10 DITA Lessons Learned From Tech Writers in the Trenches

July 30, 2006 Blog 4 Comments

This exclusive and informative top ten list is based on interviews conducted by TheContentWrangler.com with technical writers at more than 20 software companies—tech writers that are actually using DITA to create documentation today. It’s jam-packed with useful advice, practical tips, honest warnings, and lessons learned. No marketing blabber. No hidden sales agenda. No name dropping. Just straight forward and useful information no software company is likely to share with you any time soon. Ready? Let’s begin… #10 – DITA Is NOT A Magic Wand DITA is a standard data model …

Tech Writers: Are You A Future Document Engineer?

July 29, 2006 Blog No Comments

In “Document Engineering: Analyzing and Designing Documents for Business Informatics and Web Services”, Robert Glushko and Tim McGrath write, “Practitioners of document engineering will most likely come from other disciplines from which document engineering was synthesized. The principles of document engineering seek to find a balance between technology and business, between process and information, between bottom-up and top-down thinking, and between concepts and implementation. Successful documents engineers,” the authors say, “will do the same.” Read my recent book review in the July 2006 The Rockley Bulletin. Then, put on your …

When You Need Documentation, Don’t Hire An HVAC Contractor

July 28, 2006 Blog No Comments

When you need technical documentation, don’t call an HVAC contractor to the rescue, despite what the Pocono Record says. In a recent “Write to Know” column, the paper incorrectly (albeit humorously) stated: “ASHRAE is the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, a nonprofit technical writing organization.” For the record, ASHRAE has nothing to do with technical writing. Instead, it’s “a nonprofit technical organization whose 55,000 members influence the direction of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) technology by creating industry standards and recommended procedures and guidelines, developing …

Buzzword: Targeted Completion Date

July 27, 2006 Blog No Comments

From the BuzzWhack.com buzzword of the day file: Targeted completion date – “A comforting term that gives the impression a project will be finished by a certain date (but everyone involved knows there’s no chance in hell of it happening).” If you found that entertaining, subscribie to the BuzzWhack.com mailing list.

The Impact of Globalization on User-Interface Design

July 26, 2006 Blog No Comments

In The Impact of Globalization on User-Interface Design, TC World writes: “Did you ever try to use a machine that has been programmed in a foreign language? Or perhaps, even with an unfamiliar character set? Suddenly everything seems to be different although only the language has changed. This is the situation faced by many foreign users that work with German machines.”

The Progress and the Promise of Microformats

July 25, 2006 Blog No Comments

In The Progress and the Promise of Microformats, Tantek Çelik and Rohit Khare explore the hot topic of microformats—what they are, why they’re important, and who is using them today. The article does a good job of explaining how microformats can—and are—impacting the way we create, manage, and reuse information today on the web. “Once we get to the point of that kind of copy-and-paste, publish-and-subscribe model that users can use with a couple of clicks here and there, that’s going to be when we know that we’ve really connected …

Taxonomy Warehouse: One-Stop Vocabulary Shop

July 24, 2006 Blog No Comments

If you’re looking for industry or topical vocabularies, check out Taxonomy Warehouse, a comprehensive directory of over 500 taxonomies, thesauri, and classification schemes produced by nearly 300 publishers in 40 languages. The site is free and also offers information about taxonomy-related events and informative resources. Taxonomy Warehouse also accepts contributions. Add your taxonomy to the community and help it grow.

What Does Your Website Look Like To Mobile Users?

July 23, 2006 Blog No Comments

Ever wonder what your website might look like to those trying to access it via a mobile device? Sure, you could try dialing it up yourself from your web-enabled cell phone or PDA, but that’s not your only option. Google has made it even easier. Enter a URL and click “enter”. Tip: Try both options (with and without images).

What Makes an XML CMS an XML CMS?

July 22, 2006 Blog No Comments

Attention content management system shoppers! In Characteristics of an XML CMS (Dr. Macro’s XML Rants Blog), Eliot Kimber outlines “what an XML CMS does (or should do)” and provides a list of “features a repository needs to provide”. Kimber lays out the stuff you need to know—especially if you wok in a technical publications department that aims to manage structured XML documents—BEFORE you select a system. After reading Kimber’s article, you may realize you NEED an XML repository, not a tool that supports XML. There’s a big difference! Warning: This …

Avenue A | Razorfish Offers Intranet Best Practices Report

July 21, 2006 Blog No Comments

Avenue A | Razorfish has announced availability of their free Intranet Best Practices Report, a study on intranet, extranet and employee portal solutions based on research with industry leading organizations. The report provides guidance to managers on how to evolve their intranet, extranet or employee portal to generate greater, more measurable business value from it.