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Tuesday, June 23, 2009
New Book Aims To Help Newbies Understand DITA Basics
By Scott Abel, The Content Wrangler Community
The pace at which technological innovation occurs is amazing. The last 20 years have been jam-packed with paradigm-shifting technological advances that have altered forever the way we create, manage, and deliver information. The personal computer, the World Wide Web, desktop publishing, touch-screen mobile phones, interactive television, social networks, and wireless connectivity have transformed not only the way consumers interact with content, but these advances have also altered the way professional communicators work.
Nowhere are these changes more evident that in the world of technical communication. Technical writers and editors have been forced—like it or not—to move to a more formal method of creating content, often for a global audience. Gone are the days of the free-for-all approach to creating technical documentation products one-at-a-time using desktop publishing tools. While this technique was the best method possible in the 80s and 90s, today, those who create user manuals, online help systems, and other types of documentation are increasingly expected to take a more formal approach to content creation, utilizing content standards like the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) - the subject of DITA 101: Fundamentals of DITA for Authors and Managers, a new book from the folks at The Rockley Group.
The advent of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) and rapid adoption of topic-based content standards like DITA have forced us to separate content from format and end our addiction to desktop publishing. Today, technical communicators must learn to write modular, topic-based, context-independent content using a new breed of authoring tools. It’s not an easy change for many. The resources available are often poorly conceived, confusing, jargon-laden collections of information that don’t make learning new skills and techniques easy. In fact, they make things much harder than they need be.
That’s why DITA 101: Fundamentals of DITA for Authors and Managers ($9.95 immediate download; $25.21 paperback) by Ann Rockley, Steve Manning and Charles Cooper is such an important work. Simple, easy-to-understand, and loaded with practical examples that resonate with technical communicators. Rockley and team have consolidated years of experience helping folks just like you make the move from unstructured content creation to DITA. This work is the result of their efforts and a valuable contribution to the technical communication literature.
Go ahead, take a peek. It’s not as scary as you might think.
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News & Notes
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DITA Workshops in Wisconsin; Outstanding Value!
Monday, June 29, 2009
The STC Wisconsin, Four Lakes and Twin Cities communities are cooperatively presenting three DITA workshops this July. DITA Content Modeling - July 11, Milwaukee; DITA-In-a-Day: Authoring - July 13, Minneapolis (FULL, Waiting list only); DITA-In-a-Day: Authoring - July 15, Madison; DITA Production - July 18, Milwaukee. Cost: $50 for STC members, $85 for non-members, $25 for students. You can’t beat this value anywhere. If you don’t sign up for these classes, you are really missing a BIG opportunity to learn at a deep discount.
Adobe Announces Acrobat.com Presentations
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
In keeping with the trend of creating free software that runs in a web browser, Adobe Systems has announced Acrobat.com Presentations web-based tools designed to help you create, edit, and share presentations with others online. Built on the Adobe Flash platform, Acrobat.com Presentations allows you to create beautiful professional presentations online, using built-in tools and layouts. And, if you’re someone who works well with others, you can create, revise, and collaborate on the same presentation online—at the same time—with your co-workers. No need to e-mail attachments back and forth or track down who has the latest version. And, Adobe provides a discussion forum dedicated to the product that allows users to get help from other users and Adobe.
As is the case with many software products that exist in the “cloud”, Acrobat.com Presentations allows you to access your presentation files from anywhere—and make last minute tweaks—providing you’re connected to the Net. You can even deliver your presentation and share it with others—all from within a web browser.
Try Acrobat.com Presentations today. It’s free!
Book Review: “Managing Writers: A Real World Guide to Managing Technical Documentation”
Monday, April 13, 2009
In this review of “Managing Writers: A Real World Guide to Managing Technical Documentation” (Richard L. Hamilton, XML Press, 2009), Emma Hamer writes, “This unassuming little book (238 pages, plus templates and index) is a MUST-READ for new and existing managers of technical communication teams. For the price, $24.95, it is a steal; an absolute treasure-trove of valuable information. Trust me; you will go back to it again and again. And it will make you a better and more effective manager.” Read the review. Then, buy the book.
Web Content 2009 Chicago - Early Bird Registration Ends March 31
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Consumers are flooded with information created and delivered using outdated tactics. Poorly-targeted pitches and mass messaging are being replaced by laser-targeted, measurable methods that promise to deliver the right information, to the right people, at the right time, in the right format and language. This requires new thinking. So, we’re bringing together nationally-recognized technology, design, content, and marketing authorities at Web Content 2009 Chicago, June 15-16, at Gleacher Executive Conference Center, to help you understand how global organizations are “Delivering Personalized Dynamic Web Content”.
Save $200 when you register before March 31. Registration is open. Grab your ticket today!
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