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RE: What alternatives are there to "Information Mapping"?
Subject:RE: What alternatives are there to "Information Mapping"? From:Betsy Maaks <Betsy -dot- Maaks -at- tellabs -dot- com> To:techwr-l <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 19 Nov 1999 18:11:26 -0600
Everyone,
In response to:
>As one respondent
>says, the method is intuitive, obvious and common sensical. We all have
>first hand experience with the notion that obvious ideas and techniques can
>be denigrated by an in-group. For example, one colleague of mine recently
>criticized Information Mapping because it promoted and charged money for
>'what every competent technical communicator should be doing all the time.'
Before word processing and DTP there were typewriters. Everything
left justified or centered (backspace half the number of letters)
and tedious paragraphs of text. Think BC, think 50's. Think black and
white.
InfoMapping came along in this period. New revelation! Chunks. Maps.
Format. LEFT SIDE-HEADS. They didn't exist before. Look at old textbooks
and compare the format to new ones.
The premise that "this is just common sense" is rather...simplistic.
InfoMapping formatting is now so pervasive that it seems like common
sense. You may be blessed with good training, and maybe we're all using
it now. But don't knock it as something that doesn't tell you anything
new.
It is good, solid, RESEARCHED methodology. Just like thinking we know
how to ski and then each winter taking a new set of lessons to remind
us of the proper technique AND learn new ones, we will not be harmed by
returning to "the source" of our knowledge to remind us of the
proper technique of formatting and learn new techniques. When
we revisit what we've learned, if we are open to new experiences,
we will learn something new that we didn't see before.
Try it. The class is worth it ($$$$!!!!). It reminds you of where
our current best practices came from. It required research and
experimentation. You young-uns just don't remember the before-times,
the dark ages. It's a touchstone, a blessing, an affirmation.
It's InfoMapping. Thank you.
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Betsy Maaks Tellabs Operations, Inc.
Ext. 33572 630-435-3572
bmaaks -at- tellabs -dot- com www.tellabs.com
