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Subject:Re: Building a web site for documentation From:"Christensen, Kent" <lkchris -at- sandia -dot- gov> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 24 Sep 2001 07:58:22 -0600
re: ... first question is why. What will this accomplish for your company?
Is it useful for marketing? A convenience for your customers?
Seems to me first question is what is your definition of "documentation?"
This is not a word I normally associate with "customer" unless at the most
technically complex interface. Rather, it seems an intranet rather than
Internet project, but there are mostly advantages in either case. First of
all of course is to clearly state the goals--which seems important to
suggest given the vague nature of the question posted here.
The main advantage is "saves trees." Well, not totally ... rather, it's
that the latest information is always readily available. No checking a
printed "manual" to see if the latest changes have been incorporated. No
list of change pages. We do this for corporate policy at my workplace, and
we're so concerned about printed copies (from the browser) that each chapter
states that a printed copy may no longer be current and the only "official"
copy is what is viewed on the computer screen.
Another really significant advantage lies in the fact that almost everything
you write references something else. When the system is Web-based, these
references can be conveniently hypertext linked. (Your project may be
bigger than you think.) Some hypertext links of course can create e-mail
messages for submitting feedback and questions.
re: I know that I need an IP address to get started ...
Seems unlikely. Because ...
1. if your product will be external, i.e. Internet, it seems highly
unlikely that the very first Internet presence for your company will be some
"documentation." Your firm's Internet presence is beyond the scope of this
project, and your project will then be just a small part of the whole Web
site. Start off your Web site (if it doesn't already exist) with "about us,
"contacting us," "our products," etc. Then post "documentation." No new IP
address is required for this step, once the others are accomplished. The
more relevant or useful term is "domain name." Probably someone besides you
will be in charge of your firm's Internet presence.
2. if your product is internal, i.e. intranet, someone in your firm's IT
group will have already or will need to set up a server, etc. When the
server exists, you'll get instructions as to how to post your documentation.
"IP address" is not a relevant term in this posting process--your document
is just a file in a directory on the computer that is your server and the
URL for your document consists of the server name plus the filename. It can
be even simpler than this, as your LAN can be set up to facilitate mapping
your server as a drive letter. Again, this seems of minimal concern to a
tech writer in a company with an IT group.
re: he thought I would be the perfect person to do this; but I would hate
to set myself up for failure.
For the tech writing part for sure. It's quite a stretch to become the IT
department as well. Best to concentrate on presentation and get help on the
computer technicalities. It sounds like (you have "developers") you have
the help you need for those.
Presentation: it's different on the Web as opposed to print. No page
numbers. Narrow columns. Different fonts. Hypertext links. Graphics are
separate files. Tech writer stuff.
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