Comments on: 10 Reasons Not to Upgrade to Robohelp 6 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/ Technical Communication Blog / Technical Writing Blog Sun, 21 Mar 2010 03:43:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Grammar Parrot - Links http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/comment-page-1/#comment-129895 Grammar Parrot - Links Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:07:45 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/#comment-129895 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] 10 Reasons Not to Upgrade to Robohelp 6 [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> [...] 10 Reasons Not to Upgrade to Robohelp 6 [...]

]]> By: robohelp office 2007: Web Search Results from Answers.com http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/comment-page-1/#comment-63121 robohelp office 2007: Web Search Results from Answers.com Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:18:28 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/#comment-63121 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] may be in the works for sure. ...labnol.blogspot.com/2007/01/ adobe-robohelp-6-is-now-available.html10 Reasons Not to Upgrade to Robohelp 6 | I'd Rather Be WritingRoboHelp isn’t compatible with Word 2007 (nor with Vista), so when Vista and Office 2007 become [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> [...] may be in the works for sure. …labnol.blogspot.com/2007/01/ adobe-robohelp-6-is-now-available.html10 Reasons Not to Upgrade to Robohelp 6 | I'd Rather Be WritingRoboHelp isn’t compatible with Word 2007 (nor with Vista), so when Vista and Office 2007 become [...]

]]> By: Charles Jeter http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/comment-page-1/#comment-39661 Charles Jeter Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:42:29 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/#comment-39661 I've been researching the Corporate Authenticity angle on RoboHelp over at my blog. The latest article, Is RoboHelp Dead... Again? has generated quite a buzz on the HATT list. http://charlesjeter.com/2007/08/31/is-robohelp-dead-again/ The initial subject I had been looking into was the Technical Support layoffs Adobe had in June with their core RoboHelp team. That's pretty much buried now but it's a compelling story I'll detail further as I get time. http://charlesjeter.com/category/technical-support/ Tom, I'd love it if you had a chance to review the articles and if I'm lucky, review them on your blog! Great work by the way. Sincerely, Charles Jeter I’ve been researching the Corporate Authenticity angle on RoboHelp over at my blog. The latest article, Is RoboHelp Dead… Again? has generated quite a buzz on the HATT list.
http://charlesjeter.com/2007/08/31/is-robohelp-dead-again/

The initial subject I had been looking into was the Technical Support layoffs Adobe had in June with their core RoboHelp team. That’s pretty much buried now but it’s a compelling story I’ll detail further as I get time.
http://charlesjeter.com/category/technical-support/

Tom, I’d love it if you had a chance to review the articles and if I’m lucky, review them on your blog!

Great work by the way.

Sincerely,

Charles Jeter

]]> By: DriverlessSam http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/comment-page-1/#comment-39473 DriverlessSam Mon, 03 Sep 2007 01:01:50 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/#comment-39473 I am new to Help Authoring. I started with the free Microsoft HTML workshop which would be sufficient if it worked. For instance it does not build the index from the HTML "keyword" tag words in the HTML as it says it will if you click the box before compiling. After I figured out the control file structures I started just putting my structure data (TOC, index, etc) directly into the non-HTML files using Notepad. As an old assembly language programmer I can not put data into little fields on windows and clicking OK over and over again. In the ads for Robohelp they tout importing MS Word documents. When I save an MS word document as HTML I get an ungodly amount of unnecessary formatting information in the HTML file. I can not ship an HTML file with all that crap even though no one else will ever see it. So I "wash" the MS Word text and paste the cleansed characters into an HTML file using MS Frontpage. I get nice clean, tight HTML, the way God intended. Those who have been doing HTML Help Authoring for years probably are laughing now. That's to be expected. OBTW: I have the $1000 that it would cost for Robhelp to spend on other things. I am new to Help Authoring. I started with the free Microsoft HTML workshop which would be sufficient if it worked. For instance it does not build the index from the HTML “keyword” tag words in the HTML as it says it will if you click the box before compiling.
After I figured out the control file structures I started just putting my structure data (TOC, index, etc) directly into the non-HTML files using Notepad. As an old assembly language programmer I can not put data into little fields on windows and clicking OK over and over again.
In the ads for Robohelp they tout importing MS Word documents. When I save an MS word document as HTML I get an ungodly amount of unnecessary formatting information in the HTML file. I can not ship an HTML file with all that crap even though no one else will ever see it. So I “wash” the MS Word text and paste the cleansed characters into an HTML file using MS Frontpage. I get nice clean, tight HTML, the way God intended.
Those who have been doing HTML Help Authoring for years probably are laughing now. That’s to be expected. OBTW: I have the $1000 that it would cost for Robhelp to spend on other things.

]]> By: Paul http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/comment-page-1/#comment-35935 Paul Wed, 13 Jun 2007 23:32:57 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/#comment-35935 Here is the post: <a href="http://blog.paulpehrson.com/2007/06/13/six-persistent-flare-problems/"> "Six Persistent Flare Problems" at Technically Speaking</a> Here is the post:

“Six Persistent Flare Problems” at Technically Speaking

]]> By: Technically Speaking » Introduction to my thoughts on MadCap Flare http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/comment-page-1/#comment-35918 Technically Speaking » Introduction to my thoughts on MadCap Flare Wed, 13 Jun 2007 17:54:55 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/#comment-35918 [...] Tom Johnson’s blog, I’d Rather Be Writing. A couple of months ago, Tom posted a list of ten reasons not to upgrade to Adobe’s Robohelp 6. (RH 6 is a help authoring tool (HAT); for those of you who aren’t technical writers, a HAT [...] [...] Tom Johnson’s blog, I’d Rather Be Writing. A couple of months ago, Tom posted a list of ten reasons not to upgrade to Adobe’s Robohelp 6. (RH 6 is a help authoring tool (HAT); for those of you who aren’t technical writers, a HAT [...]

]]> By: Paul http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/comment-page-1/#comment-35915 Paul Wed, 13 Jun 2007 16:51:39 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/#comment-35915 I thought you'd probably ask this question. I've been contemplating this post for a while. When I get it posted to my blog, I'll re-comment here with a link. I thought you’d probably ask this question. I’ve been contemplating this post for a while.

When I get it posted to my blog, I’ll re-comment here with a link.

]]> By: Tom http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/comment-page-1/#comment-35851 Tom Wed, 13 Jun 2007 03:04:47 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/#comment-35851 Paul, "’ll be the first to warn you of some critical problems with Flare that I think new users should be aware of before they get too entrenched in the process of creating help with Flare." I've only dabbled in Flare for a couple weeks of experimentation. I'm sure (like buying a car or house) you don't get to know the quirks and problems until it's too late. Do you mind sharing what some of these critical problems are? Or if you blogged about it already, just point me to the post. Tom Paul,

“’ll be the first to warn you of some critical problems with Flare that I think new users should be aware of before they get too entrenched in the process of creating help with Flare.”

I’ve only dabbled in Flare for a couple weeks of experimentation. I’m sure (like buying a car or house) you don’t get to know the quirks and problems until it’s too late.

Do you mind sharing what some of these critical problems are? Or if you blogged about it already, just point me to the post.

Tom

]]> By: Paul http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/comment-page-1/#comment-35799 Paul Tue, 12 Jun 2007 17:55:17 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/#comment-35799 Nice. I love how anybody who is critical of Robohelp is automatically assumed to be a Flare zealot or employee. No where does Tom mention that you should use a different specific authoring tool. Instead, he is warning RH 5 users of 10 reasons not to upgrade to RH 6. Until some of his basic questions or problems are answered, this is sound advice. If you are in the market for a new HAT, you should carefully consider these 10 things before you upgrade or purchase RH 6. You should also carefully consider the flaws/problems with other HATs before you invest in them. As a Flare user, I'll be the first to warn you of some critical problems with Flare that I think new users should be aware of before they get too entrenched in the process of creating help with Flare. That doesn't make me a Flare hater, or an Adobe employee. I'm neither. It is possible to be critical of Robohelp, and not be a MadCap employee. It's also possible to be critical of Flare and not be an Adobe employee. Sometimes it is nice for a third-party to post an honest evaluation of the product, which I think this post was. Nice. I love how anybody who is critical of Robohelp is automatically assumed to be a Flare zealot or employee.

No where does Tom mention that you should use a different specific authoring tool. Instead, he is warning RH 5 users of 10 reasons not to upgrade to RH 6. Until some of his basic questions or problems are answered, this is sound advice.

If you are in the market for a new HAT, you should carefully consider these 10 things before you upgrade or purchase RH 6. You should also carefully consider the flaws/problems with other HATs before you invest in them. As a Flare user, I’ll be the first to warn you of some critical problems with Flare that I think new users should be aware of before they get too entrenched in the process of creating help with Flare. That doesn’t make me a Flare hater, or an Adobe employee. I’m neither.

It is possible to be critical of Robohelp, and not be a MadCap employee. It’s also possible to be critical of Flare and not be an Adobe employee.

Sometimes it is nice for a third-party to post an honest evaluation of the product, which I think this post was.

]]> By: Tom http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/comment-page-1/#comment-35627 Tom Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:52:08 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/02/07/10-reasons-not-to-upgrade-to-robohelp-6/#comment-35627 I neither work for Madcap nor do I use Flare. I neither work for Madcap nor do I use Flare.

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