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Subject:RE: Internal Documentation Web site From:"Gale Stafford" <gstafford -at- gmail -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Thu, 6 Oct 2005 10:21:22 -0500
Well we can take one item off your Cons list if you set up a wiki instead of
a traditional website. Just set your wiki up so that all your writers have
permission to create new pages. I've set up two wiki systems using the twiki
collaboration platform (http://twiki.org), and both systems became very
useful to the staff in a period of weeks. The key thing is to have a plan:
create guidelines on how to structure and organize your content, how to name
your pages, etc. If you don't plan it, the content will quickly get
disorganized, nobody will be able to find what they need, and they'll all be
blaming whoever led the effort to set the darn thing up (which could be
you!).
As for the website possibly being inaccessible if the server is down --
well, how many minutes in a typical month would you expect the server to be
down? What I'm implying is, I'm not sure if this is a strong argument
against having an internal documentation web site.
The Pros you listed are all right on track! If you propose a wiki system,
you can add "Serves as a collaboration platform for writers" to your Pros
list.
-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-169296 -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-169296 -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Ashaki K.
Hamlett
Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 9:16 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Internal Documentation Web site
[ ... some stuff deleted ... ]
She wants me to compile a list of
pros and cons as to why we should have an internal documentation Web
site. I came up with the following:
Cons
- Possibly inaccessible if server is down
- Need to contact member outside TW team every time an update is needed
to the site (I can create the site, but I don't have privileges to
publish to the server.)
Pros
- Serves as a training tool for writers
- Information in one central place oppose to being scattered across
network folders
- Quick access to Web resources
Please feel free to add to either list (preferably, the Pros list :).
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