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Subject:Re: Information Mapping? From:Monica Petersen <MONICA -dot- PETERSEN -at- EY -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 18 Oct 1995 18:56:46 -0400
Hi James,
I worked with a product called Information Mapping that implemented the idea
of information mapping. The idea is based on the notion of "chunking"
information: breaking it into coherent chunks small enough (and focused
enough) to be easily read and comprehended. You establish several basic
types of information appropriate for your document's content; specify
length, content, and formatting rules for each type; and then apply the
rules to the information to write the document. It's not rocket science,
but it's obviously not well-applied everywhere!
The software tool was really a set of styles and macros in WordPerfect, and
rules for using them. The company sends people to train all your writers
(even if they aren't formally employed as writers) in how to break
information into appropriate chunks and apply the formatting. I saw this in
use at a large company that had to collect and then disseminate a huge
volume of procedural training to a lot of people in a short time. It worked
pretty well for them--the company got documents that all looked the same and
sounded more or less the same (choppy but more or less direct) despite being
written by many authors. The overall consistency of look, feel, and content
was impressive.
I'm afraid I don't have references about the company immediately at hand,
but if you want, I'll try to dig something out of my dusty files.
Monica
monica -dot- petersen -at- ey -dot- com
----------
From: usinet(TECHWRL)
To: PETERMO; Multiple recipients of list TECHWR-L
Subject: Information Mapping?
Date: Tuesday, October 17, 1995 11:03PM
Techwr-lr's
What exactly is information mapping? I've seen the term floating around
recently, and I suspect I already know the concepts--just not under that
name. Can someone define the term for me?
TIA,
James Lockard
norton -at- mcs -dot- net
"I love being a writer . . . what I can't stand is the paperwork"
--Peter De Vries--
