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I should note that I do not use Frame although I am learning it (Word
primarily at present) -- but lets face it, from what I see in job postings,
at least here in the Great White North (i.e., Canada), Framemaker makes you
that much more employable. If I was in college learning tech writing that is
certainly what I'd expect by the time I was finished. For a school, it's a
matter of teaching the tools that will get students the farthest. Frame is
definitely one of those tools -- and if an employer doesn't need a graduate
to know it, at least they'll know he/she is comfortable with the tools of
the trade in general. This reality was what my suggestion was based upon.
Sarah
************************
Connie wrote:
Frame is A standard tool--not THE standard tool. Please don't con your
students into believing that knowledge of Frame or any other document tool
is the be-all and end-all of this profession. I've done pretty well for 8
years without ever using Frame, but I'd been lost if I hadn't learned HTML!
All depends on your industry. Teach them design principles, research
skills, editing skills, usability concepts, and introduce them to the tools.
By the time they graduate they'll have all changed again anyway!
MTC
Connie Giordano
[SNIP]
Frame seems to be
the standard tool for tech writers so your students would probably be best
served by learning that -- but if your school is just interested in
switching to Indesign, be assured that is a decent tool. Recently, Adobe's
web site put an article on it clearly stating it was NOT dropping Framemaker
so don't let that rumour affect your school's decision.
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