RE: Information Mapping

["Donald H. White" <trlbldr -at- comcast -dot- net>]

There is nothing unique or compelling about the Information Mapping
"methodologies." The Information Mapping company claims their methods take
anyone's writing and organize it better.

In fact, they have nothing more than a set of canned templates and styles
for the production of MS Word documents. Oh, they offer some philosophy in
the Help/User Guide files that teach not only how to invoke the styles in
the templates but also explain how to organize material.

That's what "it's" all about, anyway: good writing practice. A writer
organizes her or his material by subject and subordination. IM calls this
"chunking" information, as if it patented the phrase. Personally, I call it
"outlining," whether the writer writes an outline or organizes one in his or
her head.

A Word document prepared using the IM templates (and macros) consists of
tables and nested tables and tables nested within nested tables. In the IM
world, all documents look and read the same.

Oh, I'm not a fan of the formal IM "process."

Hope this helps.

Donald H. White
Sr. Technical Writer/Editor
James River Technical Communications LLC
804.795.2914
dwhite -at- jrtcllc -dot- com
www.jrtcllc.com


-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+trlbldr=comcast -dot- net -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+trlbldr=comcast -dot- net -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf
Of Bridge, Ian
Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 6:39 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Information Mapping


Does anyone have experience of using formal Information Mapping
methodologies to produce Operational Procedures, Processes, User Guides or
Processes?



How did the techniques help/hinder the development process?



Ian Bridge

Team Leader

Procedural Change Service
Capita


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