Comments on: Answering Reader’s Questions: How To Keep Up with Work/Family Balance, and Which Tools to Use http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/ Technical Communication Blog / Technical Writing Blog Sat, 20 Mar 2010 03:16:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Success http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/comment-page-1/#comment-134061 Success Wed, 03 Sep 2008 02:50:44 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/#comment-134061 Your post makes one think! Great article. Thanks for allowing me to comment! Your post makes one think! Great article. Thanks for allowing me to comment!

]]> By: Tech writers are blogging and podcasting | just write click http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/comment-page-1/#comment-130514 Tech writers are blogging and podcasting | just write click Sat, 03 May 2008 17:37:57 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/#comment-130514 [...] of the writers and podcasters of the techwritervoices.com site, Tom Johnson, writes about work-family balance and how listening to podcasts during commutes helps him keep up. Another reader said that she found [...] [...] of the writers and podcasters of the techwritervoices.com site, Tom Johnson, writes about work-family balance and how listening to podcasts during commutes helps him keep up. Another reader said that she found [...]

]]> By: Amy http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/comment-page-1/#comment-8436 Amy Thu, 22 Mar 2007 11:20:50 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/#comment-8436 To my fellow hard-working industrious and resourceful technical writers: Many thanks for your feedback and direction on choosing the right authoring tool for the job. What a great time in history it is to get re-oriented in the field. Collaboration is a modern goldmine; blogs, user groups, podcasts and industry websites are so helpful. Now to synthesize all the information! Good thing I just got lasik. To my fellow hard-working industrious and resourceful technical writers:
Many thanks for your feedback and direction on choosing the right authoring tool for the job. What a great time in history it is to get re-oriented in the field. Collaboration is a modern goldmine; blogs, user groups, podcasts and industry websites are so helpful. Now to synthesize all the information! Good thing I just got lasik.

]]> By: Tom http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/comment-page-1/#comment-7844 Tom Wed, 21 Mar 2007 03:27:16 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/#comment-7844 I don't think anyone but professional graphic artists master every feature and function in Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro. I use both and like them quite a bit. I didn't mention them because the reader was initially asking about online help tools, though the conversation morphed into tools in general. Word is also not a bad authoring tool. It's nice to be able to easily share documents with SMEs and gather feedback through tracked changes, etc. I just wish Word would add some features like conditional text and better numbering. I omitted Word because it doesn't deliver online help, but with WebWorks ePublisher Pro it can be used as an online help tool. I don’t think anyone but professional graphic artists master every feature and function in Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro. I use both and like them quite a bit. I didn’t mention them because the reader was initially asking about online help tools, though the conversation morphed into tools in general.

Word is also not a bad authoring tool. It’s nice to be able to easily share documents with SMEs and gather feedback through tracked changes, etc. I just wish Word would add some features like conditional text and better numbering. I omitted Word because it doesn’t deliver online help, but with WebWorks ePublisher Pro it can be used as an online help tool.

]]> By: roGER http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/comment-page-1/#comment-7726 roGER Tue, 20 Mar 2007 15:00:29 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/#comment-7726 I believe RoboHelp is still useful, and old stand-by's like the repulsive but still-amazingly common Microsoft Turd. Sorry I mean Word. Regarding other tools, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned a graphics package such as Paint Shop Pro. These can be rather complex and difficult to master, but for tek riting purposes you can get away with knowing how to capture, resize, and apply simple labels to an image. If you need further skills you can always learn them. Good luck. - roGER I believe RoboHelp is still useful, and old stand-by’s like the repulsive but still-amazingly common Microsoft Turd. Sorry I mean Word.

Regarding other tools, I’m surprised nobody has mentioned a graphics package such as Paint Shop Pro.

These can be rather complex and difficult to master, but for tek riting purposes you can get away with knowing how to capture, resize, and apply simple labels to an image. If you need further skills you can always learn them.

Good luck.

- roGER

]]> By: Tom http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/comment-page-1/#comment-7524 Tom Tue, 20 Mar 2007 01:20:14 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/#comment-7524 Thanks for the comment, Rhonda. I agree that the Yahoo Help Authoring Tools and Technologies listserv (HATT) is one of the best, at least in terms of tool discussions. Thanks for the comment, Rhonda. I agree that the Yahoo Help Authoring Tools and Technologies listserv (HATT) is one of the best, at least in terms of tool discussions.

]]> By: Tom http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/comment-page-1/#comment-7516 Tom Tue, 20 Mar 2007 01:13:01 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/#comment-7516 Thanks for the comment, Paul. I am glad to hear about your experience with Flare. I think the pace of development at Madcap is pretty amazing. Thanks for the comment, Paul. I am glad to hear about your experience with Flare. I think the pace of development at Madcap is pretty amazing.

]]> By: Paul http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/comment-page-1/#comment-7426 Paul Mon, 19 Mar 2007 17:18:07 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/#comment-7426 I think Tom is right on the money on this one. Maybe even five years ago, you had to know RoboHelp, as it was basically an industry standard. When RoboHelp fell off the radar for a couple of years, a bunch of other tools competed to take RoboHelp's industry-leader spot, but the consensus among users seems to be that nobody did. That said, it is probably important to know _a_ HAT to include on your resume. Then in your cover letter, if a job requests knowledge of AIT, you can say something to the effect of "while I don't have experience with AIT, I believe my experience with will be transferable, and I'll be able to master AIT quickly and effectively" or something similar. If you are getting started and have no experience, I think that Flare is a great tool to learn. I'm a Flare user and I love my HAT. Flare has a lot of advantages (and several disadvantages too), but Flare is very similar to Robohelp, being developed by many former Robohelp developers. I would imagine that a TW who knows Flare would be able to easily adapt to any HAT, plus you come in with cutting-edge tool knowledge that is very similar to RoboHelp (for the many shops still using RH to produce documentation). Anyway, hope this helps. Good luck! I think Tom is right on the money on this one.

Maybe even five years ago, you had to know RoboHelp, as it was basically an industry standard.

When RoboHelp fell off the radar for a couple of years, a bunch of other tools competed to take RoboHelp’s industry-leader spot, but the consensus among users seems to be that nobody did.

That said, it is probably important to know _a_ HAT to include on your resume. Then in your cover letter, if a job requests knowledge of AIT, you can say something to the effect of “while I don’t have experience with AIT, I believe my experience with will be transferable, and I’ll be able to master AIT quickly and effectively” or something similar.

If you are getting started and have no experience, I think that Flare is a great tool to learn. I’m a Flare user and I love my HAT. Flare has a lot of advantages (and several disadvantages too), but Flare is very similar to Robohelp, being developed by many former Robohelp developers. I would imagine that a TW who knows Flare would be able to easily adapt to any HAT, plus you come in with cutting-edge tool knowledge that is very similar to RoboHelp (for the many shops still using RH to produce documentation).

Anyway, hope this helps. Good luck!

]]> By: Rhonda http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/comment-page-1/#comment-7303 Rhonda Mon, 19 Mar 2007 06:02:12 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/#comment-7303 In addition to TechWr-L, there's a list that's only dedicated to Help authoring tools: HATT (Help Authoring Tools and Techniques). Sign up for it at http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/hatt/ Also, most (all?) HATs have some sort of user forum/list where the user community can ask questions. For some HATs, that user community can also include those just interested in the tool, evaluators, newbies, a seasoned gurus. For example, the AuthorIT user forum is at http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/authorit-users/ In addition to TechWr-L, there’s a list that’s only dedicated to Help authoring tools: HATT (Help Authoring Tools and Techniques). Sign up for it at http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/hatt/

Also, most (all?) HATs have some sort of user forum/list where the user community can ask questions. For some HATs, that user community can also include those just interested in the tool, evaluators, newbies, a seasoned gurus. For example, the AuthorIT user forum is at http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/authorit-users/

]]> By: Think of something better… http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/comment-page-1/#comment-129573 Think of something better… Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.idratherbewriting.com/2007/03/18/answering-readers-questions-how-to-keep-up-with-workfamily-balance-and-which-tools-to-use/#comment-129573 <!--%kramer-pre%-->it is the mastery of tools and old-school methodologies that makes a good writer? Should the mindset be changed or is it this dichotomy that facilitates discussion and debate among writers that leads to improvements to our profession as a whole? SeeTom Johnson’s post for some additional insight. Think of something better…<!--%kramer-post%--> it is the mastery of tools and old-school methodologies that makes a good writer? Should the mindset be changed or is it this dichotomy that facilitates discussion and debate among writers that leads to improvements to our profession as a whole? SeeTom Johnson’s post for some additional insight. Think of something better…

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