Re: Recommended apps to learn as a new tech writer...

[David Neeley <dbneeley -at- gmail -dot- com>]

Andy,

Many folks are saying you should read the current ads for tech writers
and see what they are asking for.

In your position, I disagree to a point.

Since you are now entering a certificate program, I believe you should
be more interested in those technologies that will be most useful at
the other end of the program not simply what is sought today.

That may seem, at first blush, not to be particularly useful if you
don't have a handy crystal ball! However, things aren't quite that
bad.

I think it is an accurate statement that XML is expanding and becoming
much more mainstream. Since XML is not a tool but a technology,
becoming proficient with it and with the various enabling technologies
will serve you well--no matter what tools come and go.

There is rapid development in the tools arena and some standardized
formats gaining ground. The next generation Microsoft Office will
supposedly have XML much more "baked in"--and, if preliminary
information is believed, their native file formats will become XML
instances.

However, you don't have to wait for that when you can download
OpenOffice.org today for free.

As a rule, if you can use any modern word processor, learning another
isn't all that difficult. Learn two, and the third is much easier
still.

If funds are limited, I would suggest OpenOffice--which contains a
drawing program as well as word processor, spreadsheet, database (in
the latest icarnation), and presentation program, and it does a very
credible job as an HTML editor.

Next, I'd look to a decent XML tool. I am quite impressed with Oxygen
XML Editor thus far, since it also incorporates XSL/XSLT capabilities
and can be used with whichever DTD or schema you wish. It is also very
inexpensive, another great thing for a student.

In the graphics arena, I would get a student licensed version of
Photoshop--or, better yet, perhaps the entire Creative Suite if you
can swing it. While other tools are used here and there, Photoshop and
Illustrator are the industry standards. That would give you Acrobat as
well, and InDesign.

I find that nearly any paint program can be fairly quickly learned
once you are familiar with one, and the same with draw
programs--although the GIMP is a much different interface, it is also
with a little practice fast and intuitive.

If you need to put off the acquisition of the Creative Suite, I would
download and learn the GIMP despite its interface differences. It is
extremely powerful and quite a bargain, since it is free!

OpenOffice.org exports to .pdf without having Acrobat, and there are
other tools that are free or very cheap that will do the same thing
with your other programs. There is a Windows version of Ghostscript
(free PostScript interpreter) and Ghostview (viewer and PDF creation),
and of course the free tools I mention are also available for Linux.

Finally, there are also many online help tools out there. That is
something I'd work on during the last few months of your certificate
program, unless you must do so for a class before that time. By that
time, some changes will become more clear--such as the fate of
Robohelp, the introduction of shipping software called Macap Flare,
and so forth. Here, too, there are free tools available if you need
them. Personally, I would put off the purchase of any help tools as
long as practical. You will certainly have much to do in the meantime.

Good luck!

David

On 8/26/05, Hiking Nut <carolinahikingnut -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> 
>         I'm as new as you can get in this field (I'm starting a TW
> certificate program this fall, but I do have 17 years under my belt as
> a technician in the telecom field). I'd like to know if anyone could
> recommend 2-3 software apps that I should focus on learning before I
> applying for work in this field?

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