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Subject:Re: FrameMaker Vs Word From:"Richard G. Combs" <richard -dot- combs -at- voyanttech -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 15 Nov 2002 11:23:15 -0700
Suraj Jayan wrote:
> I am faced with an issue in my company regarding
> whether Word or FrameMaker is better for documentation
> of user manuals for the company products.
I heartily agree with "search the archives!" on this topic, but do want to
comment on a couple of Suraj's points.
> 1) The company is following a cost cutting measure
> and as a result,they have pointed out that FrameMaker
> licenses have to be paid more for, when compared to
> Word licenses.
This argument is really only relevant if you're just getting started
producing tech pubs and have to buy one or the other. If you have an
existing tech pubs dept. (which is what it sounds like) and the writers
already have FM, it's a non-issue. You just keep using the FM licenses you
already have (you don't have to upgrade each time a new version comes out;
some companies still use FM5.1).
> 2) The company also points out the ease of Word usage
> and the familiarity it has with the Subject Matter
> Experts who provide the inputs for the Technical
> Writers. So, the question is why have two tools when
> the cheaper tool can be used for providing both the
> inputs as well as publishing the document in print.
This argument is important to the degree that your tech writers aren't
_really_ tech writers, but "font fondlers." IOW, what do you mean when you
say the SMEs "provide the inputs"?
Do the SMEs do all or most of the _writing_? Do the tech "writers" just edit
the SMEs' text and "make it look pretty"? Then, yes, switch to the tool that
the _real writers_ are using. (Tip o' the hat to Andrew Plato.) ;-)
Richard
------
Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Voyant Technologies, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT voyanttechDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT freeDASHmarketDOTnet
303-777-0436
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