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Re: RE: How do I say I do information mapping without InformationMapping?
Subject:Re: RE: How do I say I do information mapping without InformationMapping? From:"Karen Graber" <graber -at- iodp -dot- tamu -dot- edu> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 16 Apr 2004 09:34:33 -0500
The generic term I've heard is "structured writing."
Karen Graber
Integrated Ocean Drilling Program
College Station, TX
<<Chuck wrote:
>"I've been trained in and long practiced the Information Mapping
>concepts
...
<<Steve replied:
It's a registered trademark; perhaps you'd be better off saying you're
familiar with or versed in those concepts if you haven't taken one of
their official courses.
Now, having said that, there does seem to be less to it than it's made
out to be. Write clearly and with a purpose, skip the unnecessary
stuff,
and label your material for easy access. That's the basic idea, so it
seemed to me when I learned it, and the rest seemed rather pedantic.>>
I do agree with the assessment of the basic ideas of Info Mapping;
however, I have seen a lot of documentation that was ostensibly
"information mapped" but which didn't follow the basic principles I
learned in the workshop. So it seems to me there are many folks out
there claiming to be using Information Mapping... but who aren't.
Also if a copy is using the licensed version of Information Mapping,
they may have certain standards around templates that someone who
hadn't
taken the seminar would be unfamiliar with. If your resume gets your
foot in the door, it might be good to question the client or employer
about how they are applying the Info Mapping. If they are using the
main concepts of it, but not the entire method, then not having the
seminar wouldn't necessarily be a detriment, but if they are using the
full application of the method with some form of templates, you might
be
missing something.
I took the seminar and was relieved to find I had been using MOST of
the
ideas MOST of the time, but still, Info Mapping is a more rigorous
application of the principles than I usually follow. However I did
find
it very effective when I applied it to writing technical manuals and
was
able to cut my time in half. I was able to "over deliver" on my doc
plan and thus become a hero. I found it a very useful discipline, and
I
was already at that time, a senior tech writer with a great track
record.
However, I don't actually use the discipline much today, but then
again,
I'm writing process docs and project artifacts and such. I might dust
it off though and see if I can apply anything from it to my current
job
life....
Rose A. Wilcox
Center for Process Excellence, CHQ 8th Floor
602-250-3195
Rose -dot- Wilcox -at- aps -dot- com
"Tis not knowing much, but what is useful, that makes a wise man."
- Thomas Fuller
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