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Top 10 Workspace Configurations for Technical Writers
Here’s my list of the Top 10 Workspace Configurations for technical writers. (By “workspace configuration,” I mean the characteristics of your work environment that make you most productive and happy.)
- Dual Monitors. Allows you to put the application you’re documenting on one screen, your authoring tool on the other. No more scrunched windows or frustrations with constantly maximizing and minimizing your screens.
- Laptop with docking station. Gives you mobility of workspaces. For example, this morning the train stalled for 40 minutes, but I was working on my help file anyway. I don’t even have a work desktop — the laptop with docking station combo is perfect. It’s like having both a desktop and laptop, but having their files always perfectly in sync.
- VPN connection. Essential for connecting to the Intranet from home to access the application you’re documenting. Especially when you’re trying to meet a tight deadline, VPN can help save your bacon as you work late into the night.
- Enterprise-integrated BlackBerry. My favorite new toy. Tonight I had a quick thought about improving the usability of an application while waiting for my wife to pick a movie at BlockBuster, so I thumbed an email msg to the PM and other team members. I’ve also just loaded my BlackBerry up with tech podcasts to listen to while I’m going to work. If I’m away from my computer for a while in meetings or at lunch, I won’t experience that eerie feeling of disconnect.
- Open tool office policy. “Use the tools you’re most comfortable with to produce the needed help materials.” Freedom of tools is a writer’s dream. It gives you more responsibility and ownership of your toolset, since you chose it and it wasn’t forced upon you. It also allows you to author in the most comfortable environment for you.
- Google Talk as the IM Client. IM avoids the dozens of pointless messages you get daily that shouldn’t be emails. IM is quick, and Google Talk is one of the best (and free).
- SharePoint 2007 platform for publishing help files. I set my publishing target in Flare to automatically push my help files to a SharePoint directory. Because it’s SharePoint, I can update all help information on the fly, and I’m not restricted to the developers’ code freeze and hardening deadlines. This removes a lot of pressure, and I know that if I later discover an error, or want to add more material, I can adjust the production help within seconds. April Update: After more experience using SharePoint as a file repository, I no longer recommend this method. SharePoint is not a stable platform. It’s loading speed fluctuates, and if you have 20 MB videos, they don’t load at all. SharePoint is like a Pinto for performance. You need a stable, robust server instead. Trust me on this one. Also, the anonymous access feature is also problematic. It can cause your entire server farm to crash.
- Proximity to project managers and project team members. As I said in a previous podcast, proximity to people with key project information is one of the best ways to get the information you need. If you’re remotely located, or if your project team is scattered across different floors and department buildings, camaraderie and communication will go downhill. In contrast, proximity opens up the channels of communication.
- Open access to Pandora, Yahoo Music, or other online radio. Music helps me focus and blocks out random voices of people yakking away in the hall. I especially love Pandora because it’s free and doesn’t have audio commercials. It also loads almost immediately and begins playing.
- Ubiquitous wireless connectivity. A laptop’s wireless capabilities can give you incredible freedom when your entire building has wireless access points on every floor, in every conference room. You can take your laptop to meetings and still be productive.
**Bonus configuration: A manager who reads your blog and who also blogs. This seemingly small gesture yields big returns in workplace rapport.
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Tags: BlackBerry, Flare, Google Talk, Pandora, SharePoint, VPN, workplace environment
February 15th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Tom, I’m very interested in how you use Sharepoint to publish help files.
Can you do a blog on this?
Will this work with RoboHelp’s Web help, too?
Holly
February 15th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Yes, either will work. I’ll probably have to do screenshots rather than video b/c of the privacy of info. But here are the quick steps in MOSS 2007:
1. On your SharePoint site, click View All Site Content (left column).
2. Click one of your document libraries.
3. Go to Actions > Open With Windows Explorer.
4. Drag your online help’s webhelp folder into there.
5. After the files upload, open the start topic (e.g., index.html) for your help file.
6. Look at the URL in your browser.
7. Point the help button in your application to that URL.
Flare allows you to have a Publishing Target different from the Output folder, so you can upload it in one click. RoboHelp might have something similar — I can’t remember.
One more thing. SharePoint usually requires authentication, but you can get around it by doing the following:
1. Click Site Actions > Site Settings .
2. Under People and Groups, click Advanced Permissions.
3. Go to Settings > Anonymous Access.
4. Select Entire Web Site, and then click OK. Now users won’t have to authenticate to see your help file. This may not be a problem if your company has single-sign-on.
That’s about it. Was that what you were asking?
February 15th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Yes, thanks!
I may have some followup questions once we try it.
February 15th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Sharepoint for help sounds great - but what about for applications that are installed on devices that may not have connectivity to the web some or all of the time? Is there an alternative method for packaging help with the app?
Or maybe I’m missing something about how SP help is accessed?
February 15th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
I don’t have much experience with Google Talk, but I find that Meebo is an excellent online IM client. I can log onto all of my IM accounts at once, and it automatically saves my chat logs. Since I work on both Mac and PC, syncing is a problem, and this gives me access to my accounts and chat history no matter what computer I’m currently working on.
February 15th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
February 16th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
tr,
For apps not connected to the web, the SharePoint solution wouldn’t work. However, the trend in software apps is brower-based delivery, so the number of locally installed clients that never connect to the web is minimal.
February 16th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Stefanie, I agree with your recommendation on Meebo. Meebo is great especially if you aren’t allowed to download any IM clients on your computer. For those not familiar with Meebo, it’s a brower-based IM client that allows you to use Google, Yahoo, and other IM services.
February 16th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
True - may be the trend but not the trend for the stuff I have to support
I really like the idea of being able to update help outside of the build process - maybe my requirements will change someday
Also might have some trouble getting a server dedicated to storing the help.
Thanks for the info - it got the wheels turning over here
February 16th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
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February 17th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
[...] Top 10 Workspace Configurations for Technical Writers [...]
February 17th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
February 18th, 2008 at 9:34 am
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February 20th, 2008 at 10:08 am
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:09 am
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:26 pm
I’m withdrawing my recommendation of SharePoint.
After more experience using SharePoint as a file repository, I no longer recommend this method. SharePoint is not a stable platform. It’s loading speed fluctuates, and if you have 20 MB videos, they don’t load at all. SharePoint is like a Pinto for performance. You need a stable, robust server instead. Trust me on this one. Also, the anonymous access feature is also problematic. It can cause your entire server farm to crash.
April 25th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
[...] is the list of Top 10 Workspace Configurations for Technical Writers from I’d Rather Be [...]