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>Many years ago, these tasks may have been different,
>but today, information design is such a part of the
>actual information development, that I can't imagine
>writing without having control over presentation. If
>design is to be involved, they can design the template
>that the writers use in the DTP tool.
Unfortunately, there's still too many people who insist
that they're writers, and nothing more. If you've been in
the field for more than ten years, you can get away with
this attitude, especially if you have a steady position or
a regular group of customers. If you're new, you can't. In
fact, I sometimes think that you can tell how long someone
has been in the field by how much interest they have in
layout. The less they have, the longer they've been in the field.
I'd also like to mention that, for contractors, some
knowledge of layout is essential. I just finished one project in which
my duties included an overhaul of the design of the existing manuals. At
the same time, another writer rewrote something for the same company,
but didn't bother with any re-design. I got the next contract; the other
writer didn't. And this is the second time that this has happened.
Let's face it: we're not just producers of information any more. We're
also presenters.
>My own experience: I write much more efficiently and
>thoroughly when composing directly in a DTP tool than in a >word processor.
Interesting to hear someone echo my own thoughts. Maybe this dual role
explains why I tend to use Frame for basic word processing, too.
--
Bruce Byfield (bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com)
Technical Writer / Job Bank Team, STC Canada West Coast Chapter
h: (604) 421-7189
"Pharaoh sits in his tower of steel,
The dogs of money all at his heels,
Magicians cry, 'O truth, O real!'
We're all working for Pharaoh."
--Richard Thompson
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