ctr=robins.af.mil at lists.techwr-l.
com] On Behalf Of pacholkd
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2007 1:42 PM
To: techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com
Subject: problems with eps graphics in framemaker

> Hello. I'm having trouble bringing up EPS graphics imported by
reference

> in FrameMaker 7.2 and FrameMaker 8 documents. JPG, TIF, PNG, and other

> formats load quickly. However, a good sized EPS graphic imported by

> reference can take 5 minuets or more before it shows up. This only
happens

> when working off the server. If I copy all files and work locally, EPS

> graphics show up almost immediately.

> 

> The same EPS graphics load just fine in other applications (FreeHand
9, MS

> Word from Office 2003). The IT tech has done data transfer rate
benchmarks

> and data is moving back and forth between the server and my laptop

> normally; laptop is an IBM ThinkPad T60p wide screen, with 3GB RAM,
ATI

> graphics. The EPS graphics load just fine on my old Pentium III

> workstation.

> 

> Any insight as to what's happening would be appreciated.

> 

> R. Pacholke

> Sr. Tech. Wr.

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Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical

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------------------------------

Message: 10
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:33:19 -0800
From: "Gene Kim-Eng" <techwr at genek.com>
Subject: Re: How do you differentiate yourself (UserFriendly)
To: "Dori Green" <dgreen at associatedbrands.com>,	"TECHWR-L"
	<techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com>
Message-ID: <003b01c833a9$6451a120$8900a8c0 at genekoptx2>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
	reply-type=original

I can't really say that I do much resume tailoring.  I have 
some variations on my full resume that bring specific
areas of experience into greater prominence and select
from these the one I think a potential employer or client
may find most relevant, but I can't recall the last time I revised a resume
specifically for one recipient.  My resume "tailoring" really happens in my
selection of who I give it to.  The cover letter is, of course, very 
specifically tailored.

I don't use online sites for samples.  All my soft-copy
samples are either emailed or handed over in-person
on CD.  My soft-copy samples are all either documents
that are not sensitive because can be downloaded from 
compant websites, or highly scrubbed excerpts that
contain covers, TOCs and snips from chapters with
sensitive or proprietary information deleted and a 
note to the effect that my arrangements with the doc
owner is that I will provide the full printed version 
for in-person inspection but not redistribute copies 
of it.

As for thank-you's, I still consider them jobhunting
101, but it's amazing how seldom I get them.  I fear
the "throw out the old, tired ways" thinking of the
dot-com era has resulted in an entire generation of
people who have no idea how to look for a job.

Gene Kim-Eng

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dori Green" <dgreen at associatedbrands.com>

> It's different and amusing, I'm told, that my resume and cover letter 
> indicate that I have done some homework, know a little something about 
> the company and its products and its culture, and know enough about 
> myself to be able to indicate specifically how my particular set of 
> skills would fill their stated needs.
> 
> I post some of my samples on an invitation-only Yahoo group and offer 
> to bring other samples to an interview.  If the potential employer 
> indicates any difficulty using the Yahoo group, I offer to e-mail 
> those samples directly to them -- I do not offer to teach them how to 
> sign up for Yahoo or insist that they do so.
> 
> I include a "hook" that the physical samples are more recent and more 
> directly related to their topics -- and some are proprietary so I can 
> show them but cannot let them out of my direct control so that I can 
> protect the confidentiality of my other employers.  Most potential 
> employers like the idea that I am aware and careful about such 
> considerations, and that I will be as cautious with their information.
> 
> I can't believe that other candidates don't tailor their applications. 
> I'm told it's obvious that most of them don't even bother to look at a 
> company's website.  I just don't get that.
> 
> I also send prompt thank you cards with a handwritten note inside to 
> every person who takes time for me.  I won a job once because I sent a 
> thank you and a cute $1 wet kitten refrigerator magnet to the 
> receptionist who found me a hot cup of coffee and a real cloth towel 
> when I arrived at a New Jersey interview in a pounding New Jersey 
> rainstorm.  I can't believe other candidates don't do those things, 
> but I'm told that I'm very different.  I guess this is not a bad 
> thing.

------------------------------

Message: 11
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 22:07:47 -0600
From: Rick Stone <rstone75 at kc.rr.com>
Subject: Re: IE7 has no back button in popups
To: Keith Hansen <KRH at weiland-wfg.com>
Cc: techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com
Message-ID: <4750DE13.6000402 at kc.rr.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Hi Keith

Sorry, but I don't get it. What's wrong with right-clicking and choosing 
Back from the context menu?

Cheers... Rick :)

Keith Hansen wrote:
> Perhaps this isn't really a tech writer question, but I thought 
> SOMEONE here might be able to shed light on this!
>
> I have IE7. In my browser, when I click on a link that opens a popup, 
> the popup opens--but no Back or Forward buttons are displayed on the 
> browser's toolbar.
>
> I googled and found one site where another person had also experienced 
> this problem:
>
> http://lists.webjunction.org/wjlists/web4lib/2007-August/044988.html
>
> As she wrote:
> "when IE7 is open via a javascript popup command, even if toolbar=yes, 
> there are no back or forward buttons"
>
> If I click on a link that does NOT involve a javascript popup command, 
> IE7 opens a full window with Back and Forward buttons.
>
> My questions:
> * Has anyone else encountered this?
> * Any way to make the popup open WITH the Back/Forward buttons?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Keith
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats 
> or
> printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007 
> Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
> http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
>
> True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help. 
> Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical 
> documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
>
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as rstone75 at kc.rr.com.
>
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to
> techwr-l-unsubscribe at lists.techwr-l.com
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> Send administrative questions to admin at techwr-l.com. Visit 
> http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.
>
>   

------------------------------

Message: 12
Date: Sat, 01 Dec 2007 01:36:28 -0500
From: Beth Agnew <beth.agnew at senecac.on.ca>
Subject: Re: IE7 has no back button in popups
To: techwr-l at lists.techwr-l.com
Message-ID: <475100EC.8040606 at senecac.on.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Perhaps the point, from a TW perspective, is that Microsoft seems to be 
on an interface-changing spree. We all know how irritating that is for 
the user. After years of having common elements in certain places in IE 
and MS Word, for example, we now have to relearn these applications. We 
come to expert certain behaviors from the software, and when it behaves 
differently, it trips us up. These are not intuitive changes, or we'd be 
able to find them. The MS Office function ribbon is supposedly designed 
to be more helpful, WYGIWYS as Jakob Nielsen puts it. But there's a 
performance drop while you get used to it.

We've had personal computers for more than 25 years now. There are no 
more "beginners" where computers are concerned, so why do companies like 
Microsoft feel they need to dumb everything down? Is anyone actually 
designing an intuitive, performance-supportive interface, or are they 
all just doing what they like and we have to get used to it? --Beth

Beth Agnew
Professor, Technical Communication
Seneca College, Toronto

Rick Stone wrote:
> Hi Keith
>
> Sorry, but I don't get it. What's wrong with right-clicking and 
> choosing
> Back from the context menu?
>
> Keith Hansen wrote:
>   
>> I have IE7. In my browser, when I click on a link that opens a popup, 
>> the popup opens--but no Back or Forward buttons are displayed on the 
>> browser's toolbar.
>

------------------------------

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