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Subject:Layout program or markup language From:"Micaela Kayser" <Mica -dot- Kayser -at- topcall -dot- co -dot- at> To:"TECHWR-L -at- LISTS -dot- RAYCOMM -dot- COM@smtp" <TECHWR-L -at- LISTS -dot- RAYCOMM -dot- COM> Date:13 Apr 2000 14:21:13 +0200
I am not a technical writer per se, because there is no college degree for this in
Austria. I studied translation and knew fairly early that that was not where I wanted to
be. I landed a job as a technical writer in a company that doesn't have a documentation
department.... yet. My experience is also quite limited, since all I've done straight from
college was work in a documentation department as a translator.
My problem is that the developers are currently writing the 100 to 500 page manuals in
Word an it just isn't getting the job done, too many bugs and surprises. We all agree that
we need to find another solution, but what?! I read so much about Pagemaker, Framemaker,
QuarkExpress in the mailing list and the archive. It seems that layout programs are being
used over markup programs like TeX for instance. Why?
Can you please tell me what the best solution is? (I feel at such a disadvantage for not
having studied technical writing in the US!!)
Mica Kayser
Mica -dot- Kayser -at- topcall -dot- co -dot- at
