Re: Question from a re-virginized newbie

[Robert Lauriston <robert -at- lauriston -dot- com>]

DITA is fundamentally just a set of tags, like HTML, RTF, MIF, wiki
markup, or WordPerfect codes, except that the tags are more abstract.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_Information_Typing_Architecture

There are a variety of tools that use DITA source to generate MS HTML
Help, web help, PDF, and so on. The DITA Open Toolkit aka DITA-OT
bundles a bunch of them. Help authoring tools that use DITA, such as
Oxygen XML and XMetal, look and work much like RoboHelp or Flare.

You'd be unlikely to need DITA skills outside of a large company.

On Thu, Feb 27, 2014 at 5:47 AM, Hannah Drake <hannah -at- formulatrix -dot- com> wrote:
> Bee, good point.
>
> Actually, I'm relatively new to the field and have seen various articles
> and discussion on DITA but still can't find a good entry point to begin to
> understand what it is. Does anybody have any recommended resources?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>
> On Wed, Feb 26, 2014 at 7:02 PM, beelia <beelia -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
>
>> I'm a bit late chiming in on this, but I want to go back to the original
>> question, because I think no one has considered the obvious. Mr. Webster is
>> going to need a job!
>>
>> >My question is as follows: I have a limited amount of $ to spend on
>> training, so given where the industry is headed, what utilit(ies) training
>> should I pursue?
>>
>> My advice would be to look at all of the Technical Writer job listings you
>> can find for your area, and see what skills are most in demand - then train
>> yourself in those.
>>
>> In Silicon Valley, it's Madcap Flare and DITA, usually XMetaL/Trisoft. I
>> have both of those skills and get recruited a lot, so I know those two are
>> at the top of the TW job requirements list here.
>>
>> But the popular software in your area might be FrameMaker/RoboHelp or just
>> plain Word. Check it out before you commit to training on any particular
>> tool.
>>
>> HTH.
>>
>> Bee
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 26, 2014 at 2:15 PM, Scott Turner <quills -at- airmail -dot- net> wrote:
>>
>> > Yeah, I know.
>> >
>> > > On Feb 26, 2014, at 12:31, Gene Kim-Eng <techwr -at- genek -dot- com> wrote:
>> > >
>> > > MS didn't eliminate the need for docs.  They just eliminated the docs.
>> > >
>> > > Gene Kim-Eng
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >> On Wed, Feb 26, 2014 at 10:28 AM, Scott Turner <quills -at- airmail -dot- net>
>> > wrote:
>> > >> Oh, you mean like Microsoft did with it's Office suite?
>> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> > Doc-To-Help: new website, content widgets, and an output that works on
>> any
>> > screen.
>> >
>> > Learn more: http://bit.ly/1eRs4NS
>> >
>> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> >
>> > You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as beelia -at- pacbell -dot- net -dot- 
>> >
>> > To unsubscribe send a blank email to
>> > techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>> >
>> >
>> > Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
>> > http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/ for more resources and
>> > info.
>> >
>> > Looking for articles on Technical Communications?  Head over to our
>> online
>> > magazine at http://techwhirl.com
>> >
>> > Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions?  Search our public
>> > email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives
>> >
>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> Doc-To-Help: new website, content widgets, and an output that works on any
>> screen.
>>
>> Learn more: http://bit.ly/1eRs4NS
>>
>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>
>> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as hannah -dot- drake -at- formulatrix -dot- com -dot- 
>>
>> To unsubscribe send a blank email to
>> techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>>
>>
>> Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
>> http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/ for more resources and
>> info.
>>
>> Looking for articles on Technical Communications?  Head over to our online
>> magazine at http://techwhirl.com
>>
>> Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions?  Search our public
>> email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Hannah L. Drake
> Lead Technical Documentation Specialist
> Formulatrix, Inc.
>
> 781-788-0228 x137 (office)
> 617-610-6456 (cell)
> hannah.drake.formulatrix (skype)
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Doc-To-Help: new website, content widgets, and an output that works on any screen.
>
> Learn more: http://bit.ly/1eRs4NS
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as robert -at- lauriston -dot- com -dot- 
>
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to
> techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>
>
> Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
> http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/ for more resources and info.
>
> Looking for articles on Technical Communications?  Head over to our online magazine at http://techwhirl.com
>
> Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions?  Search our public email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Doc-To-Help: new website, content widgets, and an output that works on any screen.

Learn more: http://bit.ly/1eRs4NS

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

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-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com


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

Looking for articles on Technical Communications?  Head over to our online magazine at http://techwhirl.com

Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions?  Search our public email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives