News & Events
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Registration is open for the 2006
Best Practices conference to be held September 18–20,
2006, in San Diego, California. The program is available online.
Transitioning
Your Technical Publications Team to DITA Webinar
Join us for the PTC Webinar series: Employing
Best Practices and Tools for DITA Success. For more information
visit the PTC
web site.
Comtech
Services Releases DITA User Guide
We are accepting orders for Introduction
to DITA: A Basic User Guide to the Darwin Information Typing
Architecture. Order
your copy today!
Host
a Workshop
Organizations that host a workshop in the JoAnn
Hackos Workshop Series receive four registrations for the
price of one. Find
out how to become a host.
xml:tm approved by LISA OSCAR for public comment
The LISA OSCAR Steering Committee has approved
xml:tm for public comment ratification as a standard. xml:tm
is in many ways a complementary standard to DITA and an integral
part of the XML localization landscape. See the
article for more on xml:tm.
XMetaL and Mekon Announce FrameMaker Adapter for DITA
For information on this release from XMetaL
and Mekon, read
the announcement.
PUBSNET
Documentation and Training Conference 2006
7th Annual Documentation and Training Conference
hosted by PUBSNET to be held October 3–5. For more information
visit the Conference
Website.
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Upcoming Workshops
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DITA
Boot Camp
JoAnn Hackos, Kylene Bruski
August 21–25
Wakefield, MA (Boston area)
XML
for Writers
Kylene Bruski,
September 13–14
San Diego, CA
Content Management Workshop
JoAnn Hackos
October 4–5
Boston, MA (UMASS)
Minimalism:
Creating Manuals People Can Use
Bill Hackos
October 17–18
Roseville, MN
Minimalism: Creating Manuals People Can Use
JoAnn Hackos
November 14–15
Mission Viejo, CA
Structured Writing for Single Sourcing
JoAnn Hackos
December 12–13
Germantown, MD
For more information on these and other workshops,
visit the JoAnn
Hackos Workshop Series web site.
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Measuring
Performance in Information Development
JoAnn Hackos, PhD
CIDM Director
www.infomanagementcenter.com
Once upon a time, an information-development manager
in a large telecommunications company discovered that the cost of
one project far exceeded the costs of any of the other projects
her staff worked on. Investigating further, the manager learned
that this project was a victim of poorly defined requirements and
specifications, resulting in nearly continuous redirection and rework
of the documentation. Nothing was ever written once. Due to continuous
changes in direction, the writers spent a large fraction of their
project time adding, deleting, and rewriting topics. When the manager
reported the findings to senior management, they decided to replace
the engineering project manager. The lower productivity among the
writers on this project mirrored productivity problems among the
engineers.
Read
the article
More articles
Writing for translation: Don't miss the opportunity!
Susan Harkus, Independent Consultant
Tomoko Gondow, Seijo University, Japan
In 2000, we were developing a product for several
European markets, and we knew that we would only have a short time
to prepare the product for each market. Would a combination of automatic
translation and human translators help us reduce localization time
by reducing translation time?
Read
the article
Strategic
Thinking and Innovation Will Lead to Successfully Negotiating
Major Paradigm Shifts in Our Future
Sue King, Independent Consultant
Recently, I found Thomas L. Friedman being interviewed
by John Doerr, who was guest hosting the Charlie Rose show that
night. I had tuned in midway into the program, just as Friedman
was explaining how his views have changed as a result of touring
the US since he wrote his book. The subject of the show was “The
Looming Energy Crisis,” an interesting topic in itself. However,
what struck me over and over again as I listened was the critical
need for strategic thinking and innovative leadership, particularly
as we attempt to navigate a future full of major paradigm shifts
in energy and environmental conservation fundamental to our economic
as well as ecological well being. What follows is a summary of the
Friedman interview.
Read
the article
Information Development: Service or Manufacture?
Bill Hackos, Comtech Services
Talking to information developers today, I find an
almost universal trend. Almost all managers say management is cutting
back on their departments. They are being asked to do more with
less. Sound familiar? The surprising thing is that we are doing
more with less, and of very good quality! How is that possible?
I’ve asked around. Writers are not working more hours than
before. Offshoring has not been able to realize the cost savings
that management expected. Yet somehow we are able to produce more
good quality information than we were before.
Read
the article
xml:tm - XML Document Text Memory
Andrzej Zydron, xml-Intl Ltd.
xml:tm (XML-based Text Memory) is the vendor-neutral
open XML standard for embedding text memory within an XML document.
xml:tm leverages the namespace syntax of XML to embed text memory
information within the XML document itself. xml:tm provides a radical
new approach to the task of authoring and translating XML documents.
Read
the article
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Feedback
Have you found this issue useful? Got a great story idea? We'd like your
input and suggestions. Please contact nikki.gjestvang@comtech-serv.com
about any comments you may have.
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The Center for Information-Development
Management
The Center for Information-Development Management (CIDM) is an organization
of information-development, training, and support managers across the
United States and internationally. The CIDM facilitates the sharing of
information among the most skilled managers in the information industry.
For more information, visit www.infomanagmentcenter.com.
©2006 by The Center for Information-Development Management.
All rights reserved.
Tel. (303) 232-7586 Fax. (303) 232-0659
info@infomanagementcenter.com
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