RE: Lotus Notes

Subject: RE: Lotus Notes
From: "Wilcox, Rose" <rwilcox -at- ssqi -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2005 09:59:07 -0700



My last B.A. job was in a Lotus Notes shop.

We created the docs in Word and stored them in the Lotus Notes database.
I didn't create any PDFs, but I don't see why you couldn't attach PDFs
in Lotus Notes databases as well as Word files.

What types of documents are you creating? Who is your audience and what
will really help them use the documents? If they all have access to
Notes, it may indeed help them to create searchable documents you can
store in Notes, rather than beautifully formatted PDF documents that
they can't search.

Your boss is all about content and searchability, so those seem to be
where to start. Those items are very important in any case. In fact, I
think I could argue that they are more important than "prettiness".

You may need to create smaller, chunked documents rather than large
manuals.

Even with that, I don't think Domino itself can provide you with the
proper tools to develop the documents. I think it is more of a server
and an environment. What you need to do is understand the environment
and try to find a documentation solution that fits. What tools would
help you create the types of documents you need in the Notes
environment?

Instead of trying a backwards argument trying to fit Frame into the
environment, try to figure out what the documentation problem is and how
to solve it.

Then if the tools at hand don't solve the problem, ask for what you
really need, which may or may not be Frame/Acrobat. You may indeed
solve the problem by writing content in Wordpad and porting into Domino
servers. If that works for the audience needs, why not? (Hopefully
there is something more elegant however!)

______________________
Rose A. Wilcox
Senior Technical Writer
480-586-2645
480-580-0530 (cell)
Rwilcox -at- ssqi -dot- com

WRITING TIP FOR PROFESSIONALS: To make your writing more appealing to
the reader, avoid ``writing negatively.'' Use positive expressions
instead.

WRONG: "Do not use this appliance in the bathtub."
RIGHT: "Go ahead and use this appliance in the bathtub.''
-Dave Barry

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