Re: DEBATE: Word-processing or DTP

["Hutchings, Christa" <cwhutchings -at- HOMEWIRELESS -dot- COM>]

Bernie -

Sorry, but I disagree. I have worked in environments where the tech
writer also handled the page layout, and in environments where the
writer wrote in Word and handed the doc off to a formatter. The second
scenario struck me from the get-go as extremely inefficient because
every time the doc needed correcting (even for a minor typo), we had to
reschedule time with the formatters. Also, we did a lot of revisions
there, which meant we either had to mark up an existing doc or have our
production team filter the doc back to Word from Interleaf, our DTP app
(I know, I'm groaning too). Having handled page layout before, I knew
that in the time it took me to mark up a doc so the formatters could
understand it, I could have easily made the changes myself. Even getting
the doc filtered back to Word took too long (2-3 days lead time just to
get the Word file released from the library). Unfortunately, the company
didn't want to buy Interleaf for the writers, or train them on it, so it
generally took about 50% longer to revise a doc as it should have. Since
I was the only writer there who had ever used a DTP app, it was pretty
much impossible trying to convince them to change their process (one of
the reasons I left).

I also found it very difficult to juggle projects there, because we
would write a doc, send it to the formatters, work on another project
while the first was in formatting, proofread the first when it came out
of formatting, send it back to formatting for correction, go back to
working on another project, send it to formatting, etc. Since each
writer usually had 3-10 projects going at any one time, it was a
nightmare keeping track of everything.

Furthermore, the writers there were expected to get a doc out the door
in the allotted timeframe, HOWEVER, because we had no authority over the
formatting team, we were pretty much at their mercy when it came to
schedules. Our projects often got bumped down the line because another
senior writer or a product manager convinced the production team leader
that their project was more important. Needless to say, the whole thing
was pretty frustrating to someone who was used to handling and
controlling a project from start to finish.

Finally, on a personal note, I also like the variety of doing document
design and page layout and working with graphics, along with my writing
tasks. I guess there are writers out there who don't want to be bothered
with these tasks, but I found myself pretty bored doing only writing.

Chris Welch-Hutchings
Senior Technical Writer
Home Wireless Networks, Inc.
mailto:cwhutchings -at- homewireless -dot- com





-----Original Message-----
From: Bernie McCann [mailto:BernieMc -at- AOL -dot- COM]
Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 1998 1:37 PM
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject: DEBATE: Word-processing or DTP


Hi Techwr-lers;

How evident, I wonder, is it to many of us, that there are endless
complaints
about MS Word which, it can be argued, are unfair (while accepting that
there
are many bugs).

I refer to the frequent use of a word-processing application as an
electronic
publishing application.  This is related to the question of computer
operators
becoming good writers or, for that matter, writers becoming great
technical
illustrators or editors.  It is, surely, not going to happen .... not in
most
cases.

Personaly, and generally speaking, I prefer writers to do what they
ought to
do best - write.  Their tool for this should be a word-processor.  Upon
completion of that task, it should be finished by a really competent
computer
operator using a dtp application (someone who would have no problem with
the
difficult questions seen on this newsgroup .... and someone who,
probably,
doesn't even read this).  It appears that there is, eventually, an
answer to
all the questions .... usually, from very skilled computer operators.
Meanwhile, I wonder how much writer time has been lost .... I hope that
nobody
will post the line about the writer staring out of the window.

Of course, there are companies that believe that one person can do
everything
(with only a word-processing application) hence, the recent invention of
the
title, communication specialist (apologies to those wonderfully patient
specialists out there).  It is a sad state of affairs, because these,
usually
small, companies ought to be considering contracting-out some of the
tasks.
It is equally sad that our profession (so called) could be losing its
creditability from the probable reduction of quality.

I'm sure that this subject has been seen on this list before (before my
time)
but it seems timely to mention it once more, if only as an introduction
to the
many junior writers appearing on the scene, who may be unaware of
correct job
descriptions (as is often said, "What's that!").

My question (You knew that I'd get around to it) is, am I out to lunch?

Just my 2 cents (Canadian) worth.

Bernie (Proud to be a technical communicator, and not related, in any
way, to
Microsoft)

22/07/98 (Subject will self-destruct in 20 days)

P.S.  When I go out to lunch, you pay!

~~~