Re: online docs in portfolio

[Jane_Torpie_at_III-HQ -at- PROTEON -dot- COM]

Text item: Text_1

Caryn -

I'd take a diskette of the online help file (esp. if it is WinHelp) and
allow the potential client to review it *while you are sitting there.*
(You don't have to stare that the person ... ask if they'd like you to
explain it, or if you can read some information about the company, or even
make some notes of your own about their specs for the job.)  Although the
person may prefer to thumb through it at his/her convenience, I'd explain
that the information in there is the property of the company for whom you
did the last contract and that you feel a reponsibility to safeguard it, as
you would any future client's material (such as theirs).

Part of the contracting process is demonstrating *your* skill at creating
online doc. systems that are useful to the user.  To that end, having the
interviewer take a quick tour is not a bad mirroring of the user's
experience of online doc ... users draw their conclusions about quality
very quickly.

I'd also take a paper-based "map" of the information along with several
printed-out panels that are samples of the whole system.  That abbreviated
portion of the system should be okay to leave behind for perusal.  Asking
them not to copy it is probably a good idea ... you can't enforce it, but
hopefully they'll comply, and they should notice that you make a reasonable
effort to safeguard proprietary information.

Hope this helps.

_______________________________________________________________________
Jane Torpie
Principal Technical Writer
Easel Corporation
Burlington, MA, USA
617-221-2100
JTorpie -at- EaselCor -dot- mhs -dot- compuserve -dot- com  <-------- new address!