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Subject:RE: Tracking Documentation History From:Melissa Nelson <melmis36 -at- hotmail -dot- com> To:"Leonard C. Porrello" <leonard -dot- porrello -at- soleratec -dot- com>, <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:14:54 -0400
Anytime we send the military a document it goes through their QA and then their Content Management departments to make sure ANY change is approved. So notations about any type of changes are very valuable to them. They remove the page before it ever gets to the guys in the field who use the software. That and about ten other pages that have to be placed on any document we send to them.
Melissa
> Subject: RE: Tracking Documentation History> Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:13:51 -0700> From: Leonard -dot- Porrello -at- SoleraTec -dot- com> To: melmis36 -at- hotmail -dot- com; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> > I wouldn't question a customers preferences, but I do wonder if anyone> knows what value is derived from such a list. BTW, this isn't a> rhetorical question.> > Leonard> > -----Original Message-----> From: techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- c> om] On Behalf Of Melissa Nelson> Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 10:06 AM> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Subject: RE: Tracking Documentation History> > I do document history two ways. For internal documents I do a separate> revision history that anyone in the company may access as needed.> However, our major customer, who is military, requires a revision note> for EVERY revision done to a document. Even if I change three or four> words or reformat something, it had better be placed in the revision> chart at the beginning of the document. I also need to give the document> a new version number for every revision. > > Melissa> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Subject: RE: Tracking Documentation History> Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2008> 13:02:07 -0400> From: DHemstreet -at- kaydon -dot- com> To:> mronquillo -at- equitrac -dot- com; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> > Hi Ron,> > SHORT> ANSWER:> > Does it need to be part of the document? NO> Do you need it?> YES> Does it have value to the customer? Not usually.> > **Long form> thoughts to help clarify the issue**> > The document history is usually> a critical part of your company's> compliance with different standards.> > > At issue is WHERE this information is stored. It does not need to> be> kept as a physical part of the document, but it should not be> removed> without coordinating such changes with your Quality Dept.> > I> worked at one company where we handled the doc history as follows:> 1.> For internal documents, an opening page with sign-off table> and doc> history table. Users usually just skipped the first page and> went to> the body of the document.> 2. For external documents, the same opening> page was maintained> sep> arate from, but associated with, the document.> Example: Doc> #SPI-45-01-000 and #SPI-40-01-000_op, etc.> > Another option is to make> this doc approval/history the LAST page of> your internal documents> (much more convenient for your readers).> > Finally, I have seen and> used manuals that had the document history> inside. I thought it was a> total waste of space, and have a feeling this> was done by someone> misunderstanding the relevant standards for their> device.> > Hope this> is helpful> > Deborah> > > > > > -----Original Message-----> From:> techwr-l-bounces+dhemstreet=kaydon -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+dhemstreet=kaydon -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On>> Behalf Of Ronquillo, Michael> Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 12:25 PM>> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Subject: Tracking Documentation> History> > Hey all,> > > > > > What are your thoughts on tracking the> documentation history in the> documentation?> > > > For example, you> would have a date and software release> and have bullets> saying exactly what has been changed/updated. Is> this good practice or> does it air out "dirty laundry". Does this have> any value to the> customer?> > > > I am considering dropping it because> it's getting ridiculously long.> Also, it shows our company's mistakes.> The only value it has is for our> support team so they know what's> updated when answering queries from> customers. Is there a better method> for tracking changes internally?> > > > I'd love to hear what you guys> do.> > > > Thanks,> > Mike> > > >> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> > 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 pr> oductivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com> > ---> You are currently> subscribed to TECHWR-L as dhemstreet -at- kaydon -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/dhemstreet%40kaydon.c> > om> > > 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.> > > > >> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> > 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 melmis36 -at- hotmail -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/melmis36%40hotmail.co> m> > > 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.> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> > 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> Leonard -dot- Porrello -at- soleratec -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/leonard.porrello%40so> leratec.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.>
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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
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