The worst doc problem ever?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Lech Rzedzicki wrote: <<A friendly group of techwriters uses a  
process, known to many of you as change bars. Chnagebars make it easy  
for the SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) to see where the changes  
happened and it is mostly because of the SMEs that the changebars are  
used at all.>>

I do primarily substantive editing, so I gave up completely on change  
bars when I realized my edits always ended up with a long black  
streak running continuously down the margin from the first line to  
the last line -- kinda looked like someone had scratched the drum on  
the laser printer. <g>

But more seriously, once we realized how grossly inefficient change  
bars were for serious editing, I spent a lot of time teaching my  
authors to use Word's revision tracking, and comparable alternatives  
when revision tracking wasn't available, and once they'd gotten over  
the learning curve, they never looked back.


----------------------------------------------------
-- Geoff Hart
ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca / geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com
www.geoff-hart.com
--------------------------------------------------
***Now available***  _Effective onscreen editing_
(http://www.geoff-hart.com/home/onscreen-book.htm)

Print version: http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fStoreID=1505747

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or 
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007 
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more.
http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/ for more resources and info.