Another Perspective on Single-Sourcing — Interview with Sarah O’Keefe

About the Podcast

The podcasts I record for I'd Rather Be Writing cover the latest trends in technical communication. I interview tech writing luminaries around the world as well as record STC presentations and other audio content. You can subscribe to podcast specific feeds using the subscription information below.

Latest Comments

Ben: I actually have the opposite experience with UI text changes that I log in JIRA. The customers prioritize... (9)
Social Network Software: “which tools are best to use for creating a social network, and his response was... (16)
Rengaraman: Another good way to track these last minute updates is to be a part of QA team (besides being a TW).... (9)
Gil Vinokoor: You hit the nail on the head here, Tom. Nice! As the saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the... (9)
bedavasexizle: swdw (14)
Alan J. Porter: Excellent post this morning – was having a lengthy conversation on this very topic... (9)
Larry Kunz: Oh, my, yes. I’ve been there. Great article, Tom. In addition to keeping tabs on what’s... (9)
Jason: Good topic, Tom. When my current company adopted the scrum methodology of agile development, I was very... (9)
Patty Blount: Tom, this one’s spot on… Happens all the time here, despite the various methods we have... (9)
Joe: Sounds like business as usual where I work. I’ve gotten used to it. (9)

Another Perspective on Single-Sourcing — Interview with Sarah O’Keefe

October 23rd, 2006 | Posted in Podcasts 1 Comment »

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download MP3 file
Duration: 34 min.

In this podcast, Sarah O’Keefe talks about how to implement single-sourcing, particularly for writers with medium-level reuse needs, such as those using RoboHelp and Word. Additionally, she discusses the resistance writers have to change, how to calculate business costs versus savings, and tool options for producing online help and print deliverables.

Specific topics in this podcast include:

Determining whether you need to single-source or not
Strategies for RoboHelp users who produce both print and online help
Avoiding the copy-and-paste method of reuse
Three solutions for medium-level reuse: Flare, AuthorIT, and Framemaker/Word with WebWorks ePublisher
Challenges for large companies such as airline industries
Helping authors cope with change
Pitfalls with single sourcing
Calculating business savings/costs of single sourcing
User habits for reading content online and in print
Conceptual shifts when writing for a single-source output

Links mentioned in the podcast:

Scriptorium (Sarah’s company): http://scriptorium.com
White papers at Scriptorium: http://scriptorium.com/papers.html
Other resources at Scriptorium: http://scriptorium.com/resources.html
Char James-Tanny’s Compare/Contrast HAT matrix: http://hat-matrix.com/
Scriptorium blog (“Palimpsest”): http://www.scriptorium.com/palimpsest/
Sarah’s email: okeefe@scriptorium.com

To make a comment on the podcast, call Tech Writer Voices Skype e-voicemail number at 727-493-2139 and leave a message. Alternatively, use the comment feature on this post or e-mail tom@idratherbewriting.com.

These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.