The truth is out there
One of the most important issues in technical content is to establish a single source of truth for technical data. More often than not, our workflow assessments uncover multiple sources of dubious accuracy.
Pay no GREAT attention to that man behind the curtain
Every department has its resident tech wizard: the maintainer of the templates, the DITA Open Toolkit, the wiki, and so on. What happens when that wizard flies off to a new kingdom?
Webcast: Pros and cons of the DITA Open Toolkit
In this webcast recording, Simon Bate discusses the pros and cons of using the DITA Open Toolkit. Topics include localization, automation, open standards, and plugin architecture on the pro side; plugin architecture, PDF configuration, open standards, and documentation on the con side.
Rebranding as a business case for XML
Reuse and automated formatting are the most common justifications for XML, but recently, we have heard a new reason from several customers: rebranding.
From tech writer to DITA superhero
In the world of superheroes, technical writers could just slide down a pole or do a clandestine spin to transform themselves into DITA technologists. Of course, nothing is that easy, so what does the transformation from tech writer to DITA superhero really require?
The politics of DITA
Deciding on a content model is a critical step in many of our projects. Should it be DITA or something else? The answer, it seems, often has more to do with our client’s corporate culture than with actual technical requirements.
Five questions to ask before distributing content as HTML
HTML5! Mobile! Responsive design!
It’s easy to get distracted by sparkly buzzwords when you investigate distributing your technical content as HTML. Instead, focus on a few basic but essential questions:
Webcast: Ensuring success with your CCMS
In this webcast, guest presenter Chip Gettinger of SDL discusses key success factors for component content management systems.
Adapt or die: Managing increasing content velocity
Content velocity is the speed at which we create and produce content, the speed of the publishing process itself, and the speed of change in content requirements—what we need to produce and the delivery mechanisms.
Adapt or die: style guide edition
Being cognizant of your environment and adapting accordingly is a good survival technique for any being (as Darwin recognized), and it’s particularly true in the professional world. And that’s why I’m puzzled by how much time tech writers spend agonizing over style and word choices in tech comm forums, on Twitter, and elsewhere.
